The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-04
TOLD AT THE JUNCTION.

TOLD AT THE JUNCTION.
Several years ago while reading medi
cine in the Office of country practitioner
at c. formed the acquaintance of an
honest, good-hearted old chap by the name
of Tom Lee, hagman and switch-tender at
= railroad junction two miles below the
village. It happened in this way: One
warm, sultry afternoon in summer after
trying in vain to concentrate my thoughts
upon the work before me, closed nv
Anatomy and strolled off down the track
for breath of fresh air. The road ran
through deep, rocky gOrges and overhang-
ing with many a cool retreat from the
burning rays of the sun, and l wandered
8lUIeSSly along, now stopping to rest on
some messy bank, or to throw stones at the
Earse-eyed frogs in the Shiny water of the
.,Uiveris, until finally l found myself with
Eu short distance OF the junction. just
ahead Of me was a fiagmau'S shanty built
under shelving rock, which protected il
from the sun and gave it quite a pictur-
-esgGe appearance. Seated on bench out
side the door was the switch-tender, a
roughly ly-dressed, hard-featured old man
vita a short grizzly bear1 covering the en-
tire lower part Of lis face, which gave him
Il rather fierce aspect. a stubby pipe
which bad evidently seen hard service was
GlGuLIN CllilCnGO, upside uOW1, between MS
teeth His head was tipped back against
1he side of the shanty and his eyes were
CLOSED in peaceful slumber. His practiced
ear, however, trained like that of most
railroad men to acutenesS, quickly caught
the sound OF my approach, and he awoke
with a start that sent his pipe rolling on
abe ground and all but caused him to lose
his equilibrium on the narrow seat and
SNmile after it. "Are you not aware, my
friend" said l, addressing him, THAT it is
81 serious thing for a switch tender to sleep
at his post?" "Eh! what! you don't mean
70 say that was asleep do you, young fell
iow," he growled goOd-naturedly while
STOPPING over TO pick up his fallen pipe.
80, no." answered with a smile, "0nly a
slight drOwsiness consequently upon the
- extreme heat of the weather. "Well, sit
down and rest yourself, anyhow" and he
motioned to seat on the bench at his side
which gladly accepted. l have always
had great fondnesS for studying human
nature. especially in its rOugher element,
and often spent hours at time listening to
she crude logic and quaint expressions of
some poor, unlettered being whose whole
. life had been one of ceaSeleSS toll, with far
more of the shadow than of the sun.
My friends often ridiculed ME on my
peculiarly in this respect, but ali
20 no purpose. 1t was a part of my own
strange nature for which could offer no
explanation. Every life teaches its own
les on and points its own moral, and no
life is so lOwly but what something may be
gained from its observation. The after
noon was far advanced ere | terminated
my visit and parted with my new found
friend, promising to come again at the
earliest opportunity, which did on the
succeeding night and many nights after.
AT certain hour of the evening the Mon
treal express with long line of luggage,
postal, sleeping cars and coaches canes up
from the city below and went laundering by
on its '-ay north. l would generally limit
my visit to the time of its arrival, and one
night just as L was setting out for home,
the old man, who was putting up his lam
tern, made the remark in an Off-hand way,
that he always dreaded the approach of
that train" "Why:" L asked, greatly in.
Terested. because it calls up sad recsl-
iections, boy, that | can never choke OFF,
at once surmised an interesting story and
insisted on hearing it, but the hour was
late and old Tom was Obdurate, so after
exacting a promise of it on the morrow,
bade him good night and left. The next
evening l was on hand early and all ex-
pectatiOn. The old man was sitting in his
accustomed place outside the shanty. The
might was clear and warm and nothing dis.
turbed the stiffness but the low Sobbing OF
of freight engine on the siding a short
distance down the track. "ltS sad story,
my boy, but you may perhaps be interested
in il" he remarked, by way of prelude,
while he lighted his pipe. Then, after a
short pause, marked by vigorous putting,
he commenced: This junction was a
lively place once compared to what
At is now. 1t was the stop-over,
or switching point for all the
freight trains and wildcat engines on
the road. They would often lay here toI
hours at a time waiting for orders and q
clear track. Our sidiugs were ALWAYS full
<lay, ht,ff ha nj 2 la
low, with their extensive freight yards
has taken the business all away from here
until now | have little else 10 do but flag
the regulur passenger and through freight
trains. The boys used to make the shanty
n kind of hanging-out place. They liked tC
stop here, it gave them chance 10 rest and
stretch their legs after being cooped up in
the cabs. Firemen, brakemen and drivers
i knew them all and loved them, too. tel
you, 6oy," and the old man laid his HAND
impressively on my knee, ''there's no bet
ter. Drawer men that walk than these same
railroad men; generous and brave every
time. pve been among 'em a good many
years and know of what l speak. / wa,
always a great favorite with them, anC
there wasn't man in the lot whu wouldn'
have risked his life to have saved mine
=and-well Pm not telling what old Ton
wouldn't have done for them. There wa:
one young fellow in particular, Joe Norton
up there in the village above, and like
Aier lad never stepped on the foot-board o.
an engine. He was not over handsome
but he had a good face, strong, homes
face, one you could pick outin a crowd anC
depend upon every time. He was a noble
fellow and every inch man, steady a.
'clockwork and as brave as lion. He wa!
a tavorite with me from tue start. l tool
= sort of fatherly interest in him and loveC
him as if he had been my ownsboy; and h,
returned it too, he did; he confided every
thing in me and sought my advice on al
subjects, which l, in my poor way, wa:
only too willing to give. l lived for tina
boy; yes, lived for himi He's sleeping
now up there on the hill beyond the vii
1age, and my old heart lies there with him
Do you know, nv lad" and he remove.
his pipe from between his teeth t.
give his words more emphasis, 'that tn
great secret of life is to live for one an
other, to help each other all we can; n
matter though my life be one long recor,
-of darkness and error, and God knows
has been, II l can lend helping hand, nov
and then, to some poor fellow more unfor
G2uate than am; if can make his bur
den lighter and his life a trifle bappier
then surely my life will not have been al
together in vain. That's the principle
go on, boy, and it's not bad one to fol
low, either. But to continue: from the frs
time knew him the lad had great likin,
for a young girl in the village up there
He was constantly singing her praises AM
fsz7king TO me about her, so that ] came t
know her pretty well. never saw her bu