The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-03-06
A WONDERFUL CAT.

An Ugly, scraggy Creature Saves . Ran.
| road Train from Destruction.
| As the train was about to pull out OF
the Broad street station, says . writer
In the Philadelphia Inquirer, / 1ecog.
nized an old friend in the engineer. ne
nodded to me and I jumped into the cab.
Dick and shook hands and he intro.
duced me to his fireman, young fol.
low with large, truthful, honest eyes,
and the most innocent-looking face
ever saw. Perched on the seat was q
huge black cat, ugly, scraggy, and with
. ground plan Of fur that looked like .
railroad map. 1t was so plowed and
cut up,
Naturally noticed the cat end asked
what it was doing there.
That's wonderful cat" said the
youthful fireman, land thereby hangs q
tale. Do you want it?'
LOT course"
"Well, about Q week ago we-Dick
and me-were making the run between
Philadelphia and Trenton. It was Q
dirty. black night-cold and . driv-
ing rain, and we were-that 10,
Dick was-behind time, and We
were-that is, Dick was-making
her hum for all she was worth.
We-thati Is, Dick-had clear track and
the right Of way. A few feet ahead OF
the pilot it was as black % nothing.
We were driving into chaos ct the rate
OF sixty miles an hour, could not HELM
thinking that II we ran into any thing
we'd know more about tho other world
than was ever written in books, and
said little prayer that I had learned
In 6uHday-school. The prayer didn't
seem to do me much good, and asked
Dick II 1t was necessary to run SO fast
Dick gave me look of mild contempt,
and then got on my dignity and felt as
II Id rather like to strike something
just TO change that look Of Dicks to one
OF surprise. This was wicked, knew,
but couldn't help 1t.
Suddenly there was IN awful crash
directly In front Of rae. splintering Of
glass in the cab window, and this cat
came tumbling in. My heart got right
up in my throat and I thought I'd
choke. saw Dick turn pale, and, ter
rifed as was, / remembered being glad
at 1t. He didn't lose his head though
Dick never does-but reversed the ma
ehine, and when the train stopped we
that is, Dick-got out to investigate.
And what do you think? There was .
rail misplaced within dozen feet Of the
place where we had stopped. The Tag
IMAM at the switch had seen it and had
stationed himself 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 II down to relisht 1t.
A gust of wind caught it and it rolled
down the embankment. Here was .
state Of things. The fiagman was quick
to act, however, and grabbing his faith
full cat by the tail pc hurled It At the
cab as we ratified by, Here Is tho eat
that saved our train, Didn't you, DAN
ger?"
The cat bumped its back in recoeni-
ton, and looked at tho frank, inno-
cent face OF the boy. He returned the
look with wide-open, truthful eyes,
''Shades OF Mount Vernon! What q
liar that fellow is," said Dick to me In
whisper. "IIe has the reputation of be-
ing the biggest liar on the road. Hold
finish first in a race with Tom Ochiltree.
That cat story is tho latest 'saved-the-
train business. saw him fish that cat
out Of tas ditch Z isx e.Es 49,"