Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-04-21
THOUGHT DEATH SURE.

It is 103 miles from Atlanta to Ma
con as the Georgia Central runs, and
the schedule time for the fast mail is:
Leave Atlanta at 4:30, arrive at Ma
con 6:45, including four stops, several
"slow" signals, and more than one
heavy grade. Two hours and fifteen
minutes was indeed scant time, but the
stops reduced the actual running to
inside of two hours. Short time for
so long a run-and O! so very short to
the man with his hand on the great
lever, his eyes strained ahead along
the rails, and the assurance firmly set
In his heart that each revolution of the
wheels beneath was hurting him to an
inevitable doom.
Tom Meyers was railroad engineer
and pulled the fast mail over the At
lanta and Macon division of the
Georgia Central railroad. He was
quite young man, but was known to
be thoroughly reliable, sober, and
without fear, and had been chosen
from among many men older in years
and service to run the fast train.
Tom Meyers knew in his heartily
one of those mysterious premonitions
that at times come to doomed mortals,
that defy all reason and SO rarely fail
of fulhllment- that he was rushing
onward to his death in some Violent
and awful form.
Tom had known that it must be so
that morning as soon as he had opened
his eyes, and knew that no human
power could evade his fixed destiny.
His wife kissed his haggard face and
smiled a bright good-by, while his
4-year-old baby girl ran with him
down to the gate, chattering pleasant
ly and urging him to get back soon
for play on the grass. But it was
with the pain and cold desolation of
death in his heart that he stepped
into the cab of his engine, No.
I'll, for the trip north, leaving Macon
at 8, arriving in Atlanta at Ills.
This run was made in safety and on
time.
While waiting in Atlanta with other
railroad men the conversation had, of
course, been Of the road and shops. 1t
was recalled by one how Young Franz
Huiltzer had been crushed beneath his
engine in recent accident down near
Griffin. He might have jumped and
saved himself" said another Yes, >"
Was the reply, but Franz never Jump
ed from danger; only Linn burger
sandwich or mug of beer could move
him" Ed Munday's awful death by
scalding in the GAINESVILLE collision
was then discussed; then the terrible
telescoping affair out beyond West
Point was brought up with all its hor-
rors and Tom Meyers felt blue indeed
as he remembered little Bertha at
home waiting for him to come and
Join her in play on the grass.
He never drank. Therefore, when
promptly at 1880 y. M. he stepped into
the cab for the return trip he was per
fectly sober, and as he drew back the
lever and the throbbing engine slowly
pulled out of the car she'd, as Atlanta
loves to call the great union depot,
there seemed perfect sympathy be-
tween blood and iron between ma
chine and master.
Westward under Whitehall street
bridge, past many lovely residences,
then among poorer quarters, across
new-tilled fields where in recent war
times brave blue and gray clad men
had died by thousands then turning
sharply south the fast mail dashed
away in a cloud of Kissing steam and
boiling smoke.
Fifty miles an hour often mile a
minute requires a brave man, one
to whom duty and honor are dearer
than life, to ride SO when one motion
of his strong right arm would insure
cafniu yybIla tp 90 on hr,IOcr IL nat
at any moment, and, as he feels, mast
bring it before the journey is ended
within two short hours.
The colored fireman kept busily
shoveling coal into the roaring fur
mace NAV, singing the while to him
self that he would 90 to see Rose be-
fore the sun goes down" with a re-
frain that brought tears to Toms
eyes.
Mink" said the engineer, "do you
ever think of death? If III was to
20, yessir." said the darby, with s
wide, red grin that belied his words.
@Would you pray if-if-she-"
@Golly, no boss!" said Mink. throw
ing in huge shovelful and closing
the door. no time to SEN up pra'l
an git an answer when old sebben
lebben jump f'om under you, cause il
she ever do jump while ives gwin'
full tilt like dis, she shorely gwin'
TO jump plum frew to kingdom come
fore pra'r gwine to stop her.
'"Gwine to so to see Rose
Fore the sun goes down
Gwlne TO quit the railroad
An go work on the farm
Then Tom Myers tried to pray, prof
ting by the Negroes homely truth tina
it would be too late after an accident
First of all the world he commended
Mary and the baby to divine mercy, alst
those happy passengers in the coache
behind him, and last, like the brave
unseltish fellow he was, he incidentally
put in word for himself. But all til
time he kept his hand on the lever an
his eyes on the track ahead. A pointe
for Christians, that.
A shrek from tho engine, clang
ing of the bell, hiss from the brakes
and the train would stop at one of th
four regular stst:c::ss-..LaSz. i- . ...-