Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-12-14
THE LOST TRAIN.

THE LOST TRAIN.
At Z o'clock in the evening, on the
Goth of August, 1881, there stood on the
railroad platform Of the little station of
Silver Bow seven persons. Silver Bow
is g new settlement on one Of the nu-
merous branches Of the Atchison, Tope-
ka & Santa Fe railroad. Twenty miles
southwest of Silver Bow, Oh the same
track, is Lone Tomb. A like distance
beyond this place lies Blue Canyon. and
still farther Golconda City, where the
line terminates. Five OF these persons
had bought tickets for the Atlantic
express. They were waiting to
take the momentarily expected train
for Topeka, there to change cars and
reach New York by way of Chicago.
The remaining two individuals were the
ticket agent and a telegraph operator.
On the platform at Lone Tomb we're a
dozen persons, among them party con-
sistins Of bride and groom, just mar
ried, and mysterious stranger, dressed
in Long, black cloak and SLOUGH hat,
who glanced furtively, from time to
time, at the happy pair. The train from
Blue Canyon came slowly into Lone
Tomb, and the passengers soon took their
seats, the bride and groom going into
the parlor car, and the mysterious
stranger entering the smoker. There
were few interchanges Of cOurtesies
between the loiterers on the platform
and the conductor, brakemen and en-
gineer, then the bell of the locomotive
rang, and the train moved on the single
track toward Silver Bow
There was not a great deal oftratfic on
this branch of the Atkinson, Topeka &
Santa Fe. But two trains ran daily,
Sundays excepted. through the seventy
miles OF wild but fairly level country
that had occasionally been Well traversed
by the James boys and other despera-
does, for the United States express car
often carried in its safe a large amount
OF specie. The train that had just left
Lone Tomb was known as mo.
ST." 1t consisted Of Pullman palace
parlor sleeper, a smoker, an
ordinary passenger coach g. baggage car,
a United States express and caooose.
The conductor, Jem Harris, was an An
out Kansas. Colorado, New Mexico and
Texas. The engineer, Tim Herman, en-
joyed equally as much popularity, not
solely on occount of his good nature,
but also for his skill in the, game of po-
ker. In remote regions such as these
the arrival and departure Of the train is,
outside of an occasional lynching, the
only excitement and the trainmen are
looked upon very much as were the
driver and guard in the old coaching
DAYS in England.
"We're twenty minutes behind time"
said Conductor Harris to Engineer Tier
man. 'Shake her up, Tim; We'll get 20
Silver Bow by T."
The seven persons on the platform at
Silver Bow toward O'CLOCK looked anx-
ionsly up the track for "No: ST., but
there were no signs of it; 7:l5 o'clock,
and still the well-known Whistle, which
could be heard often at a distance of
three miles. had not echoed through the
Gek1y-wooded hills. This WAS not un-
usual, for ''67" had been at times half
an hour late. AS the Silver Bow travel
ers were beginning to get impatient,
the telegraph operator wired to Lone
Tomb and asked at what time the train
lett. The answer soon came:
mo. Ct, in charge Of Harris left here
for Silver Bow at $50 Fair load"
"Well," remarked the the ticket agent
who was in charge Of the station, ''she
must be along in a few minutes now"
The passengers were satisfied and con-
tent to wait. They walked up and down
the platform and rested occasionally On
their trunks and baggage, which were
piled up ready to be deposited in the
baggage car Of s67."
It was now eight o'clock and almost
dark, Without any Indication of the ap-
proach of the train. Those who before
had been impatient now became alarmed,
especially the step-mother of the bride
groom, who, with his father. intended
accompanying theyoung people as far as
Topeka, asneither had been able to be
present at the wedding. The telegraph
operator at the request of the ticket
agent, wired once more to Lone Tomb
as follows: s% @...s y.
"Ne 81 not yet arrived. Whats
Wrong?" Lone Tomb replied:
"Must be all right; perhaps hot box.
Good night--going home" Ii 5.:
1T is nine O'clock" said the ticket
agent to the tired and anxious persons
on the platform, as he looked at his
/. watch; Something must have have hap
Il pened, but ! don't think it can be any.
thing serious. A piece Of machinery
! may have got out of order and Tim Tier
mans repairing it. guess s67' will turn
4 up by and BY. in good shape.n The tick
+ ct agent talked in this way to keep up
the spirits ofsthe others, but it was easy
to see by his forced jollity that he did
not Ike the looks Of things. WI hat can
4 have happened? 2 Il he muttered to him