The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-04-03
ASLEEP AT The SWITCH.

The first thing that l remember was Carlo tug
ging away,
With the sleeve of my coat fast in his teeth
pulling as much as 10 say:
Come master. awake. attend to the switch.
lives now depend upon you;
Think of the souls in the coming train and the
graves You are sending them to:
Think of the mother whose babe is at rest,
think Of the father and son;
Think of the lover and loved one too: think OF
them doomed every one
To fall las it were by your very hantl into yon
fathomiess ditch,
Murdered by one who should guard them from
harm who now lies asleep at the switch.
Isprang up amazed-sc scarce knew where l
stood; sleep had oermastered me so:
/ could hear the wind dismally howling and
the deep river dashing below.
I could hear the forest leaves rustling as the
trees by the tempest were famed.
But what was that noise in the dstancef That
/ could not understand
] heard it at first indistnctly, like the rolling
of some muffied drum:
Then nearer and nearer it came to me, till 1t
made my very ears hum.
What is this light that surrounds me, and
seems to set fire to my brain?
What whistles that yelling so shrill? All. i
know now-it's the train.
We often stand facing some danger, and seem
to take root TO the place
So | stood-with this demon before me, its
heated breath scorching my face,
Its headlight made day of the darkness, and
glared like the eyes of some witch,
The train was almost upon me before / re-
membered the switch.
sprang TO it. seiZing it wildly, the train dash
ing down the track
The switch resisted my efforts; some devil
seemed holding it back.
On, on came the fiery-eyed monster, and shot
by my face like a fash.
! swooned TO the earth the next moment, and
knew nothing after the crash.
How long I lay there unconscious twas i'm
possible for to tell,
My stupor was almost a heaven-my waking
almost heli
For then heard the piteous moaning and
shreking of husbands and wives,
And thought of the day we all shrink from,
when must account for their lives.
Mothers rushed by me, like maniacs, their eyes
glaring madly and wild;
Fathers, losing their courage, gave way to
their grief like child;
Children, searching for parents, l noticed as
by me they sped,
And lips that could form naught but mann
ma" were calling for one perhaps dead.
My mind was made up in moment; the river
should hide me away.
When under the still burning rafters ] sud-
denly noticed there lay
A little white hand; she who owned it was
doubtless an object of love
To one whom her loss would drive frantic, tho
she guarded him now from above.
ltenderly lifted the rafterS and quietly lay
them one side.
How little she thought of her journey when
she left for this dark, fatal ride!
L lifted the last log from Oft her. and while
searching for some spark of life,
Turned her little face up in the starlight and
recognized Maggie, my wife!
Oh, Lord, thy scourge is a hard one. at blow
thou has shattered my pride;
My life will be one endless nightmare, with
Maggie away from my side.
How often I'd sat down and pictured the
scenes in our long. happy life,
How I'd strive all my lifetime to build up
home for my wife:
How people would envy us always, in our coy
and neat little nest;
How | should do all of the labor, and Maggie
should all the day rest;
How one of God 5 blessings might cheer us
how some day prhaps should be sick
But all my hopes have been scattered while
laid there asleep at the switch.
] fancied stood on my trial, the jury and
Judge could see,
And every eyein the courtroom was steaiily
fixed upon me.
And fingers were pointed in Scorn, till / felt
my face biushing blood red,
And the next thing heard the words, Hang
ed by the neck until dead
Then felt myself pulled once again, and my
hand caught tight hold of dress,
And | heard, What the matter dear Jim;
you We had Il bad nightmare, guess.''
And there stood Maggie, my wife, with never
a scar from the ditch.
I'd been taking nap in my bed, and had not
been asleep at the SWITCH