The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-11-07

back Of the innocent query Of the
trampishslooking substitute operator
at Hogarh he would have been a pretty
badly frightened man, even though the
event was three days in the past. Only
Kenneth and the second trick train dis
patcher knew how close 700 persons
had come to death on the night Of Sep
TENDER 4. True, . certain boy may
have had a remote idea of it, but that
is only hazard, for he was a very stupid
boy.
Kenneth was on the hog train. It
was habitual with him. His shoes were
beaches Of frayed leather; his trousers
were greasy and torn; his coat wa
secdy, and although NJ had hed his
shirt regularly week in the
waters OF whatevef pond or creek he
CHANGED to discover in his line of tram
sit, still, it was an evil-looking shirt
which did not beget confidence. He was
unshaved and in general appearance
was similar to the accepted idea of a
hobo. The time had passed many years
back when he felt that it was worth
while to appeal to station agents or
operators along the line of his travel
for assistance. His garb and guise were
not such as to prompt se~lf-respecting
telegraphers to talk in his behalf to the
conductors of freight trains, and so
what progress westward he made was
a tribute to his own vigilance and agil.
ity--vigilance in detecting just when
the brakeman's back was turned and
~nOf1sfr ~ cur;r r;,,or ,4v,la~ 4Ia no~e ar5
upon the trucks. And he was perfectly
and trampily satisfied.
Kenneth saRntered up the platform at
Hogarth and took a seat. on a box Just
outside the station window. He would
have been ordered away had the agent
been in the Office, but the agent was not
there. The agent, having been over
come by heat at three o'clock-Septem-
Der heat IS the most potent heat in that
desert land-had been carried up to his
house TO rage in delirium and die, per-
haps, for all the medical attendance a
Wyoming settlement could afford. It
was his student who sat in flushed i'm
portance at the telegraph table when
Kenneth roved up to the window and
anchored on the box. Kenneth had
toured that road until he had a frst-rate
knowledge of the time-card, and he
knew that if 602 was on time she would
draw her serpentine length Of freight.
cars up to the Hogarthstation about al
hour after No. 1had gone whizzing east
ward with her fast mail aud her Sleep
ers. At was his purpose to annex him
self to 6O2 and proceed westward.
Idly, through the open window, he
studied the boy. He was a very stupid
looking boy, and at this time Of his SUI
perior,s disability a very important boy.
Kenneth estimated his age at IA or IS,
and tried to think how stupendous an
opinion he himself had had Of himself
when he was a boy Of Is and was left
for the first time in charge Of an Of
flee. He listened in a passively inter-
ested sort Of a way as the boy fought on
tho second wire for Is minutes in his
vigorous purpose to ask the time of a
PARKWAY t~elegrapher, even though the
heavens might fall. It was like old
times. All plug operators, he remem-
bered, do that sort Of thing-fghting,
lighting, lighting in their determine
ton to take the wire from anyone else
who may desire to use 1.-THE train dis
patcher alone excepted from the list
Of those to be held in contempt.
The tramp operator wearied at last
Of the boys ''smartness" on the line,
and leaned back against the side Of the