River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-09-20

Who Was It That Carried the Red
Light Up the Track?


for few moments. HArry proposed
that we walk down the tr.Is.r = bit, to
pass away the time
We had gone but a short distance,
wheE ~ s2ne to a place where the
rails .roszsd the highway. and there
we saw an old mar, evidently a cripple.
sitting in "a wheel-chair. He seemed
70 have purposely planted himself in
tI.s middle Of the track. and he now
sat Gnconceruedly reading his newspa-
per. apparently quite unconscious OF
our approach.
i declare" exclaimed Harry. IF
that i7r'' stupid 10 sit right between
the raiIsi suppose the train should
come alGpgF~
Then - we drew still nearer, he adj
dressed the stranger:
Don't you think, sir. that it is rather
dangerous 30 sit there on the track in
that way.
The old man looked up from his
paper. little surprised at first. and
then apparently much amused.
No, Young man, he answered. at
length; Il don't think it rather dan
gcrous. I've been "a hagman on this
road great many years, and | never
got run over yet"
OH said Harry. altering ais tone
considerably at discoving that the old
man was an employee Of the road. and
noticing for the first time that the
stranger had q little red flag rolled up
beside him.
.'Aud besides" continued the flag
man. I've GOT into the habit of sitting
here when no train is due. People
feel perfectly safe 10 drive over the
street when they see me between the
rails"
Il should think they would" said
Harry And then. quite willing to
change the subject. he asked if there
was any thing worth seeing farther
down the track
Yes" was the reply. There's a
new bridge a quarter Of a mile beyond |
that's worth seeing, particularly a it
was there we came near having a
dreadful accident two years ago, when
one Of the piers was carried away"
We thanked him, and were moving
on. when he added: Perhaps you'd
like 20 hear the story before you go
down. ItwOn't take long to tell il, and |
it's well worth telling, too
We we're not so old yet that we were
not always ready for a story, and we
gladly sat down on the grass beside the
track, and listened to the following in
tercsting narrative, which | give as
nearly as possible in the fagman's own
words:
III Won should 90 ON down the track.
he began, ..yOu would come 10 a stone
bridge. 4 new one, because. two years |
ago this April, ON a dark. rainy night. |
the river rose aud carried away the |
old one. which was partly wooden. |
There Is train-an express
That goes through here every |
night III the year except Sunday
nights. ~ 9:5j. 1t does not stop
a. the station. hut comes straight on
down here. and over the bridge, and |
away for Boston. Two years ago it |
was "a part Of my business to 20 up and |
down the track every night, To see If |
the track was in condition for that train
To go through. My boy has to do it
for me now.
-Ol this particular night took my |
Iantcru-I always took a rat one. so as
~ Lave il in ease | should need to sig
nal tho trlin-and calling my dog.
started of down the track about half
au hour before the train was due. 1t
was very dark. but its about as easy
towalk on the track At one time rs an
other. and went ON al pretty rapid !
gait AL 0f "a sudden felt the ground |
giving WAY beneath me. and | knew | |
was coisg down. / dropped my Ian |
tern. aud tried To save myself. but there |
was nothing to get hold Of. and in an |
instant I felt myself going faster and |
faster And then | seemed 10 lose
breath. and strike with great violence |
against something solid. after which | |
must have become inseuSiblc.
II, was hours after that awoke to
find myself lying in my own bed at
hom"- II seems that the first pier of
the bridge had been carried away. and
] had walked of the cmbankment on
this side II was By one Of Gods
wonderful mcroiv> that in -une way I
had been caught among the fallen
thinkers below in such a way as 20 save
re from drowning. though. a. it was.
l. cost me dear Ny spine was SO in
jUrcd BY the fall that | have never |
Walked a step since
One of the first things l asked. |
n eli r. =.
was about The train Joe Varnish. the
engineer % he express locomotive.
who was OF duty while the bridge was
down. was by me at the time and told
me the story
How comes it that you are here.
Joe. instead Of al the bottom of the
rive you and the whole train?"
asked
lie looked at me with queer look
a moment. and then he stopped over.
aud took up from the floor a red Ian
tcril I snew 1t the moment l saw it,
as tbs one | had carried that night.
and I remembered dropping it as /
tcgsu q fall
.''Its tiaf that saved u.s. said he.
! Vas RutAleu botu al MS manner
aad NJ what he said, but l was more
plzzi ID and startled. tOo--when he
went On 70 explain.
I've were coming down the road a
l.t.le late. full drive at forty-fve miles
an hour. said he. and had just passed
tho station. aud had whistled for the
crossing. when | caught sight ahead Of
US. and not a great way of either, Of a
dsnzcr-signal. the red light. Il was
righs in the middle Of the track, and
evidently approaching, moving up and
down quickly. rs though the man who
.arr:ad il was running with all his
might.
scr course. { reversed and whistle8