Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-10-26
THE ENGINEERS STORY.
A Midnight Efp~rirpcc Ia the whit,
Mountains.

hIoantaIn.. II
IL had bccn showing steadily all day
long. not IN n boistrruus. tempe stuous
way Int quietly aud pcr.i.tanily. rs IL
the fcathery flakes which were rapidly
piling themselves one upon the other
ON the frozen ground had come for n
tong stay. Towards night the wind
began ~ riSc, Hnd When the darkness
settled tlpNna mOtlcrnts winters town
was raging. We were waiting i'm the
little station NJ - for the down
train, telrgraphcd an hour aud n half
behind time. and wcr' 0ndeavOring 10
keep warm nround the small airtight
stove which scrvesl ne fhe only heating
medium In the low-stu,l,ird apartment.
L. -- - place Of little imp rtance ex-
ccpt as railroad center. for here two
runhhseteross eAoi other. md Il Is also
the point where locomotives were
changed ON the different t-ains With
the exception Of fthe blrytlc aud excite
ment incident 10 n Junction station.
there was but little - attract u tUiirisf.
and the few natural charms the place
possessed ~ this thnG wcrt hidden bOl
meath the sOft owning OF snow. So
tho weary walters were forced by dcarth
Of asD,isomeht, A. we'll "a Che storm. IA
while away the time rs best they could
In the dingy ,ICp0i. Ills, different time
tables were pcruscd, the flaming advcr-
tiscments scrutihizcd. dii 90 no purpose.
Tor the hands Of the munOtOnOus-tick-
ing clock crcpi .arovndl the dial with
that tardy pace peculiar to railroad
timc-pieccs when one is waiting for "A Le-
lated train.
The conductor who was to take
chargo OF Che empress came i'm To warm
his 'han,laby the little stow, aud soon
the party was increased Nv the cagi-
nccr. whose ma 'hinr could be- dimly
seen far down the track r'ady for is
expected charge
Z" Bad night, Bob. =" said the conduct
or. "Bcttcr,cOmc in and warm up. She
won'thc here for nn hour yet"
Thc engineer made some reply, and
joined the circlr around the stove. lie
was n niap of slight builI drooping
shoulders. and perhaps not NJ Co thu
average height. Rather c'rcminatc VI
first sight, unlilOnc noticed the square
firm chin, the quick. steady eyes, and
the lines about tnrf mouth, which
showed that beneath that calm face and
quiet manner law aths will both to do
and jarc. lie had becu selected cs-
pccially 10 run This niglt cNp,c., ON ac-
count If the DANCE Of The ,n,iliin. for
the down train Wis frc iurutly late. and
the lost timr must hc nude up before
rrachingihr Inl OF tnc ruad i'm order IN
meet connections 'rirnr mud nrairr
nothing but the 90 llnu,, and Judgment
Of tie enginccr had Thought this train
To is destination In SAFETY. and Bob
II tNFtaa "A a a
remarkably fortunate. anil had never
met with serious lrtblCu'. Tho run
ming Of the two trains M tu L. and
back to Tho city constituted bis day'
work. .AIhc position was n responsible
one. the remuneration good. aud the
Job ~ The boys termed IT,, was
looked YPn with envy 10y liob's trlloAv
engineers .Nl 7 TT
After some minute, passed in con.
vrrsatiun between the engineer and
conductor Tie latter suddenly re-.
marked.
"IIqwwss IL. Bob. You happened tc
grt thu eypru The Sup rintepdcnt
of the PUr,la 4 Og'Iensburs helpc,I
You Ia IL. diln' he. On accpuut Vfihat
affair Up In the maintain Zen u-
Acs. w." srokc mp several Nhc
had Ovrvhcarvl che con, crss,ion "" Let
us hear the story. hy all means"
We'll, boys sa'd lipb. ~ he bit 90
n generous thew, and tlcpusitcd tlr
quid lovingt IN his check. ii AIM
much n.andir u uIakc Won laugh
for you'll LINK ne spookY like bow.
somc,cr. mt A. true aaGospei. .ahd 4
Dan was here he'd say ~. too.
Twas when was running q. on
the Il. X q. Road which hadn't been
aguiu' mOrc'n u couple Of years. You
may porharSfhyl aenuniptcJ wftlTf u,
me. She rapp vflHosgb Soc Witt
Mountain Notch. 10 x Aaat risIt a.
the side 1T the hills. How they ever
had the sPunk 90 ytarf Srcsu roadrhcatr
m. for ~ Hrst sight Il srms ned "a
hopeless To gct around some Of them
short curves, IN say nothing % fhGbic
up-gradcs. Near Crawfnrd's H. that
spitcrstikr- fruukrustrtn -trr-tlr. -vuy,avr
heard So much about. where the track
spans n cha~nReigh 10 fcrt wide, aud onr
hundred feet deep. Siy0ng enough, |
suppose. btN Il makesa inAnfael az Irish
o. 90 over ~ for the iirst time. Well.
my good luck Is all owing To that trestle.
We lived in Portland then, Nell and |.
She IS my wife. md We WIS ms happy rs
,ould be. The only draw back was
that every other night had To take the
late eNpr'ss NJ 10 Fabyan's aud come
back nee dsy son tic Recommendation.
Neil used b. lba afraid ia have me 90.
particularly rs the rvad was new and
accidents would happen spite of all we
could do. kept telling her II was safe
enough. and the pay was good. so I'd
better stick 10 nIy place for awhile any
way. though. 10 ten the truth. didn',
like the route. TWAS So awful gloomy
like. No big towns togo through. only
nowuud thru-W little -village. and they
would be rs dark and quiet as n grave.
yard. when We struck l'cm NJ night
Summers u wasn't so rad. but winters
was awful. Wsll one night in January,
when IL was DIV turn 10 stay in Portland
the Superintendent sent for ms and
said;
Bob, there's a party Of directors rs
wants 10 get through she mountains TO.
night and they're going TO start about
ten o'clock. I'll haVeto send \ special.
but haven't an engineer that / car
trust. Now, it's your night of. know,
but II you'll pull the throttle for
them fellows. I'll make Il all right with
I" Well saysI. I'm 90. Of course
but it's goin' 70 be bad night on the
mountains. $50
That's so. Bob. says the Super,
butt know lean rely on you. and them
directors say they must 60 through
anyhow
80 i wOutback soiOur liisIo- cOttag,