The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-07-15
A WILD RACE FOR LIFE.

become known here. Six years ago the
Frisco road engaged as peanut boy a
,hubby-cheeked lad named Clay
Grouse, whose ready wit and willing
hands soon won him all hearts and
rapid promotion. In five years he was
he proud master of an en-
CINE, and developed "knack" OF
handling extra-long freight trains.
Other engineers pulling the same num-
Der of cars on the same track, would
meet with all manner OF mishaps, but
"Old Cash." as every one called him,
never made a break. One day the
company bought an enormous engine
of new pattern, installed the
boy engineer thereon and began
the special transportation OF live
stock in longer trains and faster
runs than before known in rail
road history. Other railroads awaited
themselves OF the big engine and soon
"The Thunderbolt" ran into Texas,
Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas as
occasion demanded. Wherever it had
once been, people always knew when
it was coming again by a peculiar
whistle, which its master had invent
ed to resemble mixture OF maniac's
scream and coyotes howl. Strangely
enough, the chubby-cheeked engineer
began to grow in proportion to the
size of his engine. By and by he tipped
21S pounds of flesh, solid and hard
as iron. Whenever that peculiar
whistle blows, people flock to doors
and windows to wave to the engineer
who keeps everybody laughing at his
| funny remarks. The mother OF this
champion whistler is Mrs. Fanny
Grouse, who runs country postotfice
on her farm ten miles west Of Oswego,
Kansas She is now near 70 years OF
age, but her wonderful energy, coal
black eyes and hair, give her the APP
pearance of so. Between mother and
son exists q devotion that excites
much admiration and pleasant chat
fing by her friends. As her big baby
cannot often visit her, she frequently
drives into town to see him during his
twenty minutes at the depot. At
such times she always brings him
lunch and he always goes without din
ner to talk to her, devoting his atten-
ton afterward on the engine to
"Mother's farm fodder" Perhaps
they sit on the shady side Of the de-
pot, Or if the day is cold, Clay closes
all the windows and lifts his mother
up into the "Thunderbolt's parlor."
The railroad boys wink as they pass
and whistle "Pull down the blinds"
but little cares the son who sees his
big arm around "die mutter."
After recent visit the pair had q
strange experience. They parted in
great good humor, the son saying:
"Well, Fanny, I've been teaching my
best girl how to drive a nail, and as
I'll get forty hours off from Saturday
noon, will bring her out on Sunday
and we'll build a conservatory on to
your chicken-house."
He went on duty on time, she after
her horse to return home. The wind
since morning had increased to q ter.
rife gale, sweeping the open prairies
with force that lifted people off their
feet in way known only to Kansas
zephyrs on q rampage Her friends
tried to keep her in town over night,
but they might as we'll have asked the
wind to stop blowing as to try to keep
the courageous old lady from her do
mestic and government duties. The
hiled man would be sure to neglect
her hundred little chickens; the west
ern mai! Was due early next morning;
Topsy was like her namesake, $50
shiftless," and would be sure to leave
the clothes hang out all night and
ghiu to pieces. So Mrs. Grouse tied
on q heavy hood and veil and started
homeward across the lonely pralries
In the meanwhile the engineer had
been detained considerably beyond his
time at the depot, and coming on q
down grade about three miles from
town, saw the Missouri Pacific train
crossing his own track ahead, and
about half mile away on the wagon
road, that also crossed his own line,
a horse and buggy he at once recognize
ed as MS lnQther's. He gave the ia
nous whistle more Ter a salute than
a warning, as she knew the crossing
perfectly. To his surprise there was
no handkerchief waved as usual i'll re-
turn, and the buggy came right along.
He whistlsa again, but the old horse
continued it's Jog trot toward the
crossing. The next whistle WAS loud,
but it, too, remained unheeded, and
then the engineer knew that the furi.
Gus " ind yes carrying all sounds
away from her back to him, and that
his own mother was rapidly nearing a
dreadful death under his oWp engine.
He was pulling thirty-three ears oil
cattle, and it WAS impossible to stop
in time, that long train running at ex.
ira speed to cover the detention. But
one thing could save her-that was to
beat her to the crossing. Yet to at
tempt it with such q load would be
madness. Thereremained one chance,
and the engineer took'it: Out over
the engine he crawled, and at the
risk OF his own life uncoupied the cars
so his engine raight be qnencqmpbered
for its work. Then began the terrible
race.
Every nerve of man and machine
was at it's highest tension. On bore
the Thunderbolt, and Clay could see
old DobbiE stop and throw up his
head, and the mother urging her
beast forward. Not a word was spsk=
en- on the engine. The raging winds
gave long drawn shrieks, that seemed to
cut themselves short il demon.like
laughter, or noans fHll of wall !
meIancholy that died away IL that
serpent-iike hiss that has made tbs
heart stand still In everybody whe
knows the wind of which is born a
prairie cyclone. Instantly they would
revive in knocking screams to chill the
narrow OF ones bones, SO full these
winds OF ilendish glee. The engineer
stood at his post, n,etiopless and
colorless as Statue. while the loco
metiys trembled, th?robbing thunder q
fnir!y be bound in long jumps I'm, over the
track, as though it knew What meant
the pressure Of it's masters hand
Those minutes seemed a year of agony
in which the old nag came TRANQUILITY
on spa The iron horse gave a snort o.
hu,napp-fke Intelligence, nobly doing
it's duty as it rah Ypoonn The crossing
| ,u;f n Tho G,o,,, q mo rhr vvdVlrO ci3G al