The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-05-14

II: |: #: !; i: ; :.:;' ]" j !;
l \ a&1oSE7h H. Hand" Thomp-
E94( TRps8TEHtn son. 1t came
WNES -DIV' to him quite
N&AB& &S@ n naturally. His
NN vE II mother called
SSSSs-T him John away
back in h e
musty boyhood days, but when he be-
gan starring on the stage in play
called ION Hand" and used big six
sheet stands of bills for his country
billing, the center sheet having big
red hand and Thompson" emblazoned
thereon, they gave him his subsequent
title.
His play was marvel of astounding
dramatic strength and with red fire eX-
tending from the wings like moisture
from well-pressed clay. The towns
afflicted by ''On Hand" were mostly To-
Gated in central Illinois, even as far
down as Egypt Thompson had
charming wife and Il pretty golden
haired little girl that he frequently,
when her mother consented, farmed
out to Uncle TOMS Cabin troupes to
play Little Eva
These two formed his family gods
and likewise his family goods, for he
had no other property. With this little
literary overture allow me to introduce
the saddest episode in the Thompson
family.
The Rock Island &y Peoria railway is
short feeder to the great Rock Island
route, and in the days | speak of was an
independent trunk line of ninety-two
miles in length, tapping a pretty rich
coal country, but SO generally "hard
up" that receivers were as common as
rotten ties, and every mile of the road
was staunchly supported by several
able-bodied mortgages. Remember I'm
speaking of those days"
Well, one lonely spring day it was
discovered by the On Hand Dramatic
Company that they were short of bill
ing matter, and John Thompson left his
Thespians sheltered in the shadow of a
country hotel and started for Peoria to
replenish his printing. He kissed his
pretty little wife good-by, and under
the somewhat unusual caress managed
to borrow five dollars the poor little
woman had saved up and kept con-
cealed from her husband. Then John
started. He spent the day in Peoria
meeting very convivial fellows, singing
old songs, practicing at the bar until it
was too late to take the evening passen-
ger train, so he started out 'to make a
night of it."
1t was with trembling limbs, sick
stomach, but fat bottle of whisky,
that "On Hand" Thompson got on to a
freight caboose early the next morning
away mp in the yards near the round
house. He was en- route for the town
where Mollie and the baby waited for
him.
The road winds about among the
hills and bluffs back of Peoria, thereby
giving a continuous grade for nearly
six miles. The actor and his load lay
sluggishly along a bench in the caboose,
and after the railroad wit of the brake
men had ratified carelessly over his
form, he was left in peace TO sleep and
and dream.
1t was against the rules, but they did
it Just the same. The conductor had
his breakfast in a pail and sat on the
frcman's seat in the engine cab, and
the headbraheman was idly swinging
around on the wheel of the second-car-
back brake Then the hind brakeman,
whose place while the train is in
motion is supposed to always be in the
cupola of the caboose, clambered out
aud started across the tops of the sway
| inT freight cars for confab with his
| chums forward. That was bad man
| for son Hand" Thompson.
Suddenly the engineer, conductor and
crew felt the part of the train they
wore on make sudden leap like an un-
! lCasAcG greyhound, and with startled
lool. the experienced engineer leaned
away ont of his cab and said:
Good gracious, Pete, we've broke in
two"
The conductor was only vaguely
alarmed. There had on other occasions
been similar accidents, but nothing Sc
rious had happened
"Nosey's on the caboose. He'll set
her slidin en- then Wen go back en-
catch tho old sash an blind factory"
said the con-" taking a bite from his
plug OF tobacco and beginning to climb
down froI his comfortable seat.
| The fo'v ard part of the train had
shot around u curve and the conductor
now noticed That the engine was pull
iug but FIVE box and two fiat cars.
Thcn IL mentally ran over the full
train complement and declared that
eleven freight cars and "a caboose com
posed the ''cut Off"
Iy Tho 'ilne they had set several
ral-5 sla reversed the engine, the con-
auctor learned that the forward part of
the Train l.sid his two bral;cmen. "You
idiots" he cried, "that train will start
backwards ard no power hcreabouts
Can stop its career until il turns bottom
side up somewhere in the yards"
On the run started the conductor and
his crew around the curve between two
high bluffs, and when ten ;ainutas later
they stood at the top OF. n straight
stretch OF down-grade track, they turntd