The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-11-26
ENGINEER JIM COOKS STORY.

We were sitting in the sun on the
south side of the Montana Union
depot, in Butte. whcn Jim told the
story. There was Il tremor IN his
voice and i moisture in his eyes that
marked how deeply his feelings were
moved by the tale chance remark
led him to tell. Every one who knows
| Jim Cook-and who doesn't know the
rugged engineer, one of the oldest
men in the Union Pacific service?-
knows that his heart is built in proper
ton to his massive frame. Touch him
right. and no woman could be more
tender: rile him, and no grizzly could
be more fierce. Jim has seen exciting
times in the service of the Union
Pacific. and his mind is stored with
"reminiscences of the early days of
| transcontinental raiIroading.
We had been chatting in Il rambling.
! desultorv way of now-bound trains.
when the subject vas suddenly shifted
and | happened 10 mention the robbery
of Il Northern Pacific train near Fargo.
Jim's manner changed instantly.
He had been leaning forward. rest
ing his elbows on his knees and sup
porting his chin with the palms of his
hands. Now he sat bolt upright; his
ewes flashed and his whole manner
| seemed to Indicate that his brain was
conceiving Il Hood of eloquence his
tongue could not fashion into words.
One could see tragedy in his face, but
the next minute the expression changed
to one of pity. Then he began to
talk. | wish an adequate idea of his
manner of telling it could be given
with his story. lie seemed TO see the
thing he was describing.
Hold up" said he. Il never was
in but nnc. and | never hear of one
that doesn't call up the ghost of poor
Charlie White Ia haunt me. Charlie
was an express guard in the early
days. y pluckier little man never
brcathcd. He had been telegraph
| operator in Frisco before he got on
our run. and | knew him first rate.
Knew his wife. too. for he was mar
ried-a little pink and white waxdoll
sort of woman who looked like IL saint.
We had long runs in those DAYS. Our
division-Cuarlic changed with me
extended from Frisco 10 B" Give
| forgotten the station named by Jim.
One afternoon-we eft ut 2:20-as
we were pulling out OF the depot ut
Frisco | got the bell. As ! brought
| her 10 stand | saw the Wells Fargo
man run up to the express car aud
! hand Charlie Il square tin box with Il
grip handle. Looking back rs she got
her head again saw the express
agent make motion 10 Charlie.
Leaning half out the door Charlie
slapped his belt and smiled.
| just hevond them saw something
| cl>e~-two uyh-lnnking. bearded men
! swinging uu one after the other on the
| rear nlalfurm of the last car. Then |
thought nothing of il; afterward l
| knew they had been shadowing the
| express Hycut.
| 'All afternoon haG an uneasy feel
| ing. Every engineer is n bit super
| stitiouS. | suppose, and | remember
! that | wondered il NV uneasness
| wasn't a premonitiou Of bad luck. We
| ran along without nishap during the
| early evening. but when we stopped to
1 take water about o'clock | caught
/ sight of dark figure stealing along ia
/ the shadow of The express.
| Il called 10 Tom nv fireman. to see
"io IL ~. bttl " iGSh iiS lbl uCtt IL " rs
| gone. This didn't bother me much at
the time; it might have been Il brake
or the conductor, but ! hadn't noticed
any lantern.
While we were tearing away again
at Il pretty good pace | suddenly
caught clicking sound like the put
! ting on of brakes. 1t was triile M
| grade ut that point and hadn't called
for 'em. Telling Tom TO keep going
as she was. | climbed back over the
tender TO see what was the matter.
just as got to the rear | noticed
a widening gap between the tender
and the express and realized that we
were uncoupled and that the bell rope
had been cut; ut the same moment /