The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-05-27
miscellaneous.
THE ENGINEERS STORY.

dent running as fireman on an engine
Well, | know of one who did, and, il
you've got time to listen to it, l will
tell you the story now while smoke
this cigar you were kind enough to
give me.
1t was in the summer of 1885 that i
was firing on single track line that
1uns up from Junction City through
Georgetown, a matter of no miles.
The line was owned mostly by man
named Thedford, who was president
and superintendent all in one.
had been firing ON the line for two
years back all the time with one
driver, Bob Hunter by name, and a
finer man never lived. l suppose it
would be only natural for me to speak
well of Bob, anyway, for was clean
head over ears in love with his pretty
daughter, Molly, and was only wait
ing for bit of rise in my pay to make
her Mrs. Jim Martin. Though didn't
see any chance for that rise where !
was, didn't like to leave and go on
another line, for that would take HE
away from Molly.
One day Bob says to me:
Jim, amt you and Molly never go
ing to get married p
| u uSU DIS SOOu DIS Call Scb NY IlSO,
says but | don't see how I'm going
to get it here"
why don't you go and ask Billy
says he.
You see, Billy was always what we
called Mr.. Thedford-behind his back,
of course-for warrant you we were
mighty polite to his face --
He won't do anything for me, "says
| T Isfnr Won know aithar ono of the
cleaners up to Georgetown would be
glad enough to jump into my place,
and he amt going to give me a raise
! just to please me-
well" says Bob, sit won't do any
hurt to try it,
So next day washed up and went
to the company's Office, and asked for
Mr. Thedford. After a few minutes
| he sent word to me that he would see
me, and in l went. There he sat-a
large, heavy built man, with big side
whiskers and a pair OF gold trimmed
/ glasses on his nose.
What is it, my man? I'm very
busy said he.
So up and told him what l wanted.
"How much are you getting nOw?''
says he.
Then he pursed up his lips, and
hemmed and hawed a. little, and says
Il don't see how we can give you
anything more, my good fellow. You
see yours is not a very responsible
position merely one that requires a
little bodily strength. And we can
find plenty of men who would be only
too glad to take your place at that
salary"
With that he turned to letter he
was writing, and knew l had no more
business there. l tell you l felt sore
to be told it didn't take much to know
how to fire an engine, and l came
mighty near throwing my job up and
trying to get in on another line. But
Molly persuaded me to hold on a little
longer.
Now, before / come to the particular
point of this yarn, want to tell you
little about the line. l have said it
! was single track one running from
| Junction City to Georgetown. The
| latter place was a little town of 800 or
| 600 inhabitants but in summer a
/ great many Chicago people came up
/ there, and so l suppose the line paid.
ANYHOW, Thedford, who had sum-
mer place there, was rich enough to
run it for himself alone if he wanted
| to.
Bob lived in Georgetown and l
| boarded with him. Our trips began
| at in the morning, and we generally
| ran the 10 miles in five hours. Then
at three in the afternoon we came
back, getting home at 8. AS soon as
we reached the roundhouse at George
town our days worl; was over, for the
! l., al
and polished her, ard laid the fire all
ready to start the next morning.
Well, as | said | hung on to my job,
hoping that something would turn up
that would give me lift, till one day
in August. The whole summer had
been uncommon hot, but that day
went ahead of anything ever saw.
OF course while we were running we
had breeze, but the minute we stop
ped it seemed as if we were in a fur
mace, and naturally, working as we
were near q hot fire didn't improve
things.
On the home trip Bob was taken
sick and had all he could do to hold
| out till we got to the home station
when he got home as soon as possible.
After the train was emptied | ran the
engine to the roundhouse, expecting
to go straight home and wash up. But
when l ran the engine in the first
thing l saw was my two cleaners laid
out on a heap of ashes, dead drunk.
Here was pretty mess, for it would
certainly take HE until midnight tC
get the machine in proper trim for the
next days run and hot, greasy job
it was in any weather, but on such a
night as that it was frightful to think
of it. However, there was no help fol
it and started in.
4 Ihad barely made a beginning wher
l heard some one coming in at the
door, Looking up saw that it was
Billy Thedford. In a very excited
voice he asked where Hunter was.
Home" l said land so sick he can't
old his head up"
Heavens p said he 81 shall be
ruined ~
Then he went ON to say that if hi
wasn't in Chicago the next day, some
deal, think he called it, would fal
through, and it would cost him &
, quarter of million.
There's train goes through juno
, ton City at eleven-five that will gel
you to Chicago in time,n says l.
what good'll that do meY' says he
f"I've been away for two days, ant
Ionly just now got the telegram. i