Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-06-03
MARY ANN ELOPED.


and in order to locate happenings of lesser
Importance, the chronologers of every
epoch have fixed upon certain salient
events. The ancient Greeks reckoned by
Olympiads, the followers of the prophet
still count from the hegira, and Christians
from the birth of our Saviour, but at the
section house. just beyond the water tank,
events are located as preceding or follow
ing the "time when Mary Ann Hoped"
This section was always an unlucky one,
even before it received the number thirteen
when the division was reorganized.
1t is as pretty piece of track as one
would care to see, without curves, bridges,
cuts or fills; just a level stretch of new
fifty-six pound steel, where one would
think the life of a section boss would be
an ideal existence. Never were appear
ances more deceptive. Trackmen skilled
in all the intrcacies of curves and tan
gents, versed in the mysteries of raising,
lining gauging, switches and yard work"
have all succumbed to the malign influ-
ence which seems to control section 10.
There was Mickey Geoghegan, who had
spiked the Central Pacific from Iron Point
to Tulasco and had two fingers of his right
hand blown off in San Fernando tunnel.
The roadmaster came upon him while he
was enjoying a siesta in the secluson of a
box culvert and fired" him incontinently.
Then came Patrick Mcnamara, who had
carried a chain in the preliminary survey
of the Tehachapis, and to whom, if his own
story is to be believed, rightly belongs the
credit of having suggested the loop by
which the railroad crosses that rugged
range. Paddy seemed for a time to have
broken the spell, but one day-it was the
18th of March-he thoughtlessly left his
handcar too near the track. The result
was it knocked all the steps from one side
of a passing passenger train, and Patrick
was compelled to seek other employment
jeremiah Kenealy then grasped the
scepter or clawbar, rather, of section 10.
His reign was brief.
Tho wind changed suddenly one day
while be was burning grass, the fire got
away" from him, and before it could be
recaptured 60 acres of fine wheat had been
consumed
Almost Immediately thereafter Mr.
kenealy sought a new and perhaps wider
field for the display of his energies.
His place upon the handcar was taken
by John O'Donoghue.
O'Donoghue was man seemingly created
model for a hero of romantic tale. A
man whose tragic fate seemed written in
the palor and hopeless melancholy of his
countenance.
The sallow, unhealthy hue of his COM
pleXion was proof against sun and wind.
He was partially bald and wore a mus
tache and wispy side whskers of a lifeless,
clayey color. One eye had been destroyed
by a flying particle of steel from broken
drill, but he had substituted glass one
that matched the remaining optic remark
ably well; if any fault could be found it
might be there was trifie more of sparkle
and animation in the artificial than in the
natural eye
O'Donoghue was blessed besides with a
wife and two children, Johnny and Mary
Ann.
A stalwart woman was Mrs. O'Dono.
ghue, built more on the lines of great
strength than of beauty. Her hair was
red and her complexion and temperament
sanguine not to say sanguinary. 1t was
reported among the gang" that she was
at times too attentive to the black bottle,
but as "Tamas" Speers justly remarked
she was hardly blamable for this, as some
thing was needed to counteract the chill
ing and depressing influence of Mr..
O'Donoghue, who, according to "Tamas,"
was that cOwld an dead like, dye see he
wad freeze the harms aft Guild Billzeeboob
himsilf, be finger, so he wad thatr'
Johnny was an ordinary small boy and
Mary Ann, aged fifteen, was reduced
reproduction of her mother. Reduced in
all save her freckles which We're rather
larger and distributed with more artistic
| irregularity than those of her mother.
Mary Ann was nevertheless very arch
and coquettish and always rushed out on
the front porch to pose when train passed.
The trainmen called her "Speckey," and
the brakemen were wont to throw off old
copies of The Police Gazette, cigarette pic
lures and other appropriate tokens of af-
lection and esteem, while the firemen
would usually drop IA chunk or two of coal.
These latter offerings found most favor in
the eyes of Mrs. o Donoghue
For several months O'Donoghue pur-
sued the even tenor of his section of way
undisturbed by anything more serious
than the jolt of low j'intn or an coca.
sional unexpected visit of the roadmaster
but at length misfortune came in the guise
of Daniel Ryan, fresh faced young Irish
man, who bore a note from the road master
requesting O Donoghue to put him tc
work on the section.
The foreman complied, though with an
/ i'll grace, for he had taken an unaccount
able dislike TO the young man.
He do have the eye av hangman," he
told his wife, IAN I'll be after gittin rid ay
him the first chance"
But he waited in vain for his chance
The newcomer did his full share of the
work and the fact that he had been sent
by the roedmaster caused the "boss" L
hesitate about discharging him without
sufficient cause, though it did not prevent
him rendering Daniels stay on section /;
very unpleasant.
True it is that Mary Ann, as if to atone
for her fathers harshness, showed herself
more than usually amiabe toward Ryan
but it cannot be said that this tended t
ameliorate his condition to any great ex
tent. In fact it rather increased the rigol
with which he was treated He fell he'll
to the hea " end of every task and wa,
generally 'rawhided" in the most APP
proved fashion, put to O'Donoghue's in
finite disgust he refused to Jump tn,
job"
After bordering over the matter for
long time the boss decided that it could b,