Morris tribune., 1886-02-24
TRAIN TALK.

.'If YOU write stories for the paper"
said a Rock Island Railway freight
conductor, '.let me tell YOU true one
that came under my observation last
winter out near Dcs Moines when /
was running on the Iowa division.
This is no railroad yarn, but fact. l
saw it with my own eyes. One day
we were running along and l was in
the engine. AS we began to cross a
bridge we looked ahead and there was
a little girl about six years old clam
bering over the timbers. She had
some school books i'll 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 that face as long as live.
1t was Just as white rs 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 rs with Il STEADY ste. dy glare i5 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-
lieye we'd of stood there like posts if
she hadn't suddenly stretched out her
little arms toward us in mute appeal
for help Well, sir, that broke the
charm, and we all started up wildly.
l swung way out as far as l could,
holding by one hand, and with the
other motioning her to get down
down between the timbers. Would
you believe itP That little thing fol-
lowed my directions as if she'd been a
man. And she took her time to it,
too, and climbed down as deliberately
as if she'd been at home. She was
none too quick, though, for her little
brown hood, with red ribbon flutter-
inc from it, had no sooner disappeared
between the timbers than we thunder
ed over her.
".Let her out, Bill I 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 nc
sooner reached the bank than jump
ed off and went heels over head in a
snow bank. l got back to the bridge
as soon as l could, and waited for our
long train to get by. Don't mind tell
in We that as | stood there did some
thing l never did afore-yes, sir,
stood there and prayed that that little
one might be able to stick it out till
could get to her. But I guess my
prayers are no good, for when the
train was by I rushed out on the
bridge, over timbers by the dozen, ex
pecting every minute to see that little
red ribbon. But it never showed up
Tears began to fill my eyes so that
could hardly see the crosspieces-]
| have little girl of my own, you know
| but on and on l went, and no brown
hood or red ribbon could I find. Their
| I turned and looked to the ice below,
| and there she was. Yes, she had fall
en- thirty or forty feet through thu
bridge. i.
'sHow got down to her I dom
know, but I got there. 1 lifted her u
in my arms. Her eyes were closed
but she opened them, looked at me ;
second, and said:
How did you get down herep
s'This question would have made mt
laugh if had felt sure she wasn't hurt
but as it was hurried up the banl
and to the caboose. She said sh
wasn't hurt much, but ] knew sh
couldn't tell, and we started for tn
next station.
Pm going home, amt 1?' she in
quired, after we had fixed her up il
our bunk.
Il told her yes KNOWN that min
ute that we were going right by he
house. / was in such hurry to ge
to surgeon that thought it right t.
deceive her. Pretty soon she went o1
to sleep, and she looked SO DEATH.
| lying there that all of US went to wip
in our eyes like women.
Boys says /, if she never wake
up I'll quit the road. I never wan
to see that bridge agin. p"
"And you have quit the road?"
.:No, I'm at the old business. Sh
got well, and all the spring used t
watch for my train as she would TO
Eher papa coming home from work
We never passed her house unless sh
was out waving that little brown hoo
at us and making that red ribbo
dance. Our engineer used to whistl
for her regularly, and she got so sh
could tell that whistle as far as sh
could hear it. Once in a while, whe
not in hurry, we'd stop our trai
and have a talk with her. She sal
she loved us all, even the old engine
but she has never set her foot on tn
track since that day she fell throu g
the bridge This is a true story, an
the little girls name is Lily. CHI
cQQo Herald.