The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-02-17

we can observe and greet
,very one Of them; indeed, the master
mechanics often cav that we enginemen
hink slower than other people, because
Ill the qulckness in US has gone into our
engines. But, boys, liz that momcn.
which happened between my push and
nv falling fat on my face I did more
than I ever did at any other
time between Easter and Whit Sunday
"First thought Of home, the warm
room and everything In 1t, and the New
Years bell-ringing, and the New Years
church in the morning-well. we won't
speak about that: then on the Drillmas-
ter's helper. who was lying under cloak
on the snow, and then / calculated con-
corning the train that was running over
me as clearly as if had i. to make up
Why was it coming mp the wrong track
in which had wslked-the down track. !
And Immediately / understood what
had forgotten 10 my @reperie while walk.
ing home. At noon | had seen the uI
track covered deep In snow, and tha,
was why the train went out on the ir
track. Then plainly saw the trair
standing; there could not be more thar
ten or eleven freight cars in It, all oul
company's cars; ;they were all high above
the rails; they would do me no harm
was lying fiat enough between the rails
But the engine, the ash-pan of the en-
gine? The three engines that still hai
steam up at the station | knew as vel
as nv tobacco box, the sWittekind
would pass over me harmless even il
had been larger than l was theo; the
'Hermana' also, perhaps, might be mer
ciful to me, il it didn't carry too much
coal and water, and If the gravel ballas,
on which was lying were not too thick
but under the Sirius one Of the new
low-built elephants, would be dead
mau-worse than dead man, a mar
slowly torn to pieces and crushed. Now
which engine was it that was coming
"All this, you see. hoys, l had though,
out between the push and the fall, bu,
when once was lying down all calcrla.
ting ceased, and ! only stretched myself
out instinctively. and drew in my breath
and made myselfas thin as board, and
counted the axles that passed over my
head Every ping and pang spoke out
plain syllables which sounded like: "A
wretched death-a wretch-ed death =
And now something heavy catches me
no. it is nothing yet; it onlv slips and
slides rafting over nae lengthwise, feel
ing cold on nv neck; 1t is a coupling
chain hanging down. But now 1t comes
the ground begins to tremble under me,
first gently, then more and more vio-
lently; very slowly it comes; then I saw
on one side, though had my head
pressed down In hollow, that the rail
and the snow and the railing wheels
passing me we're lighted with red light
hat kept getting brighter and brighter; /;
hat was the engine fire shining through
he ssh-pan. Now I felt 1t getting hot
IN nv bare bead and neck The ties
sunk down; the rails cracked aud bent !;
he ground shook violently under me !;
here, there it ia! And Immediately Il
caught me heavily on the back, pressed
'orward-God have mercy! then rip,
ear, something on me tore in two-and
,uff, pu6, rolling, laundering and stamp
ng, the engine had passed over me-
rne ground was still trembling behind
:. From the sky above the snow again
VAS falling on ne.
"How | ever got on nv feet again I
AN not say. There / stood aud lrem
lied and saw the red lights OF The en-
,ine disappear in the curve, looking to
ne like the eyes Of Death himself.
"Then | felt myself all over to find
7hat the engine had torn off from my
ody, and found that the two regulation
'uttous were missing from the back OF
,y uniform overcoat, l went to the
esrest switchman and borro we'd Ian
srn, and Looked up the buttons in the
now. Bat when we were al home sit
ng around the punehs bowl, ia which
onetimes put too much spirits aud
ometimes too much sugar, Louise,
mazed, said to me Husband. what is
ls matter of you tonight. You are all
and don't say a word, and
hen my senses and speech came back to
,e. and [ showed Lonise the battons
nd told her the story and said. holding
ne buttons between my fngerss See
here, your husband was only so tar
'om terrible death this evening"
,ook; have the two buttons here au,l
I'LL carry them on me till death comes
n earnest"
The old engineer unhuttoned his coat
nd took out two buttons bearing the
rms OF the King, which he carried on a |
ORD over his rough breast.
"And now YOU know why pi,ied the
oor creature in the ash pan. have
Did you the story, because the talk led !
, it's otherwise I do not like to talk
bout it; I felt the death agony then and
o Christian likes to call that to mind.-
'ont let it weaken your courage. You
i'll need that in the Nav Year as in the
ID one