The Opelousas courier., 1889-05-18
OUR PRIVATE LINE.
The Story Told by a Railroad Sta
ton Agent.

1t was hot afternoon-some OF you
may know how hot it can be on the
prairie when there is no wind.
/ was sitting in the little ticket-of1ce
of the railroad station at which l was
agent. Fronethe window / could see
the hot air rising from the sun-burne.
buffalo grass, giving to the lone y
ranch buildings scattered here and
there in the distance an unstable,
wavering appearance, as though they
might at any moment blow away.
Presently out of the silence there
came the footballs Of a horses hoofs,
stopping at the platform, and followed
by a queer ''pegging" sound over the
planks and into the waiting-room. l
looked up and saw a boy of about four
teen standing in the doorway. His
right leg was a~mputated above the
knee, and he supported hipself on a
pair of light crutches, which had
sling-straps like an army carbine.
He handed me an express order for
a package to Colonel Reed. a promi-
nent cattlemau, whose ranch buildings
were about a mile south of the track.
"Are you the Colonel's SOM"
asked, as l handed out the package.
Eyes, SIR" was the reply. Charles
Reed is my name"
Then he turned and looked curious
ly In at the Geographic instruments.
He had such a bright, healthy and
wide-awake air, that / invited him to
walk in and examine::them, if he wished.
His eyes frightened Immediately.
I'D like to, if you don't mind. The
other agent was cross, and I was afraid
to ask him.
Seeing that he was interested in
them, / explained briefly the working
of the key and sounder, and tried 70
give him some idea how a message was
sent and received. He listened atten.
lively, and seemed to comprehend
pretty we'll.
Yes" he said, assI concluded %
know something about it, though only
through what / have read. Would
You mind writing out the alphabet fol
me?n
wrote out the characters on a sliI
of paper, which he TUCKED carefully
away in his pocket-bo9f; and then,
finding | was q s~trangerso that part o.
the West, he volunteered some infor.
nation about the country, including 6
remarkably accurate description of the
game birds and their habits, which, as
"a sportsman, | found very interesting.
Before he left he told me that he had
losthis leg during an Indian raid about
four years ago, before the railroad was
built, His fathers ranch had been at
tackled without any warning. He was
only ten years old at the time, and be
ing out of doors he had slipped away
~unobserved, and hidden in the corral,
and while there was hit by a stray rifle
ball In the knee.
l accompanied him to the door Whei
he was ready to go, and vas surprised
TO see how thoroughly at home he wa,
on his pony. With his crutches slunt
behind him, he swung nimbly into TIN
a die, and started off toward home Oh
q brisk gallop.
One afternoon, about a week later
he dropped inoagain, having mean
while learned the telegraphie alphabe
SO that he could repeat all the char
acters easily, and next day the Colonc
himself stopped In on his way to town
He was a brisk, genial man, who ha,
q habit Of shaking hands with ever.
one. He was a typical frontier ranch
man.
See here, MIR. Agent" he said
'.that boy OF mine has q hankering b
learn your business. He's kind O
lonesome, you see-he can't play wit
the other boys on account of his leg
ind now If you don't mind havin' hir
around. and will teach him what 20
can-he's pretty bright and car lear
most any thing-why, I'll make
worth your while. What's you
charger
why, Colonel / replied, laughiu
at his business-like manner, Il sha
be glad to have him around-I a
lonesome here--so we won't draw u
any contract"
6aarley was an apt pupil. In abol
q month he could send and receive
message, though, Of course not vel
rapidly; His father was SO delighte
with his progress that he made me
present OF 9 riding pony; and shortl
alter, when Charley got IL into hi
head that il would be d inc thing