Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-02-04
THE WOMAN In A


Travelling recently from Chicago 10
New York found in the morning
upon crawling out Of my berth that
the train vas standing stock still.
The porter told me that it had been
standing thus for an hour and a half
while had been sleeping the sleep Of
the Just
freight train done wopsed up on
de rack ahead. said the porter. Il
reckon we don get out o here unud-
der hour or two
dressed and peeped out and saw
we were alongside the platform OF Il
country station. / took a good
breakfast ir the dining car ana then
went Y to stroll up and down the
platform.
g. ~Presently I went to the locomotive
and stopped to admire it. There is
nothing much better to look at for
that matter than the locomotive Of
n Of these through express trains
on the great trunk lines. How it
thro0s as il stands straining with
pent-up power asst impatient to leap
away at fearful speed.
This was kissing fercely. while
the measured thud Of the air pump
sounded as If it might be the regular
breathing OF q sleeping giant.
In the cab sat the engineer alone
waiting. stopped and gossiped with
him q moment about the engine.
hen offered him a cigar which he
took with thanks and ASKED me 10
come in. l swung myself into his
cab.
q e-ngineer-a bright. pleasant
laced man about forty years old
explained to me the uses oil the
numerous valves and levers about
MIN. They were all as bright ana
SHINING as polish could make them
Tor the engineer is as proud OF his
engine a. any housewife is OF the neat
ness OF her dwelling. l glanced at
lhe two shining steam-gauges with
u ctock between them, and then
noticed what seemed to be an ordi-
hary white moth. mounted ia a Gilt
frame, hanging against the wall Of
the cab.
Is that for ornament" ] asked.
pointing at the moth.
h engineer smiled. Well. part
~ for ornament he said but a GOOD
deai more Tor sentiment l put that
moth there because it saved nv life
and the lives Of two hundred and fifty
people as we'll"
How IN the world could an insc
save human liyesg' I asked.
Well III tell you. if you want to
near h story. | reckon there time
enough before we're able TO get out of
settled myself in the absent fire
man ; seat and prepared to listen.
III wasn't such a long time ago. .
sald the engineer; only a year ago
iast spring. ] was running this very
tram and had this e ~engine-old
ny. My fireman was Jim Meade
same fellow I've got now. You can
see MIN over there leaning up against
the telegraph Office.
Jim Is a good boy. but ne il very
superstitious; believes in ghosts,
dreams and warnings / used. to
laugh at his fancies, but | don't make
as much fun Of him as / did-not
since we saw the woman in black.
We were scheduled TO leave Nj
about 0 clock in the morning. and
10 arrive in Sat about six. On
the night when this thing took place
q fearful 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.
1T vas about midnight and the
wind seemed to sweep clear around
and through the building 1t was
terribly dismal Jim was there, and
The engine was all ready. so. alter
getting my working clothes on. | ran
the machine down to the station.
Cur train. the yestibuled limited. was
hoar late. ! gave the engine a
thorough oiling and made sure that
all was in order.
AS we sat in the cab we could
the storm raging outside. while
the rain driven by the gusts OF wind.
beat fiercely against the windows.
It's going to be q bad run. Frank :
Jim said. i wish 1 was in S.
sale and sound
i laughed. What makes 0 50
terribly glum, Jim / asked2
+ Oh said he, j just feel creepy
somehow. Seems like thera's some
thing terrible going to happen.
can feel it in my bones
y laughed again. You got a lit.
tic wet coming over ] guess. Jim,
l.. Aud the sound Of the wind
ism very encouraging, that's a fact
10 tell the truth / was "a little
nervous myself. Notwithstanding my
easy way Of treating Jim's notions.
Presently our train came in. long
and heavy. consisting mainly or
sleepers. II used TO make me ner-
yous to know that the lives of hun.
1reds OF my fellow-men were in my
keeping but now ! think nothing Of
1t. That night | was nervous. What
ii the frightful storm had made 4
switchman careless. or if a rail had
been loosened by the settling Of the
somewhere? On these fast
Irttnc - mon Y,t.et t.ol,t -, 49, 49,