Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-07-13
Jockey Todd, TOrpedOMan.

Jockey Todd was always sent with
his pair of bays on the perilous jour-
ney of the torpedo man. He was in
the employ of a torpedo company,
and it was his business to take the nj
tro. glycerine to the oil well, pour the
fluid into the cylindrical shell, lower
it to the rock, and drop upon the cap
the the weight that would release the
explosive to rend the petroleum STRAIT
um.
One day on the Custer road he
gave the bays the whip. They broke
into wild run, and Obstetrics have
a vivid memory of Jockey Todd's
dash through tie town. He came
down the main street like whirl-
wind, and they held their breath,
waiting for the explosion. As he
rushed upon them they lived an age.
But Jockey Todd sat on the box as
carelessly as if he winning race in a
walk. In the postcffice door stood a
girl of twenty. She had run out of the
street to AVOID the team. She had
hardly time to turn around before the
bays shot past, yet her quick eyes
ewes noted the calmuess of the man at
the lines. "Oh!" she cried, "the San
dy!"
The Sandy was only a small noun
tain stream that flowed into the Tuna,
btu the bridge was torn up for repairs
The plunge into that narrow ditch
would be fatal beyond donbt to the
driver, and he did seem to know
about it.
The spectators, fascinated, could
not fee. Their hearts beat hard and
their eyes projected as they looked
for the explosion. The bays cleared
the ditch, and the wagon dived into
it. The Obstetrics could not believe
their eyes, for there ON the ground
stood the driver, unframed, and away
down the road, with tongue humping
on the ground between them, the
bays were running at full speed tow
ard Hartford.
Every spectator shouted and ran to
the bridge. Leona Jervis went with
the crowd, and when she saw Jockey
Todd coolly answering questions she
fell in love with him. Noticing her,
he remembered that he had seen her
in the postoffice door, and he smiled
as he recalled her frightened look
Meeting his gaze, she blushed, aud
his smile quickly gave way to scowl
Daring always, he strobe to where
she stood, and asked, in harsh tone
did you think to see a man IN
bits, bIowed every direction by the
glycer'n?"
"No; | come hopin' to see him
clear the ditch as easy as ne came tc
it."
81 ask your pardon. Nv name il
Todd-Hiram Todd
"And mine is Leona Jervis; | live
there" pointing to house on the hill
above the Tuna.
From that impulsive beginning The
acquaintance of Jockey Todd and
Leoua Jervis ripened into a mutua
affection.
Some days after this, Jockey Tod'
pulled up the bays as he was passing
Leonas home. She was gettin:
breakfast for her brother Grip.
When Jockey Todd was leaving
Leona threw her arms around hi
neck and said, "Give it up. Hiram;
am so afraid all the time"
81 will, Leona; | will never drinI
again"
But that was an evasion. Sh
clung to him tighter, aud pleaded
"Oh, Hiram, | can't let you go bacI
to it. The terrible glycerine vii
surely take your life some day if yo'
keep on handlin' it, and Pm worrie
to death all the time. Why | neve
hear an explosion, if it's only an emp
ty can, without jumpin'. My hear
Just stands still while wonder If it
you or-or-"
And she stammered into silence
hiding her face on his shoulder. III
filed out the sentence, whispering il
her ear-"Or Grip"
Her face pressed his shoulde
in assent.
Grip was moonlighter-one VIII
torpedoed oil wells in the night at th
risk of arrest and imprisonment. Th
torpedo company for which locke
Todd worked had patent entltlin
them to the exclusive right OF torpt
doing oil wells,so that all persons Ell
gagged in clandestine operations wit
the torpedo at the well were in dangt
of the law. Such persons were cal
ed moonlighters. Grip Jervis ha
long been suspected by the torped
company, and detectives bad been en
ployed to watch him; but he was GU
ming, and had never been caugh
Leona's admission to Jockey Toe
was the first reliable evidence obtalnt