The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-06-28


made known 20 the men that ne was
to be engineer on No. 147 a cry OF
dismay went up from one and all
ooh. ne b'y," said old Mike, what
are We thinllin' OFF,"
Thinking OF tho big wages" said
Charlie. '.and the comforts can buy
Tor the little mother"
'Uh. wirra. wirra, let her alone
Have nothing to do with her. She's
murtherfu' villain, that's what she is
Mike meant I47, not Charles moth
er.
why. Mike, you can't really think
the engine i 10 be blamed because
people got on the track before her?
said Charlie
Its her luck thin, it's all the same
She : bring throuble to any one who
has aught to do wild her. Let her
alone, me by
Now, Nike" said Charlie, Il take
It we're all in the hands OF the Lord.
wherever we are. / am as much in
His care on No. 147 a. 1 am standing
here talking to you. / don't believe
lie gives n locomotive power 10 hurt
His creatures, and ] do believe Il Is uy
duty 10 take this chance, and do the
best / cam
This.was 4 new view OF the matter,
and the men were sfIeuccd, If not con
WINGED. No one opposed Charlie Rug
gles' decision, and IN a day or two he
entered upon his now duties.
lie was sent into the mountain re-
gious % help take trains over the
highest passes In the State. Until one
has crossed tho Rocky Mountains by
rail il Is impossible 20 form au idea Of
the awfUlue>s Of these passes The
train creops slowly up the mountain,
with laborcd breath, giving one n SEN
satiou OF painful exertion. The road
winds about 70 find the easiest grades,
now gzagging back and forth, now
crossing itself by means or rostle
work, or tuuueIing under, but always
going upward, slowly but surely.
As the train climbs higher, far be-
low in some abyss may be seen the
track already passed, while high
above tower rows Of snow sheds yet
to be gone through. In the higher
altitude the solitude and stiffness be-
come oppressive. One seems lost in .
sea of mountain peaks, while above
all tower mightier SUBMITS, eternally
snow clad, where foot of man has
never yet Jrod.
IN the heat of midsummer below, it
Is always winter in these passes.
Huge icicles hang upon the roofs OF
these snow sheds, and deep snow lies
on the ground. 1t was at the entrance
TO such q pass that Charlie and No
l47 werc stationed When the through
express came, daily, il was divided
into two sections, and each section
was given two engines to pull it up
/ the steep grade. But 1T the top it was
/ coupled together again, one locomo
time being quite enough to take it over
the down grade, and the remaining
three were sent back again TO help
bring the next train up
/ Well up in the pass stood \ little
cabin, where Few OF the section
hands had their home There were
two little childrea. boy and "A girl
in this family, To whom Charlie be-
came much attached They were
pretty little creatures. but II seemed a
lonely life for them. Isolated entirely
I from playmates, from school and all
the pleasant things which children
| love y water-tank stood near the
cabin. whore the locomotives stopped
10 take in water, and in summer the
J children ran through the cars while
they waited selling punches OF the
beautiful Colorado wild flowers which
blossom in spite OF discourageulent
under the shadows Of the everlasting
snow banks
This was their only diversion
and Charlie learned to watch
for them as the prettiest Incl
dent OF the trip He ALWAYS
had pleasant word and smile for
them, and often something moro. An
apple or IN orange, n pretty card.
which small as It was, went far TO
brighten the childrens' dav.
No ~ behaved herself perfectly.
rs week after week and month aftcr
month slipped 10y, and she did not
even XIII sheep, the train men ber-n
10 breathe fresr, and even Charlie was
conscious OF n sense Of relief It vvas
generally believed that the overhaul
ing in the repair shops had changed
her disposition. Only old Mike was
skepticaL
There's no good in her" he said.
shes only biding her time. an she'll
do worse than she ever dhramed OF
before wan Of these days"
But the other men laughed and
called him a bird OF i'll omen.
One warm, sunny day, in early July.
the train had climbed to the summit
OF the pass, and Charlie was ready
to retrace his course. The air was
sultry; oppressively warm. Even at
the summit the snow was melting
rapidly, and down by the cabin the
heat was felt sensibly. Charlie often
said that his return trips reminded
him Of sliding down hill. He kent
the fires low, and the engine slipped
along Of its own weight, gathering
momentum as it went, until it almost
hew. To-day he stood watching the
track before him, as No 147 sped over
the rails, admiring, half unconscious
~, the wonderful panorama spread
out before him, and thinking, quite
consciously, Of a little blue-eyed girl
he had left at the East, wondering how
soon he might have home for her in
the West Then he thought Of No.
147, with how much distrust he had
undertaken her, and how pleasantly
she had disappointed him. He felt
in perfect sympathy with her
now-sure that she would respond
TO his touch, confident that he
could always guide her. eve I'M
ierstand each other, don't we, my
beauty, he said, half aloud
The locomotive whizzed along.
Looking up above him, he could see
fba orl1ar augriuaS aprav,.r,t a. a, NOT f,r