The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-02
TOLD BY THE ENGINEER.
By Charles Newton Hood.
From the Boston Globe.

From the Boston GLOBE.
There were two trains waiting for the
special on the side track at Morley's.
The engineers, conductors, brakemeu and
firemen had deserted their charges, and were
gathered in little group beneath the trees
beside the station.
The two engines, so closely together that
their pilots almost touched, were softly pur-
ring to themselves, magnificent lllustra-
tions of dormant power.
Them two engines standin' so close to-
gether." remarked Engineer Jim Thomas,
reminds of a little happenstance when l
was runnin' on & railroad"
"Well, go on and tell us about it," re-
marked the conductor, ''you know you're
achin' to-"
"Well, it's somethin' don't tell much, :"
rejoined the engineer land | don't know
whether you'll believe the story or not, and
/ don't care much either, for it's true just
tina same.
Frank Larkin used to be my fireman in
those days, and together we did keep the
No. 262 lookin' pretty bright, and got some
mighty good time out of her too.
Zone season we used to bring up the linn
tied every other night and run back on ac-
commodationS. Twas sort of split up
run, but it was the best we could do then,
and we had to be satisfied.
1.-The limited had to do some ALFRED
good runnin' to make her connections, and
we used to have to work every hook and
crook to keep from being delayed any.
But Frank was a good one to make steam,
and we took considerable pride in keeping
up to schedule time. Well, one night as we
was goin' round the Big Tree curve, between
Lamont and Garland's, Frank was shovel
ing coal down from the top of the big pile
in the tender. just as we rounded the
7 l. IL -, Ill I lr>I
around, and Frank was gone. He had for
gotten to brace himself for the curve, and
had been dashed from the tender to the
ground.
II stopped, ran back and found poor
Frank living beside the track, apparently
dead. We put him in the baggage car
and took him home; got leave of absence,
and for two weeks Franks wife and
watched by the bedside where the poor lad
lay delirious.
THE doctors said from the first that he
couldn't get we'll; most we could hope for
was that his mind would clear up enough so
he could recognize us before he died; but the
boy lay there and raved, and screamed and
talked to himself and was all the time flag
gin trains and firm up, and livin' over the
awful fall but though his poor little wife
most cried her pretty eyes out, Frank
would only stare at her with wild, CLASSY
eyes, and motion her away, when she would
speak to HIM, and call him pet names and
try so hard to arouse spark of recogni-
ton.
well, one night l had sent the poor
WORKOUT little woman to bed, Frank was
rambling along in his usual way, but did
not rave quite so much as usual. He lay
quiet long time, and | had almost got to
nodding in my chair, when he suddenly says
quite natural like:
"'BlIl! oh, Billp
II ran to his side. He seized my hand.
"'Good-by, old man, he said. My orders
is through-don't forget NELL watch over
you and the old 262 as long as you hang to-
gether Good-by. Now call Lizzie, my
darling
II ran from the room, but when l got
back there WANT nuthin' for tEat poor little
heart-broken creature to look at but jest the
dead body of one of the noblest boys the
Lord ever nipped off before his lie was
hardly begun.
"Well, we laid Frank away, and I had
the old 262 draped in black for months.
had another fireman assigned me, and
though he did as well as he could, he never
could be quite the same to me as poor dead
Frank.
zone night we was bringin' up the limit
ed as usual, and, of course, had the right Of
the road. Nothin' seemed to work right
that night someway; we started out late,
and then the engine acted up and wouldn't
make steam good, and we didn't make up a
minute, though we pushed the old engine Tor
all she was worth.
"All through the run there had been some
thing on my mind that made me feel blue
a sort of foreboding of trouble. When
we left Lamont we had made up about five
minutes and | prepared TO rush things.
Just as we were pullin' out, the operator
handed me an order not to pass Lamont I'M
til light engine. No. 1893, arrived and then
we lit out for all we were worth: But some
way felt uneasy every time ] would pull
the lever to let her out peg, though there
want no particular reason for It,
Just the same we was streakin' along
nigh unto so miles an hour when we got to
the Big Tree curve | don't know what
made me look around, but something did,
and hope | may never make another run,
if there didn't stand Frank on the pile of
coal in the tender, looking straight at me as
natural as life.
81 almost jumped off my seat in the cab,
when in an instant he threw up his hands,
and fell off with the same awful shrek he
gave on the night he was killed. lnvolun-
tarily threw the engine over and turned
on the brakes: and not a darn second 100
soon either, for when we got around the
curve there was the headlight of that 336
only about two train-lengths away, and by
nigh together as them are out there. About
as close call as ever want to have.
1.-THE operator had made mistake on the
light engines order and written Lamont in
stead of Garland's.
my fireman said he didn't see or hear
ANYTHING of the form on the tender, but
know it was Frank just the same, and |
know he came to warn me Of danger, and /
know he Is watchin' over me all the time,
and feel safe when pull out sharp on
nasty night, because if there's any trouble
| know Frank will be right on hand to put
me on my guard. But here comes the
special, and as soon as she's by, if you'll
back your train I'D a little, I'll draw
over that middle switch and get out of the
way.
A new theory advanced by Prof. Oertel
and proven good by experiment is that
well-regulated exercise is absolutely essen
tial to the successful treatment of heart
disease. On this point the Medical Record
says; "a little reflection will suffice to con
vince us that, while rest is often useful, apd
indeed quite indispensable in heart disease,
there are yet many cases in which we'll
egulated exercise will improve the nutri-
ton of the cardiac muscle, as of the rest of
the muscular system, and hence tend to the
promotion of circulatory vigor."
A brick, says technical paper, being