The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-03-17

I00Jn. In some instances the gang
took possession Of freight trains and
ran them to suit their own con-
venience. The number Of trainmen
killed or wounded every week was
something astonishing. On the 18th
gang of twenty tramps seized a
| freight train at water tank twenty
miles east of Big Rock and ran it to
that station. There happened to be
big construction gang at Big Rock,
and they turned to and overpowered
the tramps and scattered them in
| every direction. 1t began raining at
2 o'clock in the afternoon, and when
night fell it was as dark as pitch. At
8 o'clock a train loaded with bridge
material and accompanied by twelve
mechanics reached my station from
the West on it's way to Big Rock.
just as it came in got word from
Clark over the wire that landslide
had occurred between him and Lone
Pine, and no trains would be able to
pass it before next day. This, you
will observe. cut Lone Pine off on the
east, and it held the bridge train at
my station. / turned in about II
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 I was called by
the little woman at Lone Pine. .sI'm
sorry to disturb you," she said. '.but
t fear I'm going to have trouble
whats wrong?"
"A number CT 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
eff 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?"
eyes. The gang appears to have
four or five revolvers, and two bullets
have been fired through the window. "
''Well, 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 I 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. If things got desperate with
the little woman l proposed to take
half dozen of the mechanics and go
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," replied. ats
probably bluff. Construction No. 8
is lying here, and in case you need
help lot of us will come up on the
engine. Well have 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
gone back to the caboose and routed
out six men who had revolvers, and
they were ready to make lightning
dash with us.
s'YOu remember the old cabOose
car at the end of the side trackp'
queried the little woman at Lone
Pine.
Yes"
'Well, they have made bonfire of
it, and it's blazing away even this
rain. There are fourteen of the fell
lows and the toughest lot I've ever
seen. I think they mean to attack
the house. Hadn't you better come
| down?'
Il don't want to take the response
bility unless it is positively necessary.
You are expected to stand them off if
you can. No one will blame you if
you wipe out the whole gang. Talk
right up to them if they come to the
house.
Three Or four minutes slipped
away, and then she announced that
they had given her five minutes in
which to surrender, and that one of
the empty freight cars had been fired.
"They can't set fire to the house
with the water falling like this |
replied. .sYou have stout shutter
at the window, and they can only
attack by way of the door, if at all.
They can't shoulder it in with two
bars across it, and if they bring up a
battering-ram you want to fire on
them through the lower panels"
What was to be the, last message
came about ten minutes later.
''They brought up a BEAM tele-
graphed the little woman, land !
gave them the buckshot through the
lower panels. / think l hit three or
four Some of them are now firing
into the house. while others are
bringing up firebrands to burn me
/ OUT
'sComing- don't give up.n I ratified
off to her, and thirty seconds later
the engine was moving away with
our crowd. We had wet track but
clear run. and after the first two
miles we simply flew. We had some
fear that the fellows might have
turned the switch or pushed freight
car down ON the main track, but nc
such idea had occurred to them. We
! went through two miles of snow she'd