Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1891-12-12

rooms with their
tiled floors and dreary rows OF sta
tionary settees, and crowds OF hurry
ing people, were not quite as familiar
to him and more homelike than his
mothers small, bare house, which he
knew as little more than place for
eating and sleeping
At an age, when an ordinary baby
might have been frightened into con-
v1lsions by the shrek of locomotive,
Joe, securely fastened INTO his cab,
would stare for hours through the
great window, undisturbed by the in
cessant rush and roar OF arriving and
departing trains.
He had been only s months old
when the dreadful accident happened,
which, at one fell stroke, made him
fatherless and transformed him from
a strong well developed infant to
pitiful creature, which even death re-
fused to take.
The older yard men told the story
even yet-how young Michael BIZ, an,
as straight and manly fellow as ever
left mis- green, old native island for the
better chances of the new world this
side OF the sea, came whistling out OF
the round house that morning and
stepped hastily before an incoming
locomotive. neither seeing nor hearing
another rushing up the PARALLEL track.
Ills mates cried out to him-too late,
Nobody who saw it would ever forget
the look OF agony which distorted his
handsome face in that one horrible
instant, when he recognized his doom.
or the perpendicular leap into the air.
from which he fell back beneath the
cruching wheels
In the excitement and consterna-.
ton OF the time no messenger had
been sent in advance to prepare the
poor young wife for her trouble, and
she stood IN the doorway with her
baby growing in her arms, when the
stout bearers paused at her gate with
their mangled burden. She uttered a
terrible cry and fell fainting-the
child's tender back striking the sharp
edge OF the door-stone.
What pity that it was not killed
outright said everybody bit the
mother. She herself always insisted
that only her constant watching over
the little Pickering life kept her from
going mad in the first dreadful months
OF her bereavement.
The officers OF the railway company
were very kind to poor Mary Bryan.
They paid the expenses Of tile burial.
and, after little Joe had slowly mend
ed, employed her about the depot to
scrub the floors and keep the glass
and woodwork bright and neat
When Joe was Z years old his moth
er sent him to school lie went pa
tiently day after day, making no
complaint, but she awoke suddenly
one night to find him sobbing his heart
out on the pillow beside her. Only by
dint OF long coaxing was she able to
lind out the cause OF lls grief. Some
OF the rougher boys-more thought
less than rruel let us hope-had called
him "Humpy," and asked him ii he
carried bog of meal on his back.
Mary famed with the fierce anger OF
You shant 90 another day." she |
declared. ''The rnffians! / won't |
have my darlin' put upon by the
likes Of theml''
So Joe's schooling had come to an
untlmely end. Yet, meager was his /
stock OF book-learning, the develop.
lneiit OF his mind far outstripped the |
growth OF his stunted and deformed /
body. Everybody liked the patient
little fellow, Juggling manfully at his
mothers heavy water buckets and |
willingly Mt every call OF the
station men. At ~ years old he had
picked up no small amount of infor.
especially on railroad topics.
He knew every locomotive on the
road, understood the intricacies OF
sidetracks and switches, could tell the
precise moment when any particular
train might be expected with the ac-
,uracy of time table.
Yet the very quickness and ardor of
lls nature deepened his senses of his
nfirmity. The glances cast upon him
by stranger-eyes, some pitifuI, some
furious, Others alas! expressive only
d annoyance or disgust, rankIed like
10 many arrows in his heart; not one
missed It's mark. How wistfully his
yes followed boys of his own age
straight, handsome happy-who
prang lightly up and down the steps