The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-05-23
SAVED BY A TRAMP,
A Railroad Man Snatched From Certai
Death By Truck Passenger.

DeaCh by truck passenger.
''No, we don't bounce the tramps who
ride on the bumpers of our freight
train" said freight conductor who has
run to the West. II presume that we
carry an average dozen each trip, but if
they remain between the cars we pre-
tend not to see them"
"But it is against orders" was urged.
'Oh yes, but there is higher power
than general orders, even for railroad
men. Five or six years ago used to be
hard on the railroad tramps I'd have
the train looked over at every stop, and
if we caught chap he got handled
pretty lively. Nowadays I throw out a
hint to the brakemen to shut both eyes,
and, if the tramp don't presume too
much on my good nature, no one will
disturb him.
"What happened to change your
mind?''
ooh, little incident of no interest to
the public, but great deal to me. I
was married in December three years
ago. On the third night 1 got orders
to run out with an extra. There
was a cold rain, which froze as
it fell, and one of my crew got
hurt at our very first stop. This
left us short-handed and as we
could not supply his place 1 had to act
for him. We were back in the mount
aims running strong to make time, when
the engineer whistled brakes for grade.
1 climbed out of the caboose with the
brakesmen, and had set two brakes and
was after the third, when lurch of the
cars threw me down and I fell between
two OF them. / had just one glimpse of
the red-cheeked bride at home, just one
swift thought of her in widows weeds
and her heart breaking, when a hand
grabbed me. | was going down head
first. but the strong clutch turned me
over and my feet struck the bumpers.
I'd have gone then, only some one put
my hands on the ladder, flung his arms
around me from behind to hold me there.
and said:
"'You are all right, old man. Your
nerve will come back pretty SOON"
"And it was tramp, eh?"
"It was, and he held me there until
the train reached its stop, and then
helped me down, for the sudden fright
had taken all my strength and nerve
away. But for him should have been
ground up under the wheels. This is
the reason l keep soft spot in nv
heart for the genus tramp, and why,
when / sometimes walk the length of |
every train and find every bumper occu- |
pied, look skyward and pretend not to
see as much AS an old fur cap"
The wise prove, and the foolish con-
less, by their conduct that life of en-
ployment is the only life worth leading.
-Paley.
The widow who wears the longest
mourning vail is generally the one who
cuts across lots to find another husband.
.Elmira Star.
Better follow the sternness Of a
truth than the glittering delusion of a
lie. Men often follow lies because they
'hine.-T. T. Lynch.
One unquiet, perverse disposition,
the peace and unity of q
whole 'amily or society, as one jarring
instrument will spoil whole concert.
Whenever man visits places where
ne would not like his wife or sister to
Be seen, he is way off from the road that
eads to manhood and respectability.-
Western Rural.
An easy-going moral existence is
very we'll to talk about but the results
'f it are disappointing. 1t is only by
lgonizing, that we achieve what is
Torthy.-United Presbyterian.
1t docs b IL
rood and beautiful; but it does us inf
litely more good to love it. We grow
ike what we admire; but we become
me with what we love.-Rural New
Yorker.
Surely light is reflective, like the
light of heaven, and every countenance
bright with smiles and glowing with in.
locent enjoyment is mirror transmit
ing to others the rays of a supreme and
'ver smiling benevolence-Old Home
tead
Men talk in raptures of youth and
'eauty, wit and sprightliness; but after
even years OF union, not one of them is
o be compared to good family manage
nent, which is seen at every meal and
cit every hour in the husbands purse.
-Witherspoon.
Some people speak as if hypocrites
we're confined to religion, but they are
= peopl pretending to
wealth when they lave not sixpence.
ssuming knowledg. of which thew are
gnorant, shamming culture they arc
ar removed from, adopting opinions
hey do not hold. Rev. Albert Good
ich,