The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-11-04
TRAIN TALK.

If you write stories for the paper.
said Rock Islsnd Railway freight
conductor, s'let me tell YOU a true one l
that came under my observation last /
winter out near Des Moines when i |
was running on the Iowa division |
This is no railroad yarn, but fact. / 4
saw it with my own eyes. One day |
we were running along and | was in
the engine. As we began to cross
bridge We looked ahead and there was
a little girl about six years old clam
bering over the timbers. She had
some school books in her hand, and
was evidently on her way home from
school. The engineer whistled, when
she turned her face toward us. I'll
never forget tnat face as long as / live.
1t was Just as white as the snow on the
ice in the creek thirty or forty feet be-
low her. But she didn't scream. nor
try to Jump, nor do nothing. She Just
looked at US with a steady glare as if
she'd stop the train with her eyes that
we were unable TO do with our brakes.
AT first we were all so broke up we
hadn't any idea what to do, and | be-
iieve we'd of stood there like posts if
she hadn't suddenly stretched out her
little arms toward us in a mute appeal
for help. Well. sir. that broke the
charm, and We all started up wildly.
| swung way out rs far as L could,
! holding by one hand, and with the
| other motioning her to get down
| down between the timbers. Would
| you believe it? That little thing fol-
| lowed my directions as if she'd been a
| man. And she took her time to 1t,
! too, and climbed down as deliberately
4 as if she'd been at home. She was
none too quick, though, for her little
! brown hood, with a red ribbon tiutter-
ing from it, had no sooner disappeared
between the timbers than we thunder
| ed over her.
=. Let her out, Bill l shouted to the
engineer, let her out lively, or that
little thing will never be able TO stick
down there till we get over the bridge
| Turn her loose!
so Bill he let her out, but she d M
sooner reached the bank than L jump
ed off and went heels over head in /
snow bank. got back to the bridgt
as soon as L could, and waited Tor oui
long train to get by. Don't mind tell
in We that as | stood there L did some
thing l never did afore-yes. sir,
stood there and prayed that that httl,
one might be able TO stick it out till
could get TO her. But | guess N.
PRAYERS are no good, for when tn
train was by | rushed out on tn
bridge, over timbers by the dozen, ex
pecting every minute to see that littl
red ribbon. But it never showed up
Tears began to ill my eyes so that
could hardly see the crosspieces-
have little girl of my own, you knoN
but on and on | went, and no brow
hood or red ribbon could find. The
l turned and looked to the ice below
and there she was Yes, she had fall
en- thirty or forty feet through tn
bridge.
.sHow l got down to her l don
know, but got there. | lifted her u
in nv arms. Her eyes were CLOSED
but she opened them, looked at me
second, and said:
!, :. How did you get down herep'
This question would have made NJ
: laugh if had felt sure she WASH hur
but as it was / hurried up the ban
and to the caboose. Sne said ST
wasn't hurt much, but / knew sh
couldn't tell, and we started for IL
next station.
:. I'm going home, amt 1?' she il
, ouired, after we had fixed her up
. our bunk.
[ Il told her yes, KNOWN that mil
ute that we were going right by h'
: house. l was in such a hurry to g
to a surgeon that 1 thought 1t right
, deceive her. Pretty soon she went c
to sleep, and she looked so death
: living there that all of us went to wi
q in our eyes like women.
u Boys says /, if she never wax
up I'll quit the road. | never wal
J to see tnat bridge agin.
y y "And you have quit the road?'
mo, I'm at the old business. 81
l. got well, and ali the spring used
:. watch for my train as she would I
y her papa coming home from wor
We never passed her house unless S
= was out waving that little brown ho
. at us and making that red RIB
IL dance. Our engineer used to whist
for her regularly, and she got so S
could tell that whistle as far as
~ could hear it. Once in while, VIII
"a not in a hurry, we'd stop our tra
y and have talk with her. She s;
Us she loved us all, even the old engil
io but she has never set her foot on
III track since that day she fell throu
the bridge. This is a true story, a
the little girls name is Lily. -
cdgo Herald.