Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1894-05-31

nau gaInereu on the scene, apparently
wishing to go to Fargo. No one seemed
to want to walk away back to the ca
boose, and every one was very anxious
not to get left. At this moment another
freight train, hitherto unnoticed, came
booming along on the main track
Things were getting muddled Would
the second train stop? Would the first
pull up to the station to accommodate
those who wished to enter ths caboose?
l interrogated the engineer Of train
No. l. ASK the conductor. / don't
know he yelled. Then he relented and
said, "The other train is the one you
want. " Train No 2 had rolled along by
the station and was now coming to a
standstill hundred yards away
found the lady with the little girls
Said |, ''We must take the other train. I"
Some Of the men and boys now started
briskly to walk in the direction of the
train, which was away beyond on the
main line.
Let me take a satchel," said chiv-
alrously as grabbed one of her two
enormous travelling bags and started for
the train, followed by the lady, the lit
tie girls and the remaining men and
boys. The train, as l said, was hun
dred yards away. We thought Of the
nine long hours we had waited for that
train, and goaded by the fear Of a
longer stay in Castleton we struck out
at lively pace toward the caboose.
Two thirds of the distance had been
accomplished, and was striding along
with the great piece Of luggage banging
against my legs at every step, when the
train commenced to move away, slowly
now
RUM shouted. The men ahead of
us were already on the run.
The lady began to scamper, holding
the 5-year-old by one hand, carrying in
the other her satchel and followed by
the l year-old, who brought up the rear.
We gained, but not fast enough,
thought L
Let me have the child, = cried, and
grabbing up the little one under my arm
began the chase anew, with the big
satchel still in one hand and making
me go hippity hop by its joltings.
Women were not made to run. Yet
the lady was doing well. The train was
getting some headway. l dashed along
with my awkward burdens and in few
moments reached the steps of the NOV
ing caboose, swung the child up into the
arms Of one Of the men who had caught
the train, threw my other charge, the
strange lady's satchel, upon the plat
form and jumped aboard.
Glory! l was on my way to Fargo at
last. But how about the lady? She was
now 20 feet behind and only holding her
own.
"Hurryr'
But she was puf1ing-out of breath
and began to lag behind. The 5-year-old
on the caboose was dazed The year
old back with her mother on the rail
road ties took in the situation and set
up a howl to see me, the strange man,
on board an eastern bound train with
her little sister and her mothers lug
gage; s,,s ,,,as c,,,,,,. o,,o,, x.a..,,
There was but one thing to do. leaped
to the ground, caught the little girl as
she was almost thrown to me by a kind
ly passenger, set her on the ground,
then ran for the train, clutched the huge
satchel, planted that on the ties and
finally by good sprinting caught up with
the caboose and swung myself aboard.
! had done all | could for the poor
lady 1t was sad to see her left behind
after waiting all day for the train. She
must now take her chances of getting
into Fargo tonight by means Of the way
freight now standing at Castleton. Thus
l reflected as stood on the rear end of
the caboose and looked at the forlorn
trio standing on the track i'll the midst
Of their luggage, gazing after the reced-
ing train.
Then came jolt, jolt, jolt! 1t was
down brakes! l clung to the guard rail
to prevent myself from being thrown off.
Quickly the train came to a full stop
and didn't move for five minutes, dur
ing which time the lady and the little
girls got aboard, together with little
fat man and two boys, who had also
been distanced in the race Then the
train steamed back to the station and
waited half hour
wiped the perspiration from my
flushed face, inwardly damned the rail
road and rode the 20 miles on the out
side platform of the caboose. We got to
Fargo at quarter past CHARLES Tay-
lor Tatman in Budget