Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-09-25
TIE CAT SAVED THE TRAIN.
How e Was Done, Related by the
Young Fireman.

As the train was about to pull out OF
the BROAD street station | recognized
an old friend in the engineer. saws the
Philadelphia Ii5QUirer. He nodded to
me and | jumped into the cab. Dick
and shook hands and he introduced me
to his fireman. a young fellow. with
large. truthful. honest eyes, and the
most innocent-looking face l ever saw.
Perched on the seat was a huge black
cat, ugly. scraggy, and with ground
plan of fur that looked like a railroad
map. it was so plowed and cut up.
Naturally noticed the cat and asked
what it was doing there
That's a wonderful cat" said the
youthful fireman, land thereby hangs
a tale. Do you want it?"
''Of course"
well, about a week ago we-Dick
Philadelphia and Trenton. 1t was a
dirty, black night-cold and a driving
rain, and we were-that is, Dick was--be-
hind time. and we were-that is. Dick
was-making her hum for all she was
worth. We-that is, Dick-had a
clear track and the right of way. A
few feet ahead of the pilot it was as
black as nothing. We were driving
into chaos at the rate of sixty miles an
hour. l could not help thinking that
if we ran into anything we'd know
more about the other world than was
ever written in books, and | said a
little prayer that | learned in Sunday
school. The prayer didn't seem to do
me much good, and asked Dick if it
was necessary to run so fast. Dick
gave me look of mild contempt, and
then | got on my dignity and felt as if
I'd rather like to strike something Just
to change that look of Dicks to one of
surprise. This was wicked, | know,
but couldn't help it.
Suddenly there was an awful crash
directly in front of me. splintering of
glass in the cab-window. and this cat
came tumbling in. My heart got right
up in my throat and | thought I'd
choke. l saw Dick turn pale, and
terrified as l was | remember being
glad of it, He didn't lose his head,
though-Dick never doeS-but re-
versed the machine, and when the
train was stopped we-that is, Dick
SOt OuG ~ lhN AuN " ldb III
you think? There was a rail mis-
placed within dozen feet of where we
had stopped. The flagman at the
switch had seen it and stationed him
self up the track to signal US. He had
pet cat which followed him wherever
he went. The cat was with him as
usual. When he heard us laundering
down upon him his lantern went out.
He laid it down to re light it; gust OF
wind caught it and it rolled down the
embankment. Here was a state OF
things. The tiagman was quick to act,
however, and grabbing his faithful cat
by the tail he hurled it at the cab as
we ratified by. Here is the cat that
saved our train. Didn't you, Danger?'
The cat bumped its ugly back ip
recognition, and | looked at the frank.
innocent face of the boy. He returned
the look with wide-open, truthful eyes.
Shades of Mount Vernon! What 3
liar that fellow ISL said Dick to me in
a whisper. He has the reputation OF
being the biggest liar on the road.
He'll finish first in a race with Tom
Ochiltree. That cat story is his latest
saved the train business. | saw him
fish that cat out of a ditch two days
arOH