The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-04-20

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Yet if anybody else had said this,
which nobody would in Jasper Wards
presence at least nobody who knew
him--.1aspcr would have been very
much grieved. He WAS proud of his
calling; proud of his record on the
foot-board. Thirty wears had he stood
there, and in all that time not one ac-
eident more serious than the fracture
of a connecting-rod piston-bar had
occurred TO him. Not one life intrust.
ed to his care had been lost. nor even
jeopardizcd. For twenty years JAS.
per had run the same train, an accom-.
mediation, and all the people up and
down that division of the line knew
Jasper Ward and his locomotive as
well as they did their own dooryards.
His face at the engine window was so
familiar that TO miss it for day or
two was to take something ont of the
daily life of the people who dwelt
near the tracks.
But now Jaspar was unhappy when
he should have been most content, for
he had finally relente,l and taken
Jack with him on the locomotive. His
old fireman had been promoted to an
engine, and Jack had thereupon
begged so hard that his father finally
applied to the master mechanic for
permission to take the boy on and
make an engineer of him. 1t was a
happy day for Jack when the master
mechanics reply was received; bu.
not so with old Jasper, for the message
contained these words: "I'll give you
new engine, too. Take out No. 45l to.
morrow. With your own boy on and
a shining new engine" the official
could not resist the temptation of add
ing, unbusiness like though it was
he wouldn't have added an unneces.
sary word to anybody except old Jas.
par-"you will be quite gay again,
and will be having all the young men
envying you" The master mechanic
meant well, but it was a sad blow to
Jasper. "a new engine!" he exclaim.
ed, somewhat bitterly, "what have
done that should have my old pet
taken away from me? Well, if the old
engine isn't good enough to run along
yet awhile, why, l suppose the old en-.
gineer will have to go, too, pretty
soon. This is the beginning of the
end sure. They'll lay the old man off
before the year is out"
His sorrow was greatly increased
when be boarded the new engine and
found that she was equipped with one
OF the new electric head-lamps with
which the company was then expert
menting. Nor was that the worst of
1t. The whistle of the new machine
was harsh, coarse whist e. as unlike
the sweet tones of the old whistle as
anything could be. The first sound of
1t nearly drove Jasper wild. "'rhey'n
get me off the road now," he exclaim-
ed; ~ can't run an engine with a
headlight like that on it, and such n
whistle. "They'll lay the old man off,
but they can't say he hasn't made
time. They can't say that" Making
Zine is sort Of hobby with all good
locomotive engineers. With Jasper 1t
was q mania. AN engineer isn't
worth a cent unless he can get in on
schedule nineteen times out of twenty"
he used TO say, land a man can always
make time if he has the nerve. Let a
man get the least bit timid, so that he
pulls up for everything that he doesn't
like the looks of, for every speck on
the track, or for every down grade, and
he'll never make time. Let her 20, let
her Co." he advised Jack; don't be
afraid of anything. When you start
out on run make up your mind that
you are going to make time or die try.
Ing. Don't be afraid of the ditch. II
1t Is your fate to be ditched and
stop there you can't get away from it
by shutting off steam every time she
begins to jump little or you imag.
Inc you see something on the track
You'll imagine you see fifty things
ahea d in one night, and if You 80 to
shuttingo off for them you'll never make
time. never in the world. boy"
And in good truth the old man was
as brave as his words. He was known
along the road as arunner against
everything but red lights. But from
the very first day on the new engine
he was a changed man. All his old
confidence seemed to leave him, and he
became instead nervous and timid,
He blamed 1t all on the new locomo
tive, and particularly on the electric
head-lamp.
"Jack" he said, as they were running
along one day shortly after the new
engine had been put in use, "this
machine isn't going to bring me an,
good luck. know that. I'm getting
nervous, and am afraid to let her oul
on tho down grades. Thai brillian,
light is running my eyes and some
thing will happen one of these days
Jack, you had better leave the road
Go and learn to be blacksmith. Al
engineer doesn't amount to much"
And as his pride in his own calling
and career was aroused by these word!
he nudged the throttle open a littl'
farther, and the old look of satisfac
ton came upon his stern face. Blu,
this was only for moment. Timidity
and discomfort were becoming more
than ever marked in him, and Jach
found his father anything but a cheer.
ful running mate. But Jack didn't
mind that. He loved his father dear
ly, and did the best he could to com
fort and cheer him.
You'll be all right in day or two
father" he said; ''the machine is new
and the light is brighter than you are
accustomed to, but you'll like them
both before long.
"No, WON'T" the old man replied
stubborn in his unlappiness and fore
bodings; 'they are determined to drive
me off the road with their now. tangled
concerns. They don't want the oil
man any longer. They want me t.
get behind time every day OK two ant
hsye tho boss looking after mo anj