Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-03-12

Thus, on her first trip lot made a bad
record and got herself talked about. OF
course she was put back onto the run as
soon as q few slight injuries were re-
paired, for it was no unusual thing in
those days. where the track was not
fenced In, to pillow up herd Of cattle
on q run like this. In fact, railroad
track seems to be favorite place for
cattle to sleep and deaf people 70 walk.
'tOne-seven" went along for week or
more and her crew had begun to think
well of her when she disgraced herself
by breaking botk parallel rods those
bars of steel that tie the wheels to-
gether-and with the broken ends
whipped her cab into splinters before
the fireman could crawl over her high
boiler head and shut her off; for the
engineer had both legs broken, and
from the ripped and riddled deck was
unable to reach the throttle, though
the fireman said he tried, standing on
the two stubs of his broken legs.
When the "scary lookin' devil" as
Badly Hooten had called her, had gone
to the shops and her driver to the hos
pitaI, the trainmen and enginemenb began
to discuss her from superstluous
standpoint. Not one railroad employe
in dozen will admit that he is the
least little bit superstitious, but watch
them when they see new moon, and
if nine out of every ten don't go down
in their clothes and turn over silver"
fSs because they are 'broke;" and in
the left breast pocket OF three out OF
every five switchmen you meet, sand
WICKED in between a lead pencil and
toothbrush, you will find the fuzzy foot
of q graveyard rabbit, killed in the
dark of the moon.
For the third time within three
months from the day she left the
baldwin shops lot was limbered up
and put onto the regular night run
from Pueblo TO Leadville; and on the
second trip she left the track at
switch and turned over, killed the
engineer and fireman, and crippled the
mail agent. The switch, upon eXamina-
ton, was found to be all right, and in
fact no one seemed able to give any
good reason why the engine should
have left the rail; only her old driver,
turning over in his little iron bed, said:
Friday" and went to sleep again.
Of course, the railway officers simply
laughed at the foolish talk of the men
about the Rockaway being "unlucky''
because she went out on Friday, but
when she was rebuilt she was trans
ferred and put on less important run,
with not SO many people behind her.
Its all poppycock," said McIvor, oil
ing the engine. This Friday talk is
all child's talk" then he stopped short.
looked at the new moon, and made a
wish.
"Of course it is" said Paymaster
O'Connor, who, noticing McIvor's play
at the moon, worked his fingers in his
trousers pocket and made riot with
the silver there.
The unluclly engine was taking out
the pay train, consisting of two light
cars. The first day was uneventful.
but at the close of the second day, while
they were rolling down the Black can
yon, trying to make Cimarron for the
superintendent special, they turned
a corner and came suddenly upon a
big rock in the middle of the track
McIvor made a desperate attempt to
stop, but before he could do so 107
had her belly on the bowlder and hung
there, her wheels still revolving as
though she were trying to claw the
rock to pieces.
what is to be will be, if it never
comes to pass" said McIvor, as he
climbed out of the cab. II never did
believe that l was born to be killed on
an engine"
For long time after that 107 stood
out in the field at the company's shops
near Denver, where all the old relics
were sidetracked, and the employees be-
gan to hope that she might be allowed
to remain there, but the company, if
for no other reason than to prevent
the employees from becoming hopeless
ly superstitious, put her into the shops,
rebuilt and reprinted her, so that when
she came out again to be limbered up
she looked better than ever before.
When she had found herself" again,
as Mr.. Kipling would say, she was
sent back to the mountain division, the
scene of her last escapade. Her coming
was not regarded as joyful event by
the trainmen and enginemen of the
fourth division, and the division master
mechanic knew it, and for some time
she stood in the roundhouse with the
dust and ashes on her jacket, until
her rods rusted and her bell began to
corrode. Then, for the same reason
that she had been brought ont of the
field at Denver, she was taken from
the roundhouse and put in order.
One of the regular engines on what
in the early days had been called 1.-The
Death Run" having been disabled, the
Rockaway was ordered out in her place
While every man on the road dreaded
her and hated the sight of her, there
was not one among them who would
shun the responsibility of handling
her if it fell to him; so when Engineer
Ryan and Fireman North were called
to take the night run with 107 they
made nothing of it, but signed the book
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