Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-03-29
John saggart shook his head.

e
ut wouldn't do" he said. "Ho
wouldn't overrule what one of his sub
ordinates had done, unless there was
serious injustice in the case. It's tho
new manager, you krow. There's
Railways trouble with new manager.
He sweeps clean. Aud 1 suppose he
thinks by bouncing ono of tho Oldest
engineers on tho road he'll scare the
rest.
"Well, don't think much of him,
between ourselves" said tho conduc-
tor. What do you think he has dono
tonight? He's put new man on SC
Ia man from ono of tho branch lines.
who doesn't know tho road. / doubt
II he's ever boon over tho main limo
before. Now it's mn anxious time for
mo, with all tho holiday traffic moving,
with the thermometer at zero, and tho
rails like glass, and 1 like to have
man in front that can depend on"
ITS bad enough not to know tho
road, said John, gloomily, "Dut it's
worso not to know old SO. She's u
brute if she takes notion"
~ don't suppose there's another
cngino that could draw this train and
keep her time"
"No. Sho'll do her work nil right
II you'll humor her." admitted Stag
CART, who could not conceal his loyo
for the engine, oven whilo ho blamed
her.
"Woll," said tho conductor, rising
aud picking up his lantern. "thc man
in front may be all right, but would
feel safer if you wero further ahead on
this train than tho smoker. Pm sorry
| can't offer you berth tonight,
John, but we're full clear through to
the rear lights. There isn't oven u
vacant upper on the train.
'Oh. it doesn't matter" said Sag
CART. 81 couldn't sleep anyhow. I'd
rather sit hero and look out of tho
window"
"Wcll. so long" snid tho conduct
or. "pll drop in and SEQ you rs the
night passes on.
Saggart lit his pipo and gazod out
into the darkness. He knew every
inch of the rond-all tho up-grades
and tho down.grades aud the levels
lio knew it even better in tho darkest
night than in tho clcarest day. o.
casionally tho black bulk OF barn or
II clump of trees showed for ono mo.
mont against the less black sky, aud
Saggnrt would say to himself: CHOW
ho should shut of an iuch of steam ~
or, CHOW he should throw her wide
open"
Tho train mado few stops, but he
saw That they wero losing time-S6
was sulking, very likely. The thought
of the engine turned his mind to his
own fate. No mnu was of very much
use i'll tho world, after all, for the
moment Ito steps down another is
ready to stnnd i'll his place. The wise
mon in the city who had listened to
his defense knew so we'll that an On.
gino was merely n combination of iro6
steel and brass, and that given num-
Der of pounds of steam would get it
over given number of miles in |,
given number of hours. had smiled
incredulously when he told them that
mn engine had her tantrums, and TINT
sometimes sho had to be coddled ND
like any other female, and that even
when n man did his best there were
occasions when nothing no could do
would mollify her, and then there was
sure TO be trouble, although John Ind
added, in his desire to DO fair that
she was always sorry for it aftorward,
which remark, to his confusion, had
turned tho smilo into n laugh.
Ho wondered what sc thought of
tho new man. Not much, evidently,
for she was losing timo which she had
no business to do OH that section of
tho road. Still, it might DO tho fault
of the new man not knowing whom to
push her for NIL she was worth and
when to easo up. All these things 20
to tho making up OF time. Still, it
was moro than likely that old Sc, like
Gilpin's horse, was wondering more
and moro what thing upon her back
had got. "Hell havo trouble" NUT
tered John to himself. "when she
finds out"
The conductor came in again and
sat down beside tho engineer. He
said nothing, but sat there sorting out
his tickets, whilo Saggart gazed out
of tho window. Suddenly the cngi.
neor sprang to his fcot with his eyes
wido open. Tho train was swaying
from side to side, and going ut great
speed.
The conductor looked up with
smile.
cold &c." he said, sis evidently
going to make up for lost time"
"Sho should be slowing down on
crossing the g. and NJ. line, answered
tho engineer. "Good henvens!' he
cried u moment after. "Wc'ye gone
across tho G. and NJ. track on the
keen jump"
The conductor sprang to his feet
He knew tho seriousness of such n
thing. Even tho fastest expresses
must stop dead before crossing on tho
level the line of another railway. 1t
is tho lay.
Doesn't that jay in front know
enough to stop at n crossing?"
"It isn't that" said Snggert. "He
knows NIL right; even tho train boys
know that. Old sc has taken the bit
between her teeth no can't stop her.
Where do you pass No. 6 tonight"
Sat Pointsyille."