The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1890-12-10
Forty Minutes I.ate.

Der OF my parish, and | was setting
at his tea-tablc. After moments 4
thought, he pushed back his chair,
for the frugal meal was finished, ard
looked hard at his wife. 1t was a
curious gaze of his honest eyes, and
and tho lady met his glanccs with
an almost pathetic entreaty: aDo
not tell itl" written on her kind
face.
.She don't like to think of it, he
resumed laughing; at the same time
he shook back the long Lair that
fell in waves over the left side of his
brow, uncovering a blushing scar,
and revealing that he had been dis
membered Of an ear. "But I am
not so bad looking fellow after
all, he said. In fact, he was sim
gularly finelooking.
sit is one of those memories, his
wife interrupted, rising, s'that one
fears to recall. But, thank God, it
will be no more likely to occur again
for the telling of it, and he may tell
it while l put the boy to bed up
stairs"
alt was one of those accidents
that nothing can prevent" resumed
the engineer. sNo foresight can
guard against the hidden flaw which
the best of steel sometimes hides in
its own false heart. The best crank
or shaft ever forged will sometimes
break on steamer in mid ocean.
So of u connecting rod on u pair of
drivers. Now / think the thing
am going to tell you is the most
terrific accident that can happen on
a locomotive, because it is the worst
l ever experienced. 1t worked the
most havoc and scared me more
than any other / ever went through.
L cannot get over the dread of it
even now, and probably never shall.
Still another man might single out
another as the worst"
My friend stills runs, as he did
that almost fatal day, the fastest
train that-speeds between two large
cities. AT one end OF it's flight, the
train is obliged TO traverse o =
tunnel. Millions of p op'e pass
through that tunnel yearly in per-
feet safety. But if they knew the
hairbrcadth escapes of the first few
years, and especially duringi is con
struction, even now they might not
always sit SO comfortably; but the
best. of appliances have somewhat
lessened the dangers.
"When we were ready to leave
the depot ut =, the new general
manager of the division came along
down the platform with the agent,
and was introduced to me. / pull.
off my greasy cap, and was about to
get down, when he said: Never
mind that he was going to run in
with us.
"Of course, 1 offered him his
choice of seats, as as you wouldn't
to your own father; for whoever
rides in the cab, he must make a
stand up or the fireman's box, ifthe
fellow is good -natured enough to
offer it. A big officer, like the
manager, was different, however,
and gave him anything. TO tell
the truth, / was relieved to know
his errand was only to ride; for this
English gentleman, kinsman OF
of our big owner, had been turning
up lots of good men. He seemed T.,
think we Americans couldn't make
fast time, and he forgot that our
machines and cars arc heavier, our
roads not so straight as the English.
"'We are forty minutes lute,' he
said as he straddled in front of his
fire box and consulted his watch.
This occurs about every day, my
man, more or less, and it's about
time the blamed practice was stop
ped
".Traffic is heavy in October, sir,
] said, trying to smile my prettiest.
"'Can you drive this machine in
on timer he kind o. growled at me.
81 gave him real Yankee stare
back for moment, and then my
blood was up. That was ten years
ago, before 1 had any wife and
babies. 1t is wife, babies, ten years
and ditch or two that takes the
dare devil out of locomotive en-.
gineer. At first man knows nc
fear, but any of the aforementioned
things kind O. tempers him down,
He can't keep his pluck up as at first,
do what he will. My wife, by the
way. was expecting me to come
round with the minister to be splic-
cd o week from that very day.