Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-08-11
THE MAD LOCOMOTIVE.

Ihb VI hh isoNVuVii'is 10
~ story - rsilriai adventure. chy-
III you pleas" answered the VT.
cran ,ngincyr. As We sat in the cool
shade io the east 20 hig Providence
rUundh0use. may say that Peter
Hank. the narrator - this exciting Incl.
dcu,. l. well known by mc and esteemed
I. man 10 truth by everybody who
knows him.
Il never hal but one son. All my
boys were girls But when little Burn.
sidc wa. brn tell You We wcrr happy.
Yc, mover Supposed that chap would
save my own life anil lots - other p-o
plc'A That's Just what he dii. how.
ever. You know always run tho cx
rr,-A We got big engine some year.
af,o on the roal Shc weighs more than
any machine We over u.,yl bcforr. !
never likcl her when ! saw her In the
shop. that fiantcss. No. CO. She never
hail any name Aui that machine never
likcl me. All bccausc ~ this" The
engineer took his Iilc frum his mouth
o. look mo rluarrly Ia the eye. II wa
In the shop ono afternoon just o. look
her over. That's when they wcrc paint,
ing her M. Tho PAINTERS anil yarnish
~. were crawling all over her.
"Of ouursr IA. wasn't hrrl up. An.
other engineer and jus, wcp walking
round her hugc holy. sAid; Jake.
that criiicr will heat the trst trip. aud y
b., l1x un her will mean lots - work
h0,- may never L. askcl a. run her.
Well. sir. believe u OF not. know sh'
hearl IL and wa, mad. When lclimb.,l
into her cab. jus, ,o look q, her there. ]
naturally enough took hold q her "
vcrso lover. She threw that lever over,
sir. quickcr'n lightning. anil caught my
lsg just under the kncc. taking ont hiis
a. bic ~ a walnut. Ny How she Iained
me, II Wis weeks before my -tiG les
was all right"
Then be- resumed his pipo while that
soakcl into ine.
Now. YOU ncwsIar-r men DO not
take any stock In such things, ! know.
Dut no rilrual man would -ay was .
fro, N I thonght hard II the machine.
Ani all railroad men have s.cn cnginc'
act just ~ II they hal spirits In thcrn.
There amt an engine on our mad OF any
other which will work NJ well Tor one
man n sho viii Tor another. Every en-
ginc has her fayorics. ior whom abe viii
do anything. AMI her enemies, 20 whom
shc at. like she demon"
4 fact. by the way. which the writer
has sine. verified On considerable inquiry
among locomotive engineers.
"wcll. ,ir. u you believe the. that No.
ca hadn't hccn ont o shop - week L.
foru the master mechanic -cnt for me
one night o. take hcr. ! remember ]
wa, eating supper. I, was my two days
Law ofT. Lit,lo burnside was sitting In
hi, chair beside mc. lie was just years
oil the THURSDAY before. !, was very
ho, Angus, night. was asked to put
the biz engine through Tor a spccial.
There WA n party u hg fellows from
Washington who wcv returning from
ihr White Mountains I was io driy,
EN- down 10 WEXFORD Junction TOT
Newport.
"'Gol help me. Susic! said 20 my
wife. pushing back my chair. Il don't
know why. la, III rather bc killed by a
p!stol shot here ai home than 30 GO
..You foolish fellOwr she replied
What ails your
.I don't know slid. 'Dut that
machine hain't been run dozcn times.
Besides she hates me. This - 30 h. a
show off run. like lightning. and know
she1l kill us all
my wife she jus, roe. up then. De
ing q good Christian church member a.
/ Amt, she exploded on me.
"'Peie. Tm ashamed of YOU! Your,
the l-s, runner on the roai. and this u
am honor. Do you want to get dis
charged and los. our daily brcaai God
will take care o my husband. Here
Its hot night, AMI you'll be hack 10y
n o'clock. Take the boy. He's always
NautAl "a ulSnt iiuc.
"That got me. Just rose IN. She
put ou the boys little cap and gave me
his cDat, and went Of. taking the boy.
I re1neinber how hc laughed. ] Icarried
him over the rails In the dark yard on
my shoalder. and he kept pattins my
cheek and kissing me till ! boosted him
into the cab Of No. Gi3. How proud he
sat up there ON my box between my legs
"well, again." continued Pete. rub
hing q frcsh match ON his overalls,
.nothing occurred NJ We coupled on and
ran quite a while. We drew four Pull
mans besides tho baggage car. IL wa
lot ami dark. We had the night OF way
bu, were to approach WEXFORD cautious
for there we should find the regular New
York express. which we should overtaks'
No. si3 worked stiff. as ] knew sh'
would. hut she was 20 big that when sas
got started nothing could trouble hei
much. and she Just tossed the load along
"A light m q feather.
~ noticed that the throttle vaiv'
worked hard when had 10 shut on steam
once or twice slowing through station
still I could jerk her In and out vel
enough with one hand. An ugly throttl'
4. a terrible thing. ir. though. For. yo'
see, . man can't he sure. Supposs yo'
couldn't shut of. Suppose your throtti
got stuck. full head on. going at hft.
miles an hour. and you A-coining Into
station, for instance. even " there wa
nothing standing there. tell you. YOU
feel about ~ ths Almighty would II tn
earth got lose and he couldn't stop her.
Then Hank puffed srnokeless whifs.
"weli. again" he resumed presently
The excitement of his own memory hs
brought the sweat drops to his forehead
IL. v,s,~. hsd 0ona ont Tia third tim