The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-26
One Good Turn Followed by An
other

| other.
| 81 don't believe a good action ever goes unre.
warded" said an old Kansas railroad man the
other day to Harry Burton OF the argentine
Repu5Gc
Out with it, them
Out with what"
why. your little honest confession, Of
I course
Well; about twenty years ago 1 was shovel
| ing black diamonds to boil the water in loco
| motive on the Wabash railway between Iafay-
ette. IND, ana Danvtile, Ill. Near AtCica, Ind.
there was an overhead wagon bridge across this
track that had killed no less than five brakemen
! IN TOUR years; and one dark. stormy night in
coming down the hill, happened to remember
that we had a green brakeman ahead
road spoke to the engineer about il,
| but he said; %, let him go; he's all right
But didn't feel ike letting fellow morta
sake any such chances. and started back over
the tram, crawling from car to car in the
! egyptian darkness. and came near being blown
on several times, as IL was blowing great guns
and olc No. 50 was flaming that train fifty
miles per hour down the summit Back twelve
| cars from the engine | found 'Brakesy who
was as tau, handsome young man as you could
nnd IN a thousand. and he vas twisting up the
SLACK OF ChoSe brake chains with neatueSs and
| dispatch, while the wheels made regular torch
hgnt procession along the rails. He was badly
scared when be first discovered me- by the
hght OF his old gim, crawling along the run
nlng board with my face as black as the ace of
| spades from the dusty diamonds
- SIT down, Sit down" l cried so loud that
almost imagined the whistle was sounding for
Attlca; and down he sat so hard and quick that
ne OF DIS tongue. and the next moment We few
under the bridge, while his lamp seemed TO
buin brighter as it disclosed those heavy tim.
bers over our heads that killed many Door
brakemen. He came near fanting when he
asped my hand, and we sat for several mo-
ments on the wet deck Of the car and neither of
US spoke single word, but we were as white
around the gils as the ghost of Hamlet's father
Six years afterward was in Fort WAYNE.
Ind, at the Wabash depot one morning the
most disConsolate man on Gods green Garth
had been hurt on the road several Years be
fore, was unable to work, and was irving to get
nack nome to old Lafayette Ind, as /
Thought, 70 die. ] was hungry and tired and
didn't have cent IN the world, and to see
people step uD to the lunch counter and call
for hot coffee that was smelling to heaven
Was enough to set Il poor, flat-broke invalid
crazy. mad begun to think that all nav
friends had been conveniently translated
bodily from the earth to heaven when tall,
handsome conductor, with silver lamp and
Sold-Danded cap, approached me and in
quired:
Didn't you fire an engine about five years
ago on the western division of the Wabash@
" Yes replied, 'and it was sorry day that
ever went TO railroading.'
DO you recognizes me?
No. sir and yet thought his face began
TO assume the angelic.
Well, Will refresh your memory, Do Won
recollect OF risking your life one dark, stormy
night IN crawling over a freight train to warn a
green brakeman about a dangerous overhead
bridge below Attica:'
You bet l do! But you're not Billy, the
brakeman"
No. sir. No more Billy in mine; it's viii
sweet VIII the conductor on the through
passenger, and he broke ont into a musical
laugh that nearly ratified the dishes on the lunch
counter
The tears came to my eyes in spite of me.
Tor l was weak, weary and beartsick He
noticed them, and, clasping my hand. said
IN the sweetest words that ever fell on mortal
ears:
- Come. GOMEZ 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 a few
biscuits hit the chair and you will be all right
again
He stepped into the dispatcher's Office to
get ms orders while poured down coffee that
would discount the nectar Of the gods He
appeared in about ten minutes and said: San
aboard for Lafayette, took me by the arm and
led me TO a coach, ami then stepped back to the
platform ana waved his moss agate at the engl-
neer. curled up in the seat when the train
started TO hide the tears that kept yelling uu
IN my eyes, and for the first TINS 81 twenty long
years could have cried like baby believe
IN special providence since that terrible Night
and in the morning was heafft broken; and Bill
the sweetest Will on eartA-s still pulling "A
beii-cord In the vanished cars GA the Old
Wabash"