Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-09-30
VOLUME VIII.
THE WOMAN IN BLACK.
An Elnglno9r's Strange Story Of a
t,ittlo Moth.

New York, found in the morning
upon crawling ont of my berth that
the train was standing stock still The
porter. told me that IL had been stand
ing thus for an hour and half, while
had been sleeping the sleep of the just.
Freight train done wopsed up on de
track ahead" said the porter. 81 reckon
we don get out o. here under anudder
hour or two"
dressed and peeped out and saw we
were alongside the platform of coun-
try station took a good breakfast in
the dining car and then went out to
stroll up and down the platform.
Presently went to the LOCOMOTIVES
Ind stopped to admire It, There. is
nothing much Better to look at, for
that matter, than the locomotive Of one
OF these through express trains on the
great trunk lines. How it throbs as 1t
stands, straining with pent.up power,
as If impatient to leap away at fearful
speed
This one was Kissing fercely, while
the measured thud of the air pump
sounded as If 1t might be the regular
breathing of sleeping giant.
r. In the cab sat the engineer alone,
waiting. stopped and gossiped with
him moment about the engine. Then
I offered him cigar. which he took,
With thanks, and asked me to come in.
1iswhng myself into his cab.
The engineer-a. bright, pleasant
: Faced man, about forty years old--ex-
planned to me the uses of the numerous
valves and levers about him. They
were all as bright and shining rs polish
could make them, for the engineer is as
proud of his engine as any housewife is
Of the neatncss of her dwelling. |
glanced at the two shining steam
gauges with the clock between them,
Ind then noticed what seemed to be
an ordinary white moth, mounted In
gilt frame, hanging against the wall of
the cab.
is that for ornament2" l asked
pointing at the moth.
:t'rhe engineer smiled. ''Well, partly
for ornament" he said, ibut a good
deal moro for sentiment. put that
moth there because it saved my life and
the lives of two hundred and fifty peo-
pie as we'll"
"How in the world could an insect
save human lives?" / asked
well, I'll tell you, If you want to
hear the story. ! reckon there's time
enough before we're able to get out of
this"
settled myself in the. absent fire.
mans seat, and prepared to listen.
ut wasn't such long time ago" said
the engineer; 'only year hgo last
spring, was running this very train,
and had this very engine-old 449. My
fireman as Jim Mcade--same fellow
I've got now, You can see him over
there, leaning up against the telegraph
Office,
Jim Is good boy, but he is very
superstitious, believes in ghosts, dreams
aud warnings, used to laugh at his
fancics, but don't make as much fun
woman in black.
''Wc were scheduled to leave M
about one o'clock in the morning, and
to arrive in s. at about six. On the
night when this thing took place fear
full storm of wind and rain had been
raging since early evening, and was at
the height of its fury when | started
for the round-house.
at was about midnight, and the
wind seemed to sweep clear around
and through the building. 1t was ter
ri5ly dismal. Jim was there, and the
engine was all ready, SO, after getting
my working clothes on, ran the ma
chine down to the station, Our train,
the vestibule limited, was an hour late.
j gave the engine thorough oiling,
and made sure that all was in order
"As we sat in the cab we could hear
The storm raging outside, while the
rain, driven by the gusts of wind, beat
tiercely against the windows.
Its going to be bad run, Frank,
a., Jim said. Il wish we were In S.,
safe and sound
al laughed. What makes you so
terribly glum, jim" l asked.
"'0h,' said he, 4 just feel creepy
somehow. Seems like there's some
thing terrible going to happen. can
feel it in my bones
al laughed again. You got little
wet coming over, guess, JIM said l.
Aud the sound of the wind isn't very
encouraging that's fact
ITO tell the truth l was little
nervous myself, Notwithstanding my
easy way of treating Jim's notions.
presently our train came in, long
and heavy, consisting mainly of sleep
crs. 1t used TO make me nervous to
know that the lives of hundreds of my
fcllow-men were in my keeping, but
now think nothing of it, That night
,cds nervous What If the frightful
storm had made a switchman careless,
or II rail had been loosened by the
settling of the track somewhere? On
these fast trains man must rely on
the vigilance Of the employees; for in
order to make schedule time, he must
run at such a speed that often he can
not see n signal before he is upon it,
"But,I laughed at myself for my fears
us I backed down and coupled on to the
train | set the brakes and found ev-
crything in good order
by and by the little gong above my
head changed sharply, and with puff
and hiss of escaping steam we were off
into the night and storm, rafting over
switches, past signal lights and be-
tween long lines of cars, till, with a
roar and rumble, we rushed over the
long iron bridge and away through
the hills, waking their slumbering
echoes with our shrill whistle
Then pulled the throttle wide
open, and the clank and roar soon set
tied into n hum for old 44q wass doing