The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-29

| lose the track at every turn or the drivers,
| and the poor old machine rocked and
| swayed so that, used as | was to it, | could
| hardly keep on my seat by the lever.
| If it was hard on me, what must it have
been to poor old Billy? / could hardly
| keep from laughing in his face, as l
watched him and heard him groan as be
| 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 if 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,
smooth shirt bosom looked as If some one
! 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 locking railway
president l 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 il in time.
Whenever he tried to rest told him we
were losing steam, and if he wanted TO
catch that train, he mustn't idle over the
work. Ii had thought to hitch a car on
when we started we should have run much
smoother; but it was too late TO think of
that now, and 50 on we rushed, now
through woodlands, Tow past grain fields,
lurching first to one side and then to the
other, until l expected every minute to
land wrong side up in the ditch.
However, luck was with us that night,
and we pulled up at junction City at just
IL. Poor old Billy could hardly climb
down from the engine, but he managed to
gasp out:
Come to my Office at 2 o'clock next
Saturday.
l learned afterward that, finding the
Chicago train was behind time, he hunted
up a clothing shop and rugged himself out
so as to look Ikea civilized man, which he
didn't when he left me.
| managed to find a fireman who was
willing to make the run back with me, and
l finally got home at 3 O'Clock, and finding
the cleaners little sobered up, got to bed
as soon as possible, for I 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:
'Pm afraid that'll settle your hash,
Jim, for he will find out that you worked
him more than was needed"
The next Saturday, at o'clock, re-
ported at the presidents office, wondering
whether was going to be rewarded for
my extra work or kicked out for my inn
pudence.
When entered the office, there sat the
old man, spick and span as ever and show
ing no signs Of his hard work.
"We1l, young man." says he, you helped
me out the other night, but 1 would not
go through the same experience again for
$4,000. 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 it isn't an easy
thing to get a new job when you can't
bring a recommendation from your last
place.
Then he went on to say:
Il have a letter here from the superin-
tendent of the Chicago and Western, ask
ing me if | can recommend to them
driver who has sharp eye and cool head
to run their new fast night express. have
written in reply that | can recommend
such a man, one James Martha, who will
report for service the 1st of September.
The pay will be 500 a month. may add
to you privately that l shall never apply to
you for the position of fireman. Good day,
sir"
That's all there is to my story Molly and
were married and went TO Chicago 10 live.
took the new train, and have brought
her in on time every trip Pve run, so you
can see I've pretty good record with the
I've never seen Billy since, and
l don't believe he wants to 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
it. There's my mate signaling for me now,
sir, and l must go.-London Tit-Bits.