The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1890-12-20
PROVIDENCE GAVE THE SIGNAL.
Mysterious EinEing of n Bell That Pre-
vented u railroad Accident.

vented u Railroad Accident.
A dozen railroad engineers and con-
ductors met by chance the other day
and an old gray haired veteran of the
cab told a story. He had been an engi-
neer with big reputation as a "run-
ner' in the days gone by, but on account
of failing nerves and eyesight was now
enjoying an easy berth around the
shops. He said:
at was when the old Y. M. and b.
was first opened up" he began. II was
pullin' passenger, and took the first coach
over the road. I got a good run-all day
work-and was holdin' her down as
good thing. Bout a year after we'd got
to doin' Il good business had some ex-
ira runnin' and lost my turn for while,
and run nights all of tho time. 1t was
my last trip before I'd get back to my
own run, and was feclin' glad to get
on to the day trick again.
"Wc'd had some mighty bad weather
and lots Of water fell. Our track was
in pretty good shape, though, and VIC
didn't much fear washouts, SO we kept
up with the card pretty well. On the
night l spoke about was on No. 2. We
had a heavy train, but the machine 1
had was able to get there and was
on time till we struck freight that
couldn't take the siding. They swung
us down. and we side tracked until the
freight got away. l was pretty warm
over losing the time, and when we lit
out of there pulled her right up to the
.f,l c1o ill ,l,o
worth.
Owe were making about forty-five
miles All hour, and when We reached tho
fill east of Wildcat worked steam all
the way down. We were bout half
way to the creek when the bell rang. l
worked mighty quick, but it was down
hill and the rails were wet and didn't
get stopped until the pilot was almost
over the bridge-or where the bridge
ought to be-'cause when l stopped the
headlight was shining over chasm.
Tho bridge was washed away. Cad!
You can tell just bout how felt. My
fireman nearly tainted, and wasn't far
behind him. Well, after we stopped the
conductor, IL smart chap with a fancy
lamp and II rubber collar, came arunnin'
up wantin' to know why stopped.
"' Cause the bell rang. What did
you pull the rope for:' L says.
Il didn't says he.
"'Well, who did,
NO onc,' says he. hot like.
"'Well, some ono pulled it or |
wouldn't u stopped says l.
''Thc com looked ut me u minute, and
just then the brakeman came up.
Ibid you pull the rope, Joe' said the
con-
NO. says Joe.
Just of Il sudden Il thought struck
me, and l told tho 'brakey' to ask tho
porter. Tho coon hadn't pulled the
bell, and tho passengers i'll his Car were
all asleep until jerked them enlways
with the air | took the conductor
around to the front end and showed him
tho bridge. lie was scared to death, and
VIC went back together through tho
train to sec who pulled the bell rope, but
every mothers son of them swore it
wasn't touched. began to get scared
again and told them about the bridge,
and everybody came out to look at it.
eve couldn't find any one who gave the
signal, and after we'd tagged back to
the station l got to thinkin' more and
more, and came to the opinion that tho
bell was rung by Providence. There
was $50 people on the train, and if that
bell hadn't rung I'll q took them all over
into the Wildcat, and dropped them
about Que hundred feet into the water.
There wouldn't be anybody left to tell
about it, either.
"The superintendent looked into the
thing after reported, and had me and
Joe up 'on the carpet twice, but we
both heard the bell, and swore to it.
Some chap got out u long explanation
that the bell rope was tight stretched,
and we struck Il low joint coming down
the hill, when one end of the coach
sagged, and the rope being tight it rang
the bell, but don't believe it, 1t was;
Providence that did it, and know it,
and I've never swore an oath since, and
never will "-Kans;ls City Star
a mushroom described by IL leading
physician of Portland, Ore, as having
sprung up in a single night near his
doorstep measured "a inches in circun).
ference and weighed II pounds.
Would Have Preferred Insratitudo.
"Ah, then, miss, would you be tellin'
poor old woman where ST. Marys
home is:'
The fashionably dressed young woman
thus addressed stopped as she was walk
ing in Broadway and looked down on IL
ragged ola crone, the picture of squalor
and ill health. Her first inclination was
to get away as quickly as possible from
the uncanny object, but pity prevailed
and she said:
I'm going past the home myself.
Follow me and I'll point it out to you
when 1 reach it,
Then she started ON again. If the old
woman had only been content to follow
Quietly the young one would have felt
sufficiently rewarded for her kindness
by the consciousness of good deed
done; but the old one began in Il loud
sing-sons to praise tho Lord for sending
her 81 kind and beautiful a lady to lead.
her to the home.
"Glory be to God!" shealmost shouted.
THE Lord rest the souls of all the dead
belongin' to ye! May the heavens be
yer bed, and every hair in yer head u
candle round yer coffin to light yc to
glory! Holy mother send We Il rich hus-
band and a fine big family!' and So Oh,
all through crowded Fourteenth street,
to the vast amusement of the people and
the overwhelming confusion of the BASH
full benefactor, who could hardly re-
strain herself from running away.-New
yc-l T--::55s..ssssz..
A physician has succeeded in grating
the skin of frog to that of q tortoise,
and the skin of a tortoise to that of