Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-07-16
A WILD |. [!


II san Francisco ]. etteib a loconotive
Engineers thrillina ex psrience has mt
become known herr. sir years ago thesl
Frisco road engaged 81 pea nnt Soy Soy 81
E:hubby-cheeked lad amed Clay
Grouse, whose ready Wit and willing
hands soon Won him Al hearts and
Irapid promotion. is 6ve years hia 1was
The proud master u al en-
Egine, and develo ped 'knack 81
handling extra-long freight traiins.
Other engineers pulling the Same nuns,
Der ofcars on the same track would
meet with all rnanner 81 mishaps, but,
"Old Cash, " as every one called him.
never made q break One day the
company bought an enormous engine
of a, new pattern, installed the
boy engineer thereon II and N began
the. special transportation 81 live
stock in longer trains and faster
runs than before known III rail-
road history. Other railro Dads awaited
themselves ofsthe big engine and soon
1.-THE Thunderbolt' ran into Texas.
Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas rs
occasion demanded. Wherever iithad
once been, people always knew when
it was coming again by q peculiar
whistle, which its master had invent
ed to resemble q mixtu Of maniac's
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
21Spounds 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 postoffice
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 ap-t
pearance OF So. Between mother and
son exists a devotion that excites
much admiration and pleasant chat
6ng 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
Mothers 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
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, I will bring her out on Sunday
and Well build q conservatory on to
your chicken-house." 81.
He went on duty on time, she after
her horse to return home. The wind
since morning had increased to ter.
rife gale, sweeping the open prairies
with force that lifted people off their
feet ir q way known only to Kansas
zephyrs on a 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
nestle and government duties. The
hired man would be sure to neglect
her hundred little chickens; the west
ern mail was due early next morning;
Iopsy was like her namesake, $50
shiftless," and would be sure to- leave
the clothes hang out all night and
whip to pieces. So Mrs. Grouse tied
on q heavy hood and veil and started
homeward across the lonely pralries.
I'm the meanwhile the engineer had
been detained considerably hey ond his
time at the depot, and coming on
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.
horse and buggy he at oncerecogniz.
ed as his mothers. He gave the IA
nous whistle more for: a salute than
a warning, as she knew the crossing
perfectly. To his surprise there was
no handkerchief waved as usual in re-
turn, and the buggy came right along.
lie whistled again, but the old horse
continued it's jog trot toward the
crossing. The next whistle was loud,
but it. too, remained UNDECIDED, and
i then the engineer knew that the furi..
/ IN NyV c<n He,
away from her back to him, and that
his own mother was rapidly nearing a
dreadful death under his own engine.
he was pulling thirty-three cars Of
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 a load would be
madness. There remained one chance
and the engineer took. it. Out over
the engine he crawled, and at tie
risk OF his own life uncoupied the cars
80 his engine might be unencumber
Tor it's work. Then began the terrible
race. v <,&4 + II. u
Every nerve OF man and machine
was at its highest tension. On bore
the Thunderbolt, and Clay could see
old Dobbin stop and throw up his
head, and the mother urging her
beast forward. Not Il word was spok-
EN- on the engine. The raging winds
gave long drawn shrieKs, that seemed to
cut themselves short in demon-1ike
Laughter, or means full of wailing
iSmeiancholy that died away III that