Evening journal., 1891-12-30
. We bad plenty Of tuel aboard to ma


the run with.
"Can you do itf" says he. Remember
1t is 40 miles, and it is $50 now, Sc you
have only ~ hours to make the run that
| generally takes double that time.n
81 can do il, says /, ''if you viii jump
aboard, pull Off your coat, and do just as ]
tell you"
No sooner said than done, and in ter
minutes we had the old engine on the
turntable, turned her around and were of
If the road was rough when we ran AT
our usual speed, that night, making dou
BILE time, il was just awful. As we few
around the curves it seemed as If we should
lose the track at every turn Of the drivers
and the poor old machine rocked anC
swayed so that, used as | was TO it, coulo
hardly keep on my seat w the lever.
If it was hard on me, Siat must it have
been to poor old Billy2 / could hardly
keep from laughing in his face, as .
watched him and heard him groan as lie
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 II he was In a Turkish
bath. The water ran down his face, his
stiff, white collar hung down on his shout
ders like a wet rag, and his beautiful
had thrown pail OF dirty water over him
His hands were torn and cut, from hand
ling the wood, and take it altogether he
was the most unlikely looking railway
president / ever saw. Once in awhile
had to shout at him TO lay the wood more
even in the furnace, and would tell him he
would get the knack of it in time.
Whenever be tried 70 rest / told him we
were losing steam, and il he wanted TO
catch that train, he mustn't idle over the
work. II had thought 10 hitch car on
when we started We should have run much
smoother; but Il was too late to think Of
that now, and 30 on we rushed nov
through woodlands, row past grain fields
lurching first to one side and then to the
other, until / expected every minute td
land wrong side up in she ditch
However, luck was with us that night
and we pulled up at junction City at just
II. Poor old Billy could hardly clint
down from the engine, but he managed *
gasp out:
Come to my Office at o'clock next
Saturday.
! learned afterward that, finding The
Chicago train was behind time, he hunted
up a clothing shop and rugged himself Out
50 as to look like a civilized man, which he
didn't when he lett me.
managed to find a fireman who was
willing to make the run back with me, and
finally got home at 3 o'clock, and finding
the cleaners little sobered up, got to bed
MS 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 playing fireman. But
all he said was:
Jim, for he will find out that you worked
him more than was needed"
The next Saturday, at 2 o'clock, I re
ported at the presidents Office, wondering
whether was going TO be rewarded fol
my extra work OF kicked out for my i'm
pudence.
When | entered the office, there sat the
old man. spick and span as ever and show
ing no signs Of his hard work.
well, young man, p says he, you helped
me out the other night, but l would not
90 through the same experience again foi
$1,000 AT the same time / think
you were trying TO get even with me
for not doing what you asked about your
salary, and have concluded that this line
can dispense with your services
At this my heart went down into my
boots, for | can tell you il isn't an easy
thing TO get a new job when you can't
bring a recommendatiol from your last
place.
Then he went on 10 say:
81 have a letter here from the superin
tendent Of the Chicago and Western, ask
ing me il can recommend to them
driver who has a sharp eye and cool head
TO run their new fast night express. Ihave
written in reply that / can recommend
such a man, one James Martin, who will
report for service the 1st Of September
The pay will be 500 a month. may add
to you privately that shall never apply TO
you for the position of fireman. Good day,
sirn
That's all there is to my story. Molly and
were married and went to Chicago to live.
took the new train, and have brought
her in on time every trip I've run, so you
can see I've pretty good record with the
company. I've never seen Billy since, and
don't believe he wants 20 see me; for Bob
told me last time saw him that they all
called the old man Martins Fireman.
that he knew it, and naturally didn't like
il. There's my mate signaling for me now,
, sir, and must go.-London Tit-Bits.