West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1890-02-13

HoWoVer, there was no help for IL, and 1
started in. had barely made begin
ming when heard some one coming in
the door. Looking up, / saw it was
Billy Thcdford. In very excited voice
he asked where Hunter was.
"Home, l said; ''oud 50 sick he can't
hold his head up
MY Godw said he; 81 shall be
ruined"
Then he went on TO say that II he
wasn't in Chicago the next day. some
deah | think he called il, would fall
through, and it would cost him a quarter
OF million.
There's a train goes through Junction
City at IL 80 that'n get you TO Chicago
in time says 1
"What good'l that do me!" SAYS he.
GIVE been away for two days, and only
Just now got the telegram. If Hunter
was here he might get me down, but ne
1t Is, might as welt 90 home, and let
the money go.'
/ ''AIr. Thedford," " says |, "Bob is sick.
but | can run this machine to Junction
! City IN time TO connect with the train
! you want but you will have TO fire for
! me; as my two cleaners are drunk, as YOU
see, apJ there isn't another man in this
village knows the engine from the
/ tender, hardly"
hope the Lord has forgiven me that
/ lie, for there were two or three men that
could have fired all right, but it struck
me all OF a sudden that here was a fine
chance to get even with Billy, and let
him see whether it took any know. how
to fire an engine for a hundred and ten
miles, II so happened that we had
wooded up on the home trip at little
station three miles from Georgetown, so
we had plenty Of fuel aboard to make
1 the run with
/ "Can you do iti" says he. "Remem-
/ Der, it is n hundred and ten miles, and il
is s 30 now, so you have only two hours
and a half TO make the run that generally
takes double that time"
al can do it, " says l. "if you will lust
jump aboard, pull of your coat, and do
/ just as | tell you"
! No sooner said than done. and i'm ten
minutes we had the old engine on the
turn table. turned her around, and were
/ Off
If the road was rough when we ran Mt
our usual speed, that night, making
/ double time, il was just awful AS we
flew around the curves it seemed rs if we
should leave the track at every turn of
the drivers, and the poor old machine
rocked and swaycd so that, used us wa,
to it, could hardly keep on my seat by
I the lever.
If it was hard on me, what must it
have been TO old Billyl
/ could hardly keep from laughing in
his face, as I watched him, and heard him
groan as he handled the heavy sticks we
used for fuel
/ The heat OF the weather, added to that
Of the furnace and the unusual work,
made him look as il he was in a Turkish
bath. The water ran down his face, his
stiff white collar hung down on his
shoulders like wet rag, and his beauti-
/ ful smooth shirt-bosom looked as If some
one had thrown pail Of dirty water over
him. His hands were torn and cut. from
handling the wood, and take it all TO-
I gcther, he was the most unlikely
/ looking railroad President / ever saw.
/ Once i'm awhile / had 20 shout at him
to lay the wood more even in the furnace,
and would tell him nc would get the
/ knack OF il in time Whenever hc tried
. to rest ] told him we were losing steam,
aud If Inc wanted to catch that train, he
mustn't let up on the work, II / had
thought 10 hitch car on when VIC started,
we could have run much smoother; but
it was too late 10 think Of that now, and
so on we rushed, now through woodland,
now past grain fields, lurching first 10
one side and then 10 the other, until I
. expected every minute TO land wrongside
up in the ditch However, luck was
with us that night, and we pulled up at
Junction City at jnst eleven Poor old
Billy could hardly climb down from the
cab, but lac managed TO gasp out
"Come TO my Office at two o'clock next
Saturday"
/ learned aftcrward that, finding the
Chicago train was behind time, he hunted
mp clothing store and rugged himself
ont 50 as ~ look like civilized man,
which he didn't when nc left me.
j managed 20 find n fireman who was
willing TO make the run back with me.
and finally got home AZ three O'Clock.
and finding the cleaners q little sobered
mp, got TO bed as soon as possible, for
was clean played out. ] told Bob about
my trip next day, and thought he would
die laughing to think Of old Billy play
ING fireman. But al he said was.
I'm afraid thatll settle your hash.
Jim, for hcll find ont that you worked
him more than was needed"
The next Saturday. ut two o'clock, ]
reported at the Presidents Office won
dcring whether I was going to bc re-
wardcd for my extra work or kicked out
Tor my impudcncc.
When ] entered the Office. there sat
the old man spick and span as ever. and
showing no signs Of his hard work.
"Wcll. young man. says hc, "vou
helped me ont the other night. but
wouldn't go through the same experience
again for ten thousand dollars AZ tho
same time ! think you were trying to- got
even with me for not doing as you asked
mc to about your salary, and have con
cludcd that this road can dispense with
your services
so this my heart went down into my
boots, Tor ! can tell you it isn't ON ca7v
thing 20 got q now job when you can't
bring q recommendation from your last
place