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

become known mere. DIX years ago the
Frisco road engaged as peanut boy Il
chubby checked lad named Clay
Grouse, whose ready wit and willing
hands soon won him all hearts and
tapid promotion. In five years hewas
he proud master of an en-
CINE, and developed a "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 break. One day the
company bought an enormous engine
OF u new pattern, Installed the
boy engineer thereon and began
the special transportation Of live
stock in longer trains and faster
runs than before known III rail
road history. Other railroads awaited
themselves of the big engine and soon
"The Thunderbolt" ran into Texas,
Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas rs
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 a mixture OF maniac $
scream and coyotes howl. Strangely
enough. the chubby checked 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 postotice
on her farm ten miles west OF Oswego,
Kansas She is now near 20 years OF
age, but her wonderful energy, coal
black eyes and hair, give her the APP
pearance OF so. Between mother and
son exists a devotion that eXcites
much admiration and pleasant chat
fling 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 a
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, y
but little cares the son who sees his
big arm around "die mutter."
After recent visit the pair had a
strange experience. They parted in
great good humor, the son saying!
'Well. Fanny, I've been teaching my
best girl how to drive nail, and as
I'll get forty hours off from Saturday
noon, | will bring her out on Sunday
and wen 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
rifle gale, sweeping the open pralries
with a force that lifted people off their
feet il u way known only to Kansas
zephyrs on a rampage. Her friends
tried to keep her in town over night,
| but they might as well have asked the
wind to stop blowing as to try to keep
the courageous old lady from her do
mestic and government duties. The
| hired man would be sure to neglect
! her hundred little chickens; the west
ern mai. vas due early next morning;
Top8y was like .iar namesake, $50
shiftless," and would be sure to leave
the clothes hang out all night and
wt.iu to pieces. So Mrs Grouse tied
on q heavy nooQ end 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 a
down grade about three miles from
town, saw the Missouri Pacific train
crossing his own track ahead, and
about half a mile away on the wagon
road, that also crossed his own line
a horse and buggy he at once recognlz
ed as ms .aQther's. He gave the IA
nous whistle more ter Il 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 wnist!-s again, but the old horse
continued its Jog Irct toward the
crossing. The next whistle WAS loud
but it, too, remained unheeded, anc
then the engineer knew that the furi
Gus wind was carrying all sound;
away from her back to him, and that
his own mother Was rapidly nearing &
dreadful death under his oNI engine
He was pulling thirty-three cars O
cattle, and it was impossible to stol
in time, that long train running at ex
ira speed to cover the detention. But
one thing could save her-that was tc
beat her to the crossing. Yet to at
tempt it w4tl such load would b'
madness There remained 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 laight be unencpmbereC
for its work. Then peggqR the terrible
race.
Every nerve of man and machine
was at its highest tension. On bore
the Thunderbolt, and Clay could SET
old Dobsi+ stop and throw up hi.
head, and the m1Js,s1 urging hel
DCttSu lOE WdEh. A>OC ~ WoIo " t'o = pun
en- on the engine. The raging wind:
gave long drawn shrieks, that seemed tt
cut tbeqse.Eas short in demon-llk'
laughter, or means full OF waiIl
melancholy that died away Il tha
serpentiike hiss that has made tn,
heart stand still III everybody wh(
knows the wind of which is born (
prairie cyclone. Instantly they would
revive in knocking screams to chill TIN
narrow OF ones bones, so full thes'
winds OF hena;shi glee. The engine
stood at his post, n,otlqpless ant
colorless as u Statue. while the loco
motive trembled, throbbing thunde
from its great heart, and seemed t
fairly bound in loHg Jumps over tn
track, as though it knew What mean
the pressure of it's masters naHa
Those minutes seemed a year OF agony
in which the old nag came tranquil.
on aaPd tie iron horse gave a snort Q
human Iike Intelligence, nobly doin'
It's dirty ;as it ran lqponp The crossing
with the iireman's cap waving o}aC Q