New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-24
APH4NTOM ENGINEER.
COME BACK FROM THE GRAVE TO SAVE TRAIN
jim PAGES GHOST STORY.

COME BACK FROM THE GRAVE TO SAVE TRAIN
JIM PAGES GHOST STORY.
It's only a ghost story. Jim Pace told it
one dark night to altto crowd that gathered in the
round house. Jim's q veteran OF the rail- He was
seyentytwo last week and has pulled throttle AS many
times as any living man lie used to make old Six
walk IL tho common expression wherever Jims name
is mentioned In q crowd. he loved the engine bet'er
than anything In the world and 1t nearly broke his non
est heart to give her up jim had an accident but
that wasn't his fault" he always said. IL wasn't Inc
that missed 'em. II ole six. She wouldn't ever go
into the back end OF train the blacklist night an all
lights out You couldn't drive her Couldn't git er
nigh er broken bridge trestlc or washout'
Jim never got any further with his explanation until
that night at the ahouse when some OF the boys
begged him to tell them why old Six wouldn't get into
trouble.
"As rye quit the track. boys" he began, :" don't
min tellin yer jest why. Reckon y all know took to
film with Dave Griffin, an all know about or engine
learnt from him Ho like or father ter me- an when
he died lost the best frien' lone boy eyer had Lost
did / sayi No, not lost but"
He looked out into the night and the little audience
waited for him TO finish the sentence But no went on
anew.
worked mighty hard an faithful. but n ole
man when they gimme the best engine on the road
You've all heard OF ole Six She's scrap-iron ten year
ago. 1 had along for er good many
years thout or accident OF any anyall know how
'tis-had got sorer careless, like knowed every rail
an crosstie in the road nOthin' Of bridges an
treses an culvers an could shot my eyes an tell where
/ wuz by tho way ole Six carried herself Well ono
night-it the darkest night ever saw the moon an
stars seemed ~ they'd for good an the black
thick close to the earth that yer could feel
'em as yer plOughed through em. Headlights didn't
amount TO much them days, nOhow, but that
night mine didn't do good at ALL Sump'n
must We BACKED the glass; for couldn't see ten steps
ahead Of the pilot an what light thor flashed
a nj nv oui ny he
gan to rain The water down like the bottom had
fell ONT an In less n Ave minutes could hear IL rOarln
i'm the bitches tho track The noise 1t made
tsarn gh culverts drOwnded the rattle or the
train hope III scch another Hood Lightnin
every minute an less split tho darkness on
all Sides au' the thunder doomed mong the
clouds as If the old earth was e1plodin'
from the inside At every boom the clouds gave
down more rain. an old Six trembled as II she was
"on we Went up hill an down HILL forty miles an
hour an stops fur way stations We climbed the sum
DOWN dow the long grade towards Dykess Kun an big
restle. knOwod every stick Timber ia that restle
! knOwed it's tho best on tho road, a., an
minute. sol didn't slack up leaned PACK III any my
man had opened the furnace door an stepped back III the
tender for, some COAL when suddenly Il big white
the furnace IRE an leaned over toward the front
o. the One long arm reached out an takin hold
the throttle shut of the steam The other pulled three
long blasts the whistle the signal for brakes an then
before could word the man caught the lever IN boh
hands an reversed her clean back TO tho lowest notch
The same long again reached the throttle an pulled
her wide open Ole SKIS drivers began TO spin around
backward an tho train began TO slack up. Jumpln up
unge the ole man, but Instead OF hittl hlni
there lookin ont ahead thrOwed my arms around him
10 null him away, but they parsed right through his
body an fe at my side. lie turned an looked at me-
an saw 1t was Daye-Daye Griffin, come back from tho
| grave =,
| e"When my senses back the train was standin
stiu an Dave was gone. knOwed there sOmethin
wrong ahead so got out an walked down the road.
hundred feet away 10 great gap In the track
the big treste was gone The creek was growed to
mighty river roarin' an rushin an gnrglin over tho
plea BOYS I didn't feel skeered then but somehow
Couldn't stan up My legs felt weak an give way under
me an set down on the track In the pourin rain. II
didn't 20 to Sleep couldn't ha done that but my fire
man said he had shake purity hard TO git me up
No. boys didn't ole Six It's Davo an me together
| that's always pulled her through