River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-10-31


mounted ever since. At four o'clock in
the afternoon there was not a breath OF
air stirring. and the sky had the tint of
a greasy copper saucepan. My room in
the Jericho hotel was like an oven, and
my nerves were as thoroughly unstrung
as IL had undergone three days %
Sicilian sirOccO. Knowing that my
friend, the statiOn-master, with his two
hundred and fifty pounds of flesh, must
suffer from the heat even more severely
than myself, l hoped to derive some
consolation from his misery, and so
strOlled u o the railway station to
meet him.
found him sitting in chair on the
platform of the station, moist, but
cheerful.
This is what you might call right
smart of hot day." he remarked You
Englishmen. living in your everlasting
fog. don't know much about our Mon
tana weather. tell you. when we start
out 90 manufacture weather we can just
beat ali creation"
els this sort of thing usual in this
part of the country?'' asked.
We'll. mol" he replied. Il can't exactly
say as It Is. I've seen the thermometer
considerable higher than IL is to-day but
never sGw sky like that before. and
i never wilted under the heat as I've
been whiting since morning. Come
along inside. I'll telegraph up to
Athensville and ask where No. ~ is,
then Wen sit down and have a cigar"
The stationmaster went into the tel
cgraph Office and sat down at the desk
Suddenly ] heard sharp, cracking
noise, and my friend ran out of the Of
fee with a startled expression of face.
There's an electric storm in the air. -
he exclaimed, "and l don't want to
be too near that instrument if l can
help il. Besides, there's no use in try
Ing TO telegraph. The wires won't
work, and now | think of il / haven't
heard a message go through the Office
for the last two hours. Mighty curious
weather this. l can't account for il no
how"
He dropped into a chair; and almost
at the same moment his dog, big col
lie, came whining into the room, and
NuAANA himself AZ AAAN NANAEAlAE vi .
ner. trembling and moaning as if in
pain
THAT there animal knows that some
things wrong" said the stationmaster.
'but he amt going To tell what il is.
Well this weather can't last much long
er, and well probably have a thunder
storm by sunset"
Tell me something to pass away the
time" said /. My nerves are all up
set, and l want TO forget myself for
awhile il l can"
Lets see said the statiOnmaster re
fectiveIy; did l ever tell YOU about
JAn Cutter. and the way he was
surprised? Ii amt 81 very much OF a
story. but perhaps it'll do all the better
for that reason. \ story that has got
much TO it Is a mighty thirsty sort of
thing. and there Amt anything TO drink
here Just now except " arm water. Well,
here's the story. such as il is, and if
you get tired Of listening. Just So SO.
aud I'll put on the brakes
"Jim Cutter YVES the conductor OF g
freight train on the West Huron rail
road. and he YVES one Of those chaps
who think that they know il all. and
YOU can't surprise 'em do what you
will. One night. about ten years ago.
We had one of the most TREMENDOUS
storms that ever blew in the lake re-
gion. and the West Huron track. which
runs for thirty miles or so alongside of
the lake. was six or ten feet under water.
The day after the storm let up. Jim
started out with his train. and went
feeling his way aloE he line, looking
out for washOuts, and drift wood. and
such. and finding rather more of them
than he wanted. just hold on minute
Till / light the lamp. Its grown as
Ozark as a winter evening. and it's only
five o'clock. This weather clean beats
me-"
i sudden darkness had fallen over
Jericho. and while the stationmaster
was lighting his lamp went out on the
platform for look at the sky. The
coppery tint had nearly disappeared.
and vast cloud of inky black had over
spread nearly the whole heavens.
Trusting that this meant rain. and sub
kequent GOODNESS. l returned 10 my seat,
and the stationmaster resumed his
story.
'Jim was nearly all day running from
Chicago 10 Ithaca Center; and just a
little after shutdown, as ne came
around q curve. he saw a big schooner
lying directly across the track. He
stopped his train and walked up to the
eoheoose and hailed her. There was q