Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-06-14
THE ENGINEERS DOG.

tne tNGfNEER,S UC6s
II Was Slides Canine Instinct That Pre-
vented a Railroad Wreck.
Yes, sir, remarked the gray haired
gentleman witlaa slight stremor in his
voice, II have given up rlilroading
now, having become a little bit too far
advanced upon che road of life to sit in
n cab and make a locomotive move.
Oh! you want to know about that dog
of mine. All right. l used to run into
Chicago on the Lake Shore on old 432.
That dog never missed trip over the
road with me, and owe my life to him
upon more than one occasion. His
names Slide, not OF Slide, Kelly,
slide!' fame however. I'd go down to
the roundhouse and see my old girl run
out, and then monkey about her to see
that nothing was out Of whack until Il
was time to start.
Right at the hour Slide could be seen
coming down the street with my dinner
basket In his old mouth When 1t be-
came time to start I'd give the whistle
a chance, and Slide would be on board
In the cab beside me. That dog never
would walk. lie was too biooded for
that. II became no trick Mt all for him
70 climb out on the foot board, run
along and jump down on the pilot, get
up again ON the other side and walk
into the other window. Whenever we
got to New York Slide would go down
and ride into town, big rs life, on the
COW catcher. even taught him to
pull the whistle cord whenever com
manded. Everybody along the line
knew him. WhenI got down to oil
my wheels he would always follow and
watch TO see that no kids jumped on
the locomotives a
II remember distinctly one stormy
night as ! was approaching Chicago.
There was a tremendous tempest on
the lake, for could hear the dull roar
of the waves beat upon the shore.
had TO lay upon a siding and wait for
orders to pull in over any one OF the
fifty tracks that spread out near the
city. There was little telegraph
station a few rods away from where
lay. Orders were confidently expected
in few minutes, but they did not
come. My fireman and ] got lonely
sitting out there in the driving rain,
and not even distinguishing each others
voices In the din. I remember Tom
yelling ''Tt'il be a hard time out on the
lake tonight. Z" and then the light came
from the station bobhing up and down,
and someone came htirrying up and
gave me tho written orders to proceed
over the last track to one of the
stations on the outskirts of tho city
and lay there until special had
passed
We'll. the brakeman got down to
throw the switch, when Slide made a
bee line out Of tile cab and flew at the
fellow AS though he had gone crazy
and back. Why, he simply tore sounds
into shreds lie jumped at the fellow
every time he made a movement for
the switch, lle would crouch down
and beg and whine terribly,
Say, Charley, | won't touch that
switch. the brakey said as he walked
toward me with white face. There's
something gone wrong, and know 1t, '
he went on, AT first laughed, but
gradually something strange came over
me suddenly. could feel tho warm
pesplration trickling down my back.
bone. The conductor got impatient
and yelled to us to pull out The
brakeman started back to throw the
switch anitin bit sir the dor dlspla ved