The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-04-04
ssNEVER START ANYTHING YOU
CAN'T STOP"


'Iook at Rob; going so fast you
can see the soles Of his new boots.
What's up?"
Rob Kerr paused to answer the boys:
"Going to ride on grandsir's engine. "
Couldn't you squeeze US IN, tooP
Say, Rob-
But Rob thought he heard the car
bell, and was showing the soles again.
The boys followed,
When they got there Rob's grand
father, Adolph Kerr, was carefully ex-
aminigg the engine, oil can in hand,
while Silas, the fireman, looked out of
the little window.
Hercules is all right, boss; I've
looked him over myself, = said Silas.
II know you always do said Mr..
Kerr, shut it's my way to look over the
engine myself before starting. We
can't be too careful"
"He's right" Silas told the boys.
'.Ef he hadn't, reg lar as clock-work,
travelled all over the Hercules, he
wouldn't be called the best engineer on
the road. 'Dolph Kerr run the longest,
too"
Rob was pleased to have the boys
hear that.
"Rob, here-he'n be running the
Hercules when grandsir's laid up"
added Silas.
81 could now, almost" said Rob.
''Oh, hear himr' laughed Silas. eve
may as well both lay ourselves away,
boss.''
Mr.. Kerr made no reply. but stepped
aboard. How the boys envied Rob as
he rang the bell! The conductor shout
ed: ''All aboardr' and away they
went along the iron track.
They ate supper while the train wait
ed at junction. Silas made coffee and
boiled eggs; Rob toasted bread on the
end of the boiler.
Every chance he could get, Rob was
on the Hercules. All the other engi-
neers knew Rob, the grandson of old
Adolph Kerr, and never sent him away
if they saw him about the engine-house.
They trusted him because his grand
father did. Rob was very proud of
this.
One day, when he was alone on the
Hercules, two schoolmates came along.
''Grandfather away, Rob?'
''Yes and Silas. They've left me in
charge"
..Let us get up there, tooP''
''Couldn't think of it!'' said Rob. eff
Silas catches any boys round here he'll
give them shaking" 8,-. r..5r
''We won't stay but a minute; We'll
run when we see him coming
eff let you fellows aboard you'll
get into mischief, said Rob.
They promised not to touch anything.
At length Rob let them come up where
he was. Very soon one said; 'My
uncle makes engines, so | know lot
about them, too. Wouldn't it be fun
to set this agoing, just a minute?'
''Rob don't dare start upp said the
other.
81 dare, but / won'tf'
"What's the harm?" asked the first.
"Uncle showed me how to reverse the
lever"
Rob said no; but they kept on hint
ing and coaxing. BY and by Rob peerei
out to see if anybody was coming, a
strange, guilty look on his face; then
there was familiar sound from the
mighty horse--it moved slowly along
the siding.
There, didn't I know how to start
t?'' cried Rob.
! The Hercules went faster; it seemed
ito be getting ready for race.
! "Now we must stop it!'' cried Rob.
Reverse the lever, quick!''
/ But the boy had forgotten how! He
jumped from the engine, telling the
lother to ''Come on. So Rob was
alone, and in sad fix. Pale as death,
he tried with all his strength to do as he
had seen his grandfather. It was use
less! He had let loose force he could
mot stop. He, too, jumped, throwing
himself the same way the engine WIS
going; rolled over and down the bank
into the bushes.
j: And now there was a great cry from
Silas and Mr.. Kerr. With terrified
faces they chased the Hercules. They
were too late to get aboard; the engine
had left the siding for the main road;
sped along to a bend and disappeared,
the ground trembling beneath its pow
erful tread.
j Rob felt that he never could look his
grandfather in the face again. He hid
till, dark. Then he went home. His
mother was crying. And his grand
father? 1t seemed as if he had grown
years older. Silas was there, too, talk
ing pitifully of the Hercules as if it were
some living creature that had lost its
life.
"Why, here's Rob-" said Silas; "ye
won't have no more fine rides with your
grandsir and me! They've put us out of
"a job. Heard how the Hercules got
away to-dayp Wouldn't be ketched no
more'n wild horse O the desert; he
stove up coal train and pitched head
fust Into pasturepn
Rob was surprised that no one sus-
pected him. anybody killedP" he
whispered
; "All living" was Silas' queer reply,
" Except your grandsir. 1t pretty nigh
finished him."
"Of course he'll get another engine,
he's so smart" faltered Rob.
Then his grandfather spoke, in deep,
troubled tone. Nobody would trust
the old man again, Rob. They turned
him off with hard words. Oh, it's a
cruel ending for the work of a life-time"
Tears filled his eyes; they rushed into
Rob's, too. He could keep it from his
grandfather no longer. He told him all.
!" If you'll only forgive me, !" he sobbed,
:" and trust meas you used to, IL never
touch an engine again, never''
It added heavily to Mr.. Kerr's sor-
row to find that Rob had caused their
misery, but he put his arm about him
and spoke kindly. ''There's many 9TH
er things besides engines gets the up
per hands, if folks touches Them" he
said. I'D willingly suffer if / thought
you'd learn this lesson: NeUer start any
thing you can't stop. There's men in
this town II tell you they started drink
ing and swearing long ago; and it's
away with them now, just as
the Hercules did with you. Think of
this, Rob, when you remember what
happened to your grandsir's last en-
ginel"
That was ten years ago. The old en-
gineer has gone where faithful service
is rewarded. Rob has become young