Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-10-17
The Engineers Dog.

les, SIT, TcindThcu tue Srds hoh-
er gentleman, with slight tremor in
his voice. II have given up railroad
ing now, having become little too
far advanced upon the road OF life to
sit in a cab and make a locomotive
move. Oh you want TO know about
that dog of mine. All right. | used
TO run into Chicago on the Lake
Shore on old 4S2. That dog never
missed trip over the road with me,
and | owe my life TO him upon more
that one occasion His names Slide
not Of Slide, Kelly, slide, fame, how
ever. I'd go down 10 the round
house and see my old girl run out
and then monkey about her TO see
that nothing was ont OF whack until IL
was time TO start.
Right at the hour Slide could be
seen coming down the street with
my dinner basket in his old mouth.
When it became time 10 start I'd give
the old whistle chance. and Slide
would be on board in the cab beside
me. That dog never would walk.
He was too blooded for that. IL be-
came no trick at all for him 10 climb
out on the foot. board, run along and
jump down on the pilot, get up again
on the other side and walk into the
other window. Whenever We got 10
New York Slide would go down and
ride into town, big rs life, on the cow,
catcher ! even taught him TO pull
the whistle-cord whenever l com
manded. Everybody along the line
knew him. When | got down TO oil
my wheels he would always follow
and watch TO see that no kids Jumped
on the locomotive.
II remember distinctly one stormy
night as was approaching Chicago.
There was IA tremendous tempest on
the lake, for l could hear the dull
roar OF the waves beat upon the
shore. had TO lay upon siding
and wait for orders to pull in over
any one OF the fifty tracks that spread
out near the city. There was IA little
telegraph station a few rods away
from where lay. Orders were con
idently expected in n few minutes,
but they did not come. My fireman
and | got lonely sitting out there In
the driving rain, and not even dis
tinguishing each others voices In the
din. | remember Tom yelling, 'ltll
be hard time out on the lake to-
night. and the light came from the
station bobbing mp and down and
some one came hurrying up and gave
me the written orders to proceed on
the last track to one OF the stations
on the outskirts OF the city and !
there until special had passed.
well, the brakeman got down TO
throw the switch, when Slide made n
bee line out OF the cab and flew mt
the fellow as though he had gone
cracy and back. Why, he simply tore
sounds into shreds. He jumped at
the fellow every time he made amove-
ment for the switch he would crouch
down and beg and whine terribly.
Say, Charley. won't touch that
switch, the brakey said as he walked
towards me with n white face.
There's something gone wrong, aud !
know it, he went on. At first i
laughed, but suddenly | could feel
the warm perspiration trickle down
nv back bone. The conductor got
impatient and yelled TO Us TO put out.
The brakeman started back to throw
the switch again, but, sir, the dog
displayed the same tactics, and even
bit the brakeman's hands Just then
there was a sudden lull in the storm.
The most lnournful howl ever heard
came from that animal
my God, look > cried the brake
man, pointing up the track. Both
OF us spring 10 our posts and peered
towards Chicago. A great red light
came like "A flash out Of the inky
blackness and the special rushed past
us like a whirlwind and was gone.
d" -. fac es looked into one
another's countenances a moment la
ter, and just then the operator came
rushing out with orders 10 stop US,
but we had been stopped by keener
instinct than human intelligence, and
telegraph wires. Yes, he was our
mascot" " concluded the old engineer,
brushing strange moisture In hi
eyes and walking further along life's
rugged road. The dog had gone be-
fore him.