The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-09-22
IN THE CAB.


The observation was given without So
licitation. Jerome Bonner was not the
man to wait for an invitation to express
his opinion. His long habit of sitting on
the box with his hand ON the throttle
ready to s'pnll her open" did not inau-
ence him In conversation. Only in the
cab, with the schedule before him, was
be amenable to signal There he was
trusted. The superintendent considered
him the safest engineer on the road
When he took train out, the dis
patcher breathed easily, for there were
some daredevil engineers in the employ
of that company. They would rattle a
train around curves and shoot down
grades with the greatest disregard for
the passengers comfort and fears. There
were men who delighted in the shrieks
of the whistle. How they would laugh
when echo was frightened and screamed
back the strident voice of the engine.
There were many such men in the pay
of the Kane and Carney railroad, but
Jerome Bonner was not one Of them, nor
was Delehanty. He was fireman and
had been on the road two years when
the wreck occurred on Kane hill. 1t
was the memory Of the wreck that led
Jerome Bonner to remark to passenger
about Delehanty's eccentricities.
A little group had surrounded Jerome
at the water tank and signal station on
Kane hill, where danger flag had pulled
up the train. The conductor was up
stairs waiting for orders. There was a
wreck abovs-some coal cars on the
track-and there was prospect of a
long delay. Jerome had got out of the
cab and was sitting in the sun on one Of
| the ground timbers of the tank trestle
The fireman had made himself comfort
able on his box and with feet sticking
out of the window was taking q snooze.
The engine snorted occasionally as II
| impatient. Most of the passengers were
wandering about airnlessly some chat
| ting, others looking in the bush for ber-
ries Of the wintergreen, and all were be-
| ginning to fret. Even those around
jerome were hoping he would take mat
tsrs In his own hands and run the train
over the hill. He, however, attracted
their attention when to one Of them he
spoke the words Of the opening sentence
| "Tell us sabout him, won'tyou, pleasep
asked mite Of o woman, an excursion
| list.
"Oh, do, If it is a story. am 80 tired
of this stupid walt, )" said her companion
not an overlarge woman herself and ap
| parently blase.
"'Fraid Delehanty won't int'rest yot
ladies much. He was commonplace
man, but popylar-mighty popular will
the boys. ..,spite er bis queerness.
"Then do tell us about him"
"Waal, he and me courted the same
gurl, Susan Briggs, a black eyed gurl 81
ever you see and purity, no mistake
| And mebbe that's why ! thought De
queer actin, and mebbe he'd the same
'pinion NV me. Sence then | have aller'
noticed that men In luv with the samt
CURL see each other bout as deliriun
tremens subjec' sees snakes. Costy, try
them gauges"
| Costy, the fireman, awoke out Of hi
snooze and tried the gauges. The en-
gine was not supplied with an injector
and Jerome was desirous Of knowing tn
depth of water In the boilers. If it wa
low he would have to run the engine u
the track to 'spump up" and that woult
interrupt the story.
1.-TWO and half" called Costy, an,
fixed himself on the box again, while
satisfied with the report, Jerome resume
his story.
"Iwas on the road, and Del wante
work. but there was no job for him. H
wanted to fire. One day Jim Morga
got sick, and when went to the round
house the next mornin there war DELE
hanty In bran new overalls rubin th
brass ON No. 12. No. 10 was my engine
I nodded to him and then hunted up th
foreman Of the roundhouse. 'DeIs goi
out with you this trip. Jim Morgan
too sickF There was no help fur it, so
went back, jumped into the cab and ru
her out into the yard. Del looked u
from the handrail on the boiler with
kind nv hurt look on his face.
"The frsmen usually bring out the ei
zine. Lettin him do it was q way (
sayin be could be trusted to run an 81
, CINE. Del kept on rubin the rod an
, maxim it shine as I backed down an
coupled. mind lookin at him. He WI
between me and the track, and had
look outer the side winder. He was bil
and knowed things were not right b
tween rs, and said nothin. He SCENE
hanksrin fur fight. Minute we COZ
pied Del came In through his winde
! throwed the waste II the box and jerkt
!. open the door Of the firebox. Jist the
f the gong rung. and ! give 70 the stear
, Del showed IN some coal, and as we g
| under headway he came TO my side
the cab and stood between it and Il
|. tander.
81 knowed what he come fur, and
made me mad. Susan Briggs lived il
5 81 the edge nv the town and was allie
8 out fur my train, and Del knowed it.
J. be wur gotn to let her see him on d
! same cab with me, and in overalls.
wur 20 durn mad I jist looked straig
ahead, while he nodded and laughed
i Susan, and she nodded and laughed
II him. He looked back till we got ron
z, kha rr4Tve AMI Than went rrinuiY1 to