Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-06-03

| took possession OF 1felSilb ttdh9 any
ran them to suit their own con-
venience. The number of trainmen
killed or wounded every week was
Something astonishing. On the 18th
a gang of twenty tramps seized
freight train at water tank twenty
| miles east of Big Rock and ran 1t to
| that station. There happened to be
a bic construction gang at Big kock,
| and they turned to and oycrpowered
the tramps and scattered them In
every direction. 1t began raining at
| , o'clock in the afternoon, and when
night fell it was as dark as pitch Al
s o'clock train loaded with bridge
material and accompanied by twelve
mechanics reached my station from
the West ON its way to Big Rock.
Just as it came in l got word from
/ Clark over the wire that a landslide
had occurred between him and Lone
Pine. and no trains would he able to
pass it before next day. This, YOU
4 win observe, cut Lone Pine off on the
east. and it held the bridge train at
my station. | turned in about IL
o'clock, with the rain coming down
as if everything was to be drowned
out, and it was just half an hour
after midnight when | was called by
the little woman at Lone Pine. I'm
! sorry to disturb you" she said, but
| fear I'm going TO have trouble,
/ whats wrong?'
"a number Of those tramps who
were bounced at Big Rock to-day
have reached here and have taken
possession Of two empty freight cars
on the siding. The whole crowd
is half drunk and raising Cain.
If they have shelter and some
thing to drink they won't be apt to
bother you tonight However, I'll
sit up with you for awhile for com
pany's sake, Are your firearms
loaded?"
''Yes. The gang appears TO have
four or five reyolvers, and two bullets
have been fired through the window.
We'll, don't show any light, and
you had better bunk down on your
cot. The fellows will get over their
hilarity pretty soon
1t was five minutes before | heard
from her again. The engine OF the
freight train was standing almost OPP
posite the door, and during the inter-
val went out and reused the sleep
ing engineer and fireman and told
them what was going on at Lone
Pine. II things got desperate with
the little woman | proposed to take
half dozen of the mechanics and 90
up to her relief. When she called
me again she said:
Zone OF the gang has routed me up
and demanded whisky and something
to eat. When | ordered him away
he made threats OF what he would
do.
.Don't get shaky," l replied. at
probably bluff. Construction No.
is lying here, and in case you need
help lot Of ms will come up on the
engine. Wen have a clear road and
can make it in fifteen minutes.
1t was seven minutes before she
called again The locomotive had
been fired up. and the fireman had
out six men who had reviewers, and
they were ready to make a lightning
dash with US.
! You remember the old caboose
car at the end Of the side track"
queried the little woman at Lone
Pine.
Yes.
We'll, they have made bonfire o.
: it, and it's blazing away even thi
/ rain. There are fourteen of the Eel
Z lows and the toughest lot I've eve
seen. think they mean to attacI
/ the house. Hadn't you better com
, down."
/ IL don't want to take the response
bility unless it is positively necessary
You are expected to stand them off
you can No one will blame you
you wipe out the whole gang. Tai
right up to them il they come to th
/. house.
i Three or four minutes slippe
d away, and then she announced tina
they had given her five minutes i
which to surrender, and that one {
t the empty freight cars had been free
J. They can't set fire to the hous
t, with the water falling like this, :"
] replied. You have stout shuttle
n at the window, and they can onl
attack by way Of the door, if at al
d They can't shoulder it in with tw
bars across it, and if they bring up
battering-ram you want TO fire c
them through the lower panels
it What was to be the last messag
le came about ten minutes later
&c They brought up a beam, tel
ie graphed the little woman, .'and
p gave them the buckshot through Il
ut lower panels. / think i hit three
e four Some Of them are now firir
into the house, while others Al
a bringing up firebrands TO burn n
n out.
Coming don't give up!" / rattl,
nc off to her, and thirty seconds lat
ne the engine was moving away wi
as our crowd. We had wet track b
at clear run, and after the first ty
st miles we simply flew We had son