Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-05-03
.'pur ON MORE GOALS"

..,eots in a Pennsylvania town,
- a tastSf Tor railroading and a boy
S ambition to become q driver, al
,honph hsd been educated for loftier
pursuits.
Daring my college vacation loung.
j about the station almost constant
:. making friends with the trainmen,
md especially with a driver named
si,as Markley. | became much at
,.ebed to this man, notwithstanding
s was forty years old and by no
nssns sociable fellow.
He was my ideal OF brave ,skilliuI,
thoroughbred driver, and looked up
him as something Of hero. He
x.s not married man, but lived
.lone with his old mother. ! was a
..oueut visitor at their house, and /
sbnk they took quite fancy TO me
5 their quiet, undemonstrative way.
when MarkIey's fireman left him
i,aueed him to let me take his place
s,rinc the remnant of my vacation.
RI hesitated for some time before he
.onsented 10 bumor my boyisn whim,
mt be finally yielded and | was in
,rsat clee. The fact was that in my
sllsness and the overworked state oil
nv brain craved excitement as a
sontirmed drunkard does liquor. and,
besides. had had such longing dreams
e kSe fiery ride through the hills.
,nounted literally on the iron horse.
81 became an amateur fireman. and
Ek.d IL exceedingly, for the excitement
nore,than compensated for the rough
9ork Twas required to do.
But there came time when | got
nv ill OF excitement Mrs. Markley
ire ,iay formed plan which seemed
10 oise her a good deal of happiness.
II was her sons birthday and she
ranted To 20 down to Philr delphia in
IL train, without letting him know
ANYTHING about it, and there purchase
nresent for him. She took me into
her confidence ard had me to assist
her. | arranged the preliminaries and
not her into the tram without being
noticed by Markley, who, of course,
was busy with his engine.
The cid lady was in high glee over
the bit OF innocent deception she was
practicing on her son. She enioinei
ne again and again not to tell Silas,
and then left her and took my place.
It was a midsummer day and the
weather was delightful. The train was
neither an express nor an accom-.
mediation, but one which stopped at
.hs principal stations on the route.
On this occasion, as there were two
specials on the line. it was run by
telegraph-t is, the driver has sim.
ply 70 obey the instructions which he
receives at each station, so that he is
but a machine in the hands OF one
controller who directs all trains from
central point, and has the whole
line under his eye. II the driver does
not obey to the least little his orders
It is destruction to the whole.
aWell, we started without mishap
and up to time, and easily reached the
first station in the time allotted TO
US. IS We stopped there the boy ran
alongside with the telegram which be
handed to the driver. The next mo-
uleut ! heard smothered exclama.
lion rom Markley.
go back" he said to the boy; 'tell
Williams to have the message repeat.
ed, there's mistake"
The boy dashed of, in ten minutes
be came flying back. Had it repeat.
cd" be painted. civilians is storm.
ing. at you, says there is no mistake
and you'd oest get on" He thrus:
the second message up as he spoke.
Markley read it and stood hesitat.
ing for half a minute. There was dis
may and utter perplexity in the ex.
preston OF his face as he locked at the
telegram, aud then at the long train
behind him. His lips moved as if he
xers calculating chances, and his eyes
suddenly quailed as if he saw death
st the end OF the calculation. / was
watching him with considerable curl
osity. ventured 10 ask him what
was the matter and what he was goins
to do.
I'm going to obey" hereplied curt
ly.
The engine gave a long shrek oihor
rer that made me start, as if it were
Markley's own voice. The next in
slant we rushed out of the station
and dashed through low-lying farm:
ct speed which seemed dangerous tc
me.
"Put in more COAL" said Markley.'
Ishoveled it in, but took time.
i HWe are going very fast, Marley.
he did not answer. His eye was
liked on the steam gauge, his lips Gloss
4 shut.
More Goa" be said; threw it in
y The fields and houses began to fly
past half seen. We were nearing
Duireme, the next station. Marley,
4 eye went from the gauge to the face o
the timepiece and back. He moved
ike an automaton. There was littl,
more meaning in his face.
More" he said, without turnin.
his eye. Itook up the shovel-hesi
1 tated.
] .Markley, do you know that we ar
Eolng at the rate of sixty miles al
4 hourl'
"Coal''
was alarmed at tho stern, colo
rigidity of the man. His pallor wa,
becoming frightful. / threw in tn,
coal. At least we must stop a.
Dutreme. He told me that was tn,
next hault. The little town ap
preached. As the first houses cam,
INTO vie1 the engine sent its shrek o
warning, it grew louder-louder.
We dashed into the street
4 up to the station, wher'
group OF passengers waited
and passed it without the halt OF al
instant, catching glimpse of the APP
galed faces OF the waiting crowd
linen we were in the fields again. TIL,
speed now became literally breath
Tess, the furnace glased red-hot. Thu
neat, the velocity, the terrible nervous
strain OF the man beside me seemed Il
weigh the air. found myself draw
ing long, stertorous breaths like On,
drowning.
lheaped in the coal at intervals, a.
ne oade me. did it because l wal
oppressed by an odd sense o. duty
Smeh never had in my ordinary
ofain work. Since then l nave under
stooc how it is that dull, ienorant
men, without spark of enthusiasm
snow such heroism as soldiers, fire
men, and captains of wrecked vessels
!. 70 This overpowering sense OF rou
tine dsty. It's a finer thing thar
sneer bravery in my idea. However
began to think that Markley wa
nlad-laboring under some frenzy
rom rom drink. though had never seer
him touch liquor.
ne did not move hand or foot. ex
spt'in the mechanical control of hi
snsme ms eye going from the gauge Il
que umepiece with steadiness tina
was more terrible and threatening
man any gleam OF insanity would
rave been. Once be glared back at TIN
iolg train SWEARING after tho enOini