Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1886-04-03
JIM CHURCHILL.
Tho Life, Love and Death of a
Brave Man,

IL was uHNtN, hol anu UdulN NtHll'
lated indoors, although out of doors &
cold rain was beating cheerlessly
against the ear windows, and the
damp, raw wind was as fresh as the
brown hills and ice covered marshes il
blew over. 1t was an accommodation
train on one of the trunk lines in the
central part of this State and therefore
better condition of affairs could not
have been expected. No matter how
cold the weather or wet, it is always
hot and dusty on an accommodation
,train. The colder and wetter it is out
side, the hotter and dustier inside, and
the more unpleasant it is the slower
the train bumps over the rails, the
more frequent the stops it makes, the
larger the crowd of on-coming passcn-
gers, and the greater the throng of go-
ers-out At Palatine Bridge the train
came to another stop. On the uncov-
cred platform of the railway station
there were gathered few shivering
would-be passengers, eager to barter
one condition of discomfort for an
other almost equally as disagreeable
and impatient at the delay for who
ever knew an accommodation train to
be on time? Among them were a man
dressed like a farmer and two little
girls-the elder less than six years old
and the younger her junior year or
so-with fresh, smiling, dimpled faces
and sweet, prattling voices, which
even the rumble of the train, the
sticky dust, the plashing rain, the
smoke, the heat and the crowded load
of ill-tcmpered passengers could not
cloud or silence, They came into the
car where | sat. The farmer and the
child found vacant seat in
front of me. | moved nearer the aisle
to let the other climb over the parcels
by my side next to the window, out
of which she gazed into the rain and
the binding clouds of smoke
which covered the soggy fields with an
of delight that was so unaf-
fected that the train ought to have felt
ilattered, had it had sense enough to
feel anything.
IL dcss love to ride ON the cars,
don't you?' she asked after the train
had resumed its tiresome journey.
sometimes" replied.
al do all the time. My papa is an
engineer.
Then you ride a good dcal?" ven
tured.
Not very much" she answered
with little SIGH of discomfort; mot as
much as ! want to. Since mamma
went away, papa won't let me, and
grandma always cries when go on the
cars.
All"
didn't you know that? You know
my papaP" she remarked with such
confidence in my knowledge that | was
almost ashamed to say that | didn't.
Don't bother the gentleman, inter
-upted the farmer as he turned half
around in his seat and faced me. "She
IS a big talker."
"She doesn' bother me in the least
made haste to say. So, reassurcd,
he little maiden turned her face again
o the window, and in a moment was
90 much absorbed in the fleeting pano-
anna to remember anything but the
passing pleasure.
Her father was an engineer on this
'oad-Jim Churchill. Ever heard of
limp" continued the farmer after a
hort pause. mo. Well, | amt sur |
,rised. Yet he deserved to be known
norc'n lots of men that gets their
lamcs before the public. Jim and !
~ ughnn nlhnpu tAa bar ~, kn t,.xrI
rear Palmyra. We was both raised in |
he same township, and we used to
hink when we was men we'd be part !
lers, and so we was-almost. Jim was |
,igger II me. stronger and year or so !
,lder. | was always runt among the |
,oys, and if ii hadn't been for Jim I'd |
,rohahlv been licked every dav in my
ife. But Jim wouldn't stand nothing |
# that sort. He was as brave as a |
rant and he never allowed any one to
Ne imposed upon while he could pre-
ent it, and when the boys learned
hat he meant what he said they let me
lone. So we grew up together like
wo brothers. He loved me because |
vas weaker than he was, just as a
ather loves baby, and | just wor-
hiped him. I'd aided for him, stran-
,er, just as easy-if he'd only said the
yord. You ought TO have knowed Jim
,hrchill. One Jim Churchill would
make up for half a million such fell
ows as me and the ordinary run Of
olks.
"When we was about sixteen years
We had our first trouble. She was the
rettiest girl in the county, and she
Tas just as sweet and good as she was
rettv. She was the dominie's daugh-
er and when she came TO school Jim
nd | both set our caps for her at the
anne time. Funny, stranger, how
retty girl will come between old