The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-06-09
SAVED BY A HERO.
St. Louis Post. Dispatch.

LuhJ Tuub DGLWcGu 6Lp AuI d1U eT- gus Falls on the Manitoba road. There are few people, however, that are familiar with the incident that was the direct cause of Mir. Manley's first connecting himself with that company. In the year of 1871 Tony was boy of ten years of age, and lived with his parents on a farm near Coon Greek, between Anoka and Min neapolis, on what was then called the branch line of the St. Paul and Pacific road. At that time the trains did not stop at Coon Greek station unless for water for the engine, there being nothing but tank house at that place.
 About mile above Coon Greek tank-house there was sharp curve in the track and this curve was at the summit of slight grade. One after noon, Tony, whose duty it was to go after the cows each day, was riding his pony across the track near the above mentioned curve, when looking down the track towards Anoka he ob- served the smoke of the engine of the regular afternoon passenger train, which came from Melrose daily.
 Tony would have paid little or no attention to this discovery and would have continued upon his search for his cows had it not been for the fact that he heard the whistle of another engine blowing for Coon Creek tank house. Tony was perfectly familiar with all the trains that passed over the road through his fathers farm and knew that there was no side track at Coon Greek where two trains could meet and pass each other. He con- cluded at once that something was wrong and that the two approaching trains were each unaware of the pres ence of the other. Leaping from the back of his pony and leaving the ani- nal standing on the track, he ran around the curve in the direction the Melrose train could be seen approach ing at full speed; he waved his hands and hat until he was observed by the engineer, who sounded the signal for applying the brakes. The boy then turned his attention to the other train, the smoke of which could be seen trailing over the banks at the other end of the curve. The engineer of this train discovered him wildly signaling the train to stop, and ob- serving the smoke of the other train, and thinking that bridge or culvert might be on fire, he, too, sounded the whistle for brakes to be applied; and none too soon, for both trains were now within short distance of each other and still moving at a rapid rate of speed. It was before the day of air brakes, and the train could not be brought to standstill at the distance of train length, as they can nowa- days. Before the brakes could bring the trains to a complete stop, the pi- lots of the two engines came lightly together, but with insufficient force to cause any damage, and a moment or two after two excited engineers and two more excited conductors rushed towards each other and began to com- pare orders.
 A sigh of relief went up from the quartet as each discovered that neither was at fault, and that conflicting telegraph order had been given. Both trains were behind time, and were running on telegraph orders from the train dispatcher, F. F. Merrill, who was then located in St. Paul. One train had "clear track" to Anoka from St. Anthony Junction, and the down. coming train was running on an order giving it a "clear track" to St. Anthony Junction. The conductors of the two trains were John A. Bailey and Dan Barstow, and the engineers George Pennock and Pat Gallagher. After the first excitement of the mo- ment had passed, the railroad men be- gan to give their attention to the boy who had saved their lives as well as those of the two train loads of passen- gers. Tony was found near by en- deavoring to catch his pony, which, by the way, came near being run over by the up-going train before the trains were brought to stop. After embracing the boy and manifesting their appreciation of his heroism in every manner that could be conceived. they secured his name, and then the two trains pulled away to the nearest side track, where they could pass each other and proceed on their way. While these scenes were being enacted near Coon Greek tank-house another scene equally as exciting was trans- piring in the general office of the road in St. Paul. Train Dispatcher Mer- Till, soon after the two trains were re- ported as having lett St. Anthony Junction and Anoka, discovered that he had made mistake and given con- fiicting orders. With no telegraph station between the junction and Anoka there was no possible way to reach the two trains, and it seemed to the now almost distracted operator that nothing short of a miracle could prevent most serious accident.
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