Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-04-20
ACONDUCTOR' STORY
MONEY COULDN'T STOP THE TRAIN.
BUT 1T WAS STOPPED.

never read or hear of the mountains
that | do not recall a stery told by con-
ductor of train on the Great Northern
road. We were going to Butte. The
train had Just crossed the river at Great
Falls. From that point the road begins
its eastern ascent of the range whose
tops are whitened with the snow all the
year round. A wide plain spreads out
between the line of the road and the
range As the train was getting "a fresh
hold on the rails" as one of the party
expressed it. the conductor stood on the
rear platform of the coach and looked
steadfastly at one spot until it was lost.
Got a claim anywhere around therey
asked a traveller who had noticed the
conductors longing look.
"A kinder of claim. he replied, but
not the kind you're thinkin OF.
How he came to tell US makes no diff
ference now. Here is what he told:
Bout year ago, think it was,
young man was put on my train by the
conductor who had brought him to
where | take it. He had been east. HIS
folks lived down there, believe. He
had been west good many years, was
cowboy, then a deputy marshal, then
boss of a ranch and then he got to spec
ulatin in Anaconda He had lived the
sort of life out here that man was ex-
pected to live in them days. He was
hard citizen and then good one. Blest
if know just where he quit off, but he
did. He finally got to lovin a girl, and
lust when he was havin 1t the wust way
she ups and marries a good for nothln
dude that came out here and got TO
clerkin in a raghouse Then the young
man that am talkin about he goes east
to wear out his feelin's, reckon. And
he was gone all summer. They said he
was at the seaside | thought when l
heard that as how hewould not last long.
When a man quits this climate to go to
the seaside, there must be something
mighty bad about his case. If a man
can't get cured here, he needn't go any
where else.
well. when he was put in my care
there was four or five of the boys with
him. They had heerd he was comm
back. and they met him away down this
side of ST. Paul And they nursed him
all the way and fed him jest as if he had
been a sick girl. He was lookin out OF
the vinder of the car all the time, day
and night, but wasn't sayin nothln.
When we got to Great Falls. he looked
out of the car winder and smiled. 1t
was the first time that the boys had see
him do that since they met him, and they
thought he was gettin well. He asked
EN- to set him up in his berth so he could
see.
! And he looked at the mountain tops
out there covered with the whiteness of
God, and the foot of the mountains that
is washed by the purest water this side
of the divide The train was just get
ting a good holt on the rails when the
poor fellow sank back. and the next
thing see the boys was takin the piller
out from under his head. Then l
knowed it was all over. Then one of the
BOYS come to me and asked me if would
take 81 900 to stop the train. l told 'em
couldn't do anything of thet sort. They
said money was no object. Then l asked
EN- what was up, and one of 'em told
me that he, meanin the dead man, had
made a last request that he be taken
from the train and buried in sight of the
mountain that had the snow on 1t, the
one that caught his eyes first after we
had come over the river. They said they
had promised him they would. | asked
EN- where they would get box, and
they ssid man as good as he was didn't
need no box: that the angels would take
care of him as soon as he was laid away.
II asked 'em what they would do If
the train wasn't stopped. They held
short parley and said in a most respect
full way, which | understood. that they
had to carry out the wishes of the de-
ceased at all hazards; that they could
stop the train if | didn't. understood
'em. pulled the cord and went for'ard,
and while the engineer was mendln the
locomotive. which got out of sorts jest
then, the funeral procession moved out
and the dead was buried out there in
full sight. 1t so happened that we got
tie locomotive fixed just as the funeral
was over, and we took the pallbearers
into Butte that night.
And ! never pass that spot that l
don't look out there where they laid him.
| amt never seen any of the pallbearers
since. and | don't know the name of the
young man that they buried. Do you
know. gents, that his grave is green all
the year round? | once Thought of put
tin up a gravestone at the head, but,
thinks l, it's none of my business, and.
besides, the boys said the angels was goin
to to take care of his body, so thought
| wouldn't be intrudin on any angels
business. 1t was the only time, though,
that my locomotive ever got anything
the matter with it."-Chicago Tribune.