The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-05-23
A BICYCLE
Phys n Prominent Part In Saving n
Railway rraiD,
Carrying Directors Of the Road and
Their Families,
From Dostruc lloa-A Plucky Operator.

lyon think inc rather Young Tor such
responsible posi,iou7 Well, perhaps 10, for
am nothing more than boy, being lebs than
20 years OF age. But what think you OF THE
white hair which | have had for four year.?
It locke strange TO one unaware OF Its origin,
and when call TO mind the CIRCUMSTANCES
that caused IL, only wonder that am
slive to-day
The speaker, a mere child In appearance,
save for his white hair, stood with his tight
index niger aud thumb grasping she key OF
n telegraph instrument which had lust
licked oil 10 him 1n account Of n terrible
railroad accident. Referring 20 II, no said:
II have had some trying experiences In
my life as an operator. Four years ago
wSs Telegraph operator ut a small country
station On southwestern railroad. ! had
little 10 do, the dispatches sent and re-
ceiv,d not averaging more than two day,
and those confined almost 10 railroad mat
tors. To enable me TO leave the office at
Will, l had attached large tin cup to the
sounder OF my instrument so ! could hear
my call, % from any part OF the village.
When the sOuth-boupd train arrived at
noon one Saturday, / hnrredly commun.
icsted with the conductor, aud learning
that he had nothing to send,
PREPARED TO QUIT NY OFFICE
Tor the afternoon. ~ no other train wss due
until o'clock. Locking the door | went
away, leaving tho train standing ut the
depot, hot boxes OBTAINING IL longer than
usual. Luckily did not 20 beyond ear.
shot OF my instrument, repairing 20 a fold
near by to witness u baseball game. ! fire.
quen;ly LETT the office for hours but always
kept within hearing distance, the lineup
sounder enabling me to distinguish my call
several hundred feet away. eomehow
had misgivings OH this occasion. | had an
indetinable dread OF eome impending
| trouble. i was so i'll at ease that ! took
little interest In the game. kept my ears
open, expecting, for some reason | viii not
attempt 10 explain, TO be called 10 the
office. Before ! had been absent ten
minutes, and while the train still STOOD Mt
the depot, / heard my familiar call
repeated In what seemed 10 ps unusually
rapid succession. Instead OF walking leis-
urely TO the Office, as was my wont, ran
to the office ~ fast az could, and heard as
| / entered: Hold No. 4 at your station
until special going north passes
| "lnvoluntaiily, glanced out OF the win
dow, and saw the train was ordered 10 hold,
disappearing around curve, a short dist
ance away. l was not told at what time the
special left the station south, which was
only ten miles away, end i saw in my
minds eye toe TIVE trans rapidly approach
ing each other, quickly folio we'd by crash,
Screams Of pain and flying debris.
Suddenly / remembered, while tearing
| my hair and cursing my negligence, that
No. had to stop at woodward two miles
| down the road to take on fuel. That would
be matter OF FIVE minutes, and II means Of
conveyance were at hand might ovsrtake
it and avert disaster. My first thought
was hand car, my second a horse, but /
did not know II the fret was at the station
or the second wss to be had in the village.
Rushing out OF the Office l stumbled over
my bicycle. Without a moments thought
l showed IL out OF the door before me and
was IN It In less time than 1t takes time TO
count ten. In my odd moments l had
practiced and had become quite
on expert bicyclist. The country
road parslleled the railroad Tor
grade the entire distance. put my whole
strength into the effort OF propelling the
machine, and had the satisfaction OF attain.
l 1g speed | had never accomplished be-
fore. My hat blew of and my coat was
DOTTED through fear that It might retard my
speed. / got within perhaps hfty wards OF
the now stationary train when the
engine whistle blew and the train
started up. redoubled my efforts and
came alongside the last car just as the train
was getting under full headwsy. With o
falling side motion l threw my wheel
| ogainut the side of the car just for.
ward OF the platform, and grasped the
hand rail as 10 came in reach, at the
same time letting go my hold on the
bicycle. l caught the bell-ccrd and gave IL
one vigorous pull, and as the train came to
halt gave the cord thres jerks, the sig
nal 10 back, and tainted. The conductor
found me where / had fallen. SuspectiDg
something wrong no permitted the train |
to back to the station, getting there Just as
the special. loaded with the directors OF The |
road and their families. swung around the |
curve into the station. had brain fever, |
and came near dying, not regaining my |
reasoning faculties for five weeks after my |
terrible experience. But the conductor |
said my hair was white when he found me |
on the rear OF his tram lnter-O Ocean.