The Penn's Grove record., 1893-07-28
MEN or NERVE.

AGIf OG NILI u.
kGcut thtee-fourths Of the railroad
engineers OF the couat7y are out and
out IC!lUBers OF the Genial RoG' and
the Other fourth followers from . dis
tanoe. Christian societies are doing
q great and cpmmeudabie work among
tho thoasi.dS Of railroad employees
the co lntry over, but let any person
dossIous OF c0ntTadicting or ~Su0Stanti-
atlng these statements visit d meet
ing OF one VI these societies and as
certain how many engineers are
among tho thronE. These men ab-
nor any thing that has 4 semblsnce OF
crtIdce ami have a kindred admira-
tlop for u tran that has the courage
Of his convictions and will fight for
them AL engineers are brave, and,
a. u natural development Of circup-
stances a six months service will
drive men deficient In these require
ments from the business
Out 10 the western section Of Phil
adelphiR, almost TO the boundary line.
resides an Old white haired minister
OF tho gospel. lie has been q laborer
under the banner Of the Methodist
faita since early manhood, but now
rests in tbs coy little home he has
builS for blmrelf aud wife out OF the
savings Of . Hos work ADD a small
peHs,on allotted him for his fidelity
aud enezgstio YORK for the Christian
esusa Tho old preacher Is still a
brilliant racontour, bat his arch
enemy-rhoumatiSm, as 1e puts it.
keeps him within doors and prevents
hin from further exercising his tai
ents In behalf OF his great Master.
The greater part OF his Christian work
was paffospcd through the interior
Of PcnnsyiYaAia and principally
among railroad men and miners
KaUwipS tho fund Of anscdota and
personal experience among this class
Of people that he Is the custodian OF,
ths wrtter one evening recently called
upon tho osd divine aud h1J good wife
to renew q former acquaintance and
Incidentally pilfer q story or two
from the bouuteous collection in his
possession.
After the happenings Of the day
were G.ne over, aud the Progress OF
Christianity discussed, the repo. ter
ysered around TO tho subject upper
mot 10 his mind and asked the dis
ciple Of Wesley about his labors up in
the region OF coal and iron.
Tho instant this subject was
bsoanhed the face OF the old minister
frightened up with enthusiastic fire
o. old recollections and experiences
wers recalled.
NJ; my! what o grand field that Is
10 work H." he said ~The work is
hard and tic subjects stubborn. but
what glorious victory Is gained when
once you mako q convert Of those
people. They are by nature rugges'
and brave, but possess a tenacious
spirit that makes them valuable con-
yerts and e-adicates all thought OF
backsliding. Their learning is of a
necessity limited, but upon religion
tho ideas OF lngersoll-embracing as
they do love and duty-found easy
access to their rugged minds, and,
whcu once therein, a dis!odgment
was an almost impossibilitY. There.
fore, whom / made a convert from the
ranks OF the engineers " was an
ACHE 10 tie proud Of.
Zone Ht the arguments l found
very 20 >u,ar among the engineers
was: 'F.l try aud do my duty and he
SQUARE to every one here on earth,
and II thbee Is a God above I'll take
my chances with Him in the great
h~ercafteE' You SEQ here one Of
lager OTIS IDEAS crudely but forcibly
expressed.
~ recall one Of these men, Nick
Gilman by namG who was brighter
than the Is;t Of his companions, and
possessed q natural gilt OF ready
speech ! would often maet him and
bis companions together IN the round
house OF the road upon which he was
employed, and for hours at a time ar
armcnt and csoss-QuestIoning would
aud ready outpCk, and dldn'ealways
come away victorious Gilman al
ways led Ia those good natured argu-
nentA, and | became quite attached
10 him. Ito was bf.Te and fearless,
And was considered the fastest runner
OF his division; hence his popularity.
But, poor fellow, he was killed be-
fore / could convince him Of his souls
respons bi.ity, and hew well l remem-
bar his last words
'fle was going west on the limited
express, the second day Of the ex-
istea . 0! the term and train, ! think,
aad WAS running as only the ''lim-
tied" with Gilman at the throttle
could run. On the instant Of his
round n. a sharp curve upon a part
OF the road where there was q deep
eful,au,ment on one side and tower
Ing nlassus Of rock on the other, he
discovered an immense Oowlder on
the track hardly fifty yards ahead,
that had heen washed from Its rest
IGs Ila,o ~ tho heavy rains OF the
u!Iht b fore. lie could have jumped
rom his engine, as his fireman did,
and had u IN r chance of escape from
m ury, but lie was not of that cali
bcr. lie knew there were fully a
hundred lives depending on his cool
ness ami courage in the cars behind
MN, nr , ou c. rs y fash he reversed
h,s erie and Applied the air brakes,
He lu cH tho Yves jnghouse system
vii That he tl.c his, engine from
inc train ly the Immense air pres
Ha.H. rN a 1FlnH -