The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-12

gan starring on the stage in a play
called ION Hand" and used big six
sheet stands of bills for his country
billing, the center sheet having a big
rcd hand and Thompson" cmblazoneG
thereon, they gave him his SUBSEQUENT
title.
Ills play was Il marvel of astounding
dramatic strength and with rcd fire cx.
tending from the wings like moisture
from wcll-pressed clay. The towns
afflicted by "On Hand" were mostly 10.
Gated in central Illinois. even us far
down as Egypt. Thompson had %
charming wife and pretty golden.
haired little girl that he frequently.
when her mother consented, farmcd
out to Uncle Toms Cabin troAprs 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 &, Peolia railway is
n short feeder to the great Rock Island
route, and in the days speak of was an
independent trunk line of ninetv-two
miles in length. tapping 4 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
Ihespans sheltered in the shadow of a
country hotel and started for Peoria to
replcn.sh his printing. He kissed his
pretty little wife good-by, and under
the somewhat unusual carcss managed
TO borrow five dollars the poor little
woman had saved up and kept con-
ccaled from her husband. Then John
started. He speht the day in Peoria
meeting very convivial fellows, singing
old songs, practicing ut the bar until it
was too late to take the evening pasScn-
ger train. so he started out "to make a
night of it,
1t was with trembling limbs. sick
stomach, but n fat bottle of whisky.
that "On Hand Thompson got on to a
freight caboose early the next morning
away up 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 continuous grade for nearly
six miles. The actor and his load Law
sluggishly along u 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
1T just the same. The conductor had
his breakfast i'll pail and sat on the
tireman's seat i'll the engine cab, and
the headbrakeman 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. clambcred out
and started across the tops of the sway.
ing freight cars for confab with his
chums forward. That was a bad man
for "On Hand Thompson.
Suddenly the engineer, conductor and
crew felt the part of the train they
were on make Il sudden leap like an un-
leaShed greyhound and with Il startled
look the experienced engineer leaned
away ont of his cab and said: 49,,
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.
"Noscy's on the caboosc. He'll set
her slidin en- then we'll go back eli
catch the old sash an blind factory"
said the con" taking bite from his
plug Of tobacco and beginning to climb
down from his comfortable seat.
The forward part of the train had
shot around Il curve and the conductor
now noticed that the engine was pull
ing but five box and two fiat cars.
IL f--ai