The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-02
AN ENGINEERS STORY
The Advocate.

the III. G. Il L. fAiiroad--Ies me see II
was issss aixteen ysaFs ago. II son ever
sraveied GA that road IN those days no
doubt you remember the Old Black
Hand.
she was . fine engine-aD NJ. Baldwin
paserlf--An eiFht-whcelea driver, and /
iove8 her a. 4 seasuan loves bis craft, or q
turfnan his horse that airs him The raee.
/ had run on tla road for three years, and
was perfectly familiar with the line IRON
one end To lie otter
About six months previous 20 the time
OF which ! write. an accident hal occurred
on the f. creek tFestle, ten miles east of q.
The trextie vas Go feet in length. and the
greatest depth vas near the west bank,
Exiy-two feet.
The station man had fallen from the
tressle after the night train had passed.
and from appearances. when found next
morning, had been instantly killed. The
next night after the accident as ! was
stepping on the foot board ran the night
express~the superintendent OF the road
came &. me and told me in a few hurried
words that he wanted 90 piace an old man
and young girl ON my engine. aid he
wished me GO make some pretext 20 stop
without letting The conductor know they
had been on the train, aaa At the same
time ne enIoined on me perfect secrecy
and forbade me asking any question what
ever
This strange proceeding on the part Of
ths superintendent puzzled mo greatly.
lie was = man about 50 years Of age. and
well known IS = thorough business man.
and one Of unspotted Integrity, and by far
the largest stakeholder in the road.
Why hs should place those parties on
my engine and desire 20 keep IL q secret
from the conductor. who, like myself, was
only an empleye Of the company, could
not for my life imagine.
There Was large crowd IN the depot al
the time, as Is usually the case in large
cities, and be passed the parties mp 10 me
without being observed.
Time was up; the bell rang. and the train
moved ont into the darkness.
After trying che gauges and arranging
tnings about the engine sat down oppos.
tie my two passengers and took survey
Of their persons.
The man was perhaps GO years old. hair
and beard as white as snow, broad. square
forehead. sharp gray eyes filed with ener.
~ aud an lnsieserihably sad expression OF
eonntenanee that bespoke deep sorrow.
Ills form sas light yet well pEoportioned.
ard Als movements quick and nervous.
The girl wes perhaps 10 or Il years of
age. wikh eyes as black as night, and well
poised head covered with shining coils OF
hair of the same sable hae
She gescnhied the old man in the gen
efai contour OF form and feature. and no
doahs they ssead In she relation af parent
ard ehlla, ana as her lace partook II the
same snd expression II was 10 be presumed
she was = khaFeF Of bis sosFoNs, whatever
they might have been.
A. ten miles on ma express tram, run.
Asng sc inu speed, h = short ride. and
knew Ne wefs bearing the +. Greek trestls
! rose 80 my tset aud placed my hand on
ths ieysF 81 the throttle valve,
Nv companion seesaed 10 understand the
movement perfectly. lie old man cast a
sharp glance az me and then 81 The girl. al
tustsd bis cloak and peered ous into the
darkness.
then shat OF Tie steam with one shove
al tic lever. hlstiea down brakes. and
then commenced a series 90 short. shArr
toess ~ though 70 brighten some animal:
eft ihe track
IAe fraia slowed ap and IN $ moment
mere steed siiil. The conductor Jumped
cat as one ss1e o. tAe train. and came Ter.
wAra wlta his lantern, and nay passengers
cot "a Al tas ether,
I ass5zs@A kha Kls. 80 alseht, ard a. bel
warm hsnA ressad ane niegneat So mine .
safilJ Nke that caused ~ an electric ira
eakne ran sarpash nay veins She pressed
rF hand ana isit IA my grasp smas
carl. mhteh | hastssy thrust into my Fae act
The ed @se wiring say hand and iher
the lNo hafriea 0at inta The darkness
rsn i,ss~aSsl on the trees IA moHlen
tafard ard eanse asck. asst TIE rnaisss toi
iast ahesa Il she eagsne tasd hsas sAeneu
saw somsshsnE ga ARE gYntk, aas that Al
then seeuvs sssaG
This satisfied him. snd IN memeat raor,
ass gFaAn NAs en- tts way.
We passed stoNSe ovse the sEestis her
les On sseam aaa tsr0aRsss she tran nsae'
saee sFee8 taAt sc wusila make gAyns 81
L., tasray usges ahead. thsa task -,
essa feaws ass rssssst, Ard on IL wAs pvn
gled "a 2 sFaa3. daseaie haaa Measiaa
Is = s,s=so easa ansl wlsl ~ wear Ifssaa
termed rs sSssl oyes an8 eyv1. haI thg.
wss all as} ! eossl8 ,ss nes ssas has wan
sss asei sasasse sta yvg&rt 50 sae matter.
packssws sa uAy s3sssss sss sorts a. sserses
aaa trains IS circumstance that cragA
hgss gssa gat s8ea - sceas a6sas. ba& e.
60 as pefS=ssxs
On FxsafusRE 50 e ESss nexa n5eA8 Faei
aas g,ur nsessseas oa ths rssaaems- ns
lssaksst st nse SIS ga Asas3sas. Eassietsse raast
uyr sues nss sseaaAas sFa as.I.ie4 saSs
a. sss axss, aasi raised sa3s saae esAs
8Ae aexs sveS as maFeA sarnssas,8 Al
rvesvaee a5aasssE iesaase pAg waseA sases
eeabaas.g IS 3ans As ! remained "a shs
rDagk
Tee wstst So Eax saasaf ssx aaeatAs sa.i
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ssssstaisy seYs 5 stsAzp ssssssassg A. ] assasssl
shs q eeNsk sr4ssas-ssr Shat fSasen
essssA @es te5l ~ / certainly @aa8 maS ex.
reSe s. ssa Hsx tva ts,ses RssseasssFs Al
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es ISsss Asse ashs So ssese saEW s&ys
sgsd sssasasss sms a hAst essa se~tsas "a
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We lxss s~-- AFe a4aasss aass bslag a.