Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-28
TOLD ny AN OLD RArLRoApER.
Kindly Acts. lake Chickens and Evii Deea1
Come Home TO Roost

Come Home 20 Roost
From tho Arren-ine Republic
Il don't believe a good action goes unrs-
warded, said old railroad man the othcr
day TO the writer.
About twenty wears ago I was shoveling
black diamonds TO boil tie water in a locomo-
tive on the Wabash railway between LAFAYETTE.
Ind. and Dunvile. III Near Attica. Ind. there
was an overhead wagon bridge across the track
that had killed no less than Eve brakemen in
five years, and one dark. stormy night, in COM
ing down the hill. happened To remember that
we had a green brakeman ahead, Who vas un-
acquainted with the road. I spoke 20
the engineer about IL, but he said. oh,
let him so; he's all right But
didn't feel like letting q fellow mortal
take any such chances and started back over
the train, crawling from car Co car m the Egvp-
tan darkness. ana came near being blown "a
several times as lt wns blowing great guns
and old No. 50 Was tanning that tram fifty niles
per hour down the summit Back twelve cars
from the engine found 'Brakesy.' who was as
tail. handsome a man you could find in a
thousand. aud he Was twisting up the slack OF
those brake chains with ucatucss ard dispatch,
while the wheels made a regular torchlight pro-
cession along the rails He was badly scared
when he first discovered me by the hight OF his
Old lapttrn, crawling along the running board.
with my face ne black Ne the OF spades from
| the dusty diamonds.
"'SIt down. sit down. Icried 80 loud that
1 almost imagined the whistle was sounding
Tor Atuca; and down he sat so hard and quick
that lac blt his tongue. and the next moment We
new under the bridge. while has lamp seemed
TO burn brighter IL disclosed thoso heavy
| timbers over our heads that had Killed many
poor brakcmen. lie came near faintlng when
ne chsped my hand, and we sat for several
| moments on the wet deck OF the car and
neither OF us spoke single word. but We we're
| "A = N % urasNf ~.
| let's father.
six wears afterward was in Fort Wayne,
| IND at the Wabash depot one morning tina
most diseonsolate man ON Gods earth. lead
been hnrt ON the road several years before,
was unable TO work, and was tryinC 60 get back
home to old Lafayette. Ind. as 4 Thought to
die was hungry and tired and didn't have a
! cent IN the world. and 10 people step up to
the lunch counter aud call for hot coffee tllat
was smelling to heaven was enough 10 set n
poor nat-broko Invalid crazy. 1 lad begun
TO think that all my friends had been conVen-
ientiy translated bodily from earth 10 heaven
when tall, handsome conductor, with a silver
and inquired:
Didn't you fire an engine about five wear,
ago on the western division of the Mabashy'
hes. replied. ''andit was a sorry day that
ever went 10 railroading'
DO you recognize mey
- No, SIR And vet A thought his face beoso
TO assume the angelic.
Well. will refresh your memory. Do Won
recollect of risking your life one lark stormy
night IN crawling ever freight train 10 warn
green brakeman about a dangerous overhead
bridge below AtticaY
You bet L do! But you're not Billy the
No, SIR No more Billy in mine: it's Win
sweet Nill-conductor ON the through pas-
senger, and he broke out into a musical laugh
| that nearly ratified the dishes on the lunch
counter.
u he tears came 70 my eyes in spite Of me.
| Tor was weak, weary and heartsick He no.
tlced them, and. clasping my hand, said in The
| sweetest words that ever fell on mortal ears:
Come, come! Shut her of and oil the
valves, and he led me TO a stool at the lunch
counter and said:
Now, you sit here and fill up. Let few
biscuits MT the chair aud You will be all right
He stepped into the dispatcher's Office TO
get hls orders while poured down coffee that
would discount the nectar of the gods He an
peared IN about ten minutes and said. An
aboard for Lafayette" took me by the arm and
led me TO a coach, and then stepped back 10
the platform and waved his moss agate AT the
engineer. curled up in the seat when the
tram started to hide the tears that kent yelling
/ up IN my eyes, and for the first time In twenty
| long years L could have cried like a baby. 4
believe IN special providence since that ter
rlble night and the morning was heartbroken.
Aud Bal is still pulling a bell cord in the var
nlshed cars on the old Wabash"