Asheville daily citizen., 1893-04-15
A BABY In THE SNOW,
\ STRANGE CHRISTMAS EXPERT
ENCE OF A TRACkwALkER.

|.
A Railroad Mans story of q Cold. Stormy
Night Over Twenty Years Ago. When
ehe Snow Was piled hanks Along
the Railroad Track-A Christmas Gift.
Every time 1 think OF Christmas l
think of the year 1872" said AN old track
walker That's more than twenty years
ago. isn't itr Twenty years is q good
long stretch Lots can happen to a man
in twenty years. He could get rich and
spend It all and get rich again IN that
space of time and still have lots of time
TO spare But haven't. I've just staid
poor right along.
But as 1 saying, speaking of |
Christmas always reminds mo of 1872. l |
was tr,ickwalking then for the Vandalia |
line on II section between Terre Haute |
and Harrington, in the state of Indiana. |
That Christmas night was a corker, I'll
tell you l heard at noon from the Sec
tion boss that the Thermometer was 10
degs. below zero, and as night came on
it seemed to get colder and colder. It
mad showed the day before-one of the
deepest in that year-and the engines
mad mad a pretty tough time Of it plow
| ing their way through in the morning.
After they did get by my section the
snow was banked uD seven or eight feet
deep in some places by the side of the
| track 1t was cold that l wrapped
coffee sacks around my feet before start
|
pite. You bet l hated to start out, but
did muster up the courage after
| awhile. 1t was about o'clock when !
| started to go back to Harrington, and
the wind was in my face It's durn
poor Christmas for me- i thought to
| myself as the wind caught me a belt in
| the side of the head. Here I'm fated to
| walk this cold track until midnight
| without even a kind word from anybody
10 say Merry Christmas to you" It's
rrrh 4 <-lx Iii
| in Iust about the worst trade a man who
loves company can adopt
| AS was stamping along thinking
like this, away off ahead OF me saw q
sparkle IT'S the st. Louis express /
said to myself. and she'll be rum bling
over me at about sixty miles an hour.
You had better go out in the snow, old
man. unless you like being ground into
little bits. Boo! but that snow was
deep. Way up over my waist. But when
pot down Off the track and snugly
tucked away in the drift 1 was a heap
warmer because the wind couldn't reach
me. And the old train came right ahead
= | with buzz and a roar. and her old yell
iow headlight getting brighter and big
ger every second. 1t was q train of six
or seven passenger coaches. All were lit
e NJ as bright as kerosene oil could make
ern. One. two. three. four Of the cars
whizzed past me. But the fifth seemed
to stop 1t didn't. of course. but the
t sight saw seemed to nail it to my eyel
: "A man and u woman They stood AT
the rear window. 1t was open. l saw
the man with his arms put out, suppl
| eating like The woman had bundle
IN her arms. Then she didn't have it.
- The man gave a cry of horror that rang
y out high above the clamor Of the wheels
and the rattle of the rails and the creak
ing Of the coaches Something sho
! down Just past my head and landed IL
is the snowdrift beside me. l shut IN,
ha
nundle and the man with outstretched
pleading arms When 1 opened IN,
m eyes again the train was q quarter of
t. mile away with her rear green Hgh
ie sinking swiftly into a dot and then dis
m appearing The wind cut me sharp OF
the cheek. and five miles off l heard tn
= church chime In Harrington tolling tn
quarter hour That sight was a dream
Up old man l said to myself as l pulle
=, my legs out of the drift. But the bur
w die. 1 exclaimed. Involuntarily locke
down IN the drift and saw another hol
he In the snow not the one 1 came out Of
e. but q smaller one.
OF Maybe you've guessed the thing b
this time and maybe you haven't. Vel
SIR that bundle was just as cute a q
- pound kid as | want 10 look upon. Hur
ne ne Well. / guess not little bit. When
ny found him he was laughing contentedl
rs rs as you please and chewing a chunk
ON snow for a sugar cake
I'm Who did he belong tor
. You tell. 1 can't 1 never knew an
ell never expect to know. He had goo
NV NV ,lothes on and the odd little collar
ok lace ne wore was marked with a prett
ce =. silk " he was fat as q Christmas tu
al Key and the biggest eater you ever saw
OF Why didn't you find his parental"
Didn't try my durndest? Didn't
~ spend half my wages for the next mont
bv advertising in the newspapers? But
ng- answer did l get to any of them
,is. seems to me that the man ought to ha'
rds come and got the child. for he evident
,ty didnt want tn see it fired out like ths
ma. His outstretched. supplicating arr
the showed that But perhaps he ON
ing wanted to prevent it's being killed. WI
1ue kuowsE Perhaps he was glad to get T
tes, IT IT, and when he saw that somebot
oek 1ad it all RIGHT he was glad enough
%. leave II to it's chance fate.
a., ,m What became of the child?'
and Named II Tom after myself. Tc
Of McCorlnack is pretty good, solid &C
nth OF n name. you know. My family m
h .aT- NOT be very stylish. but none of the
aid have oe=n hanged anyway. And, y
q q see the KIds collar had Il on It
Iaid most nAi To name him IoIn-
DE- Where IL he nOwF
e. Track kSalking ON the Vandalia, Z
more than twenty-five miles from
very spot where his little baby he
bumped INTO that snowb bank Christm
T:3o night 1872. st. Louis Globe-Den
rery | crat.
7:4s Women May ne A1asons.
a foll