Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-09-26
LUSY LEN.

sultrv. where all presidents. directors,
and other railway officials, more es-
peeially ticket agents, fetch mp and
finish their internal labors- Were it
not so hard on Mugby junction, /
should say Glen Cove was the Mugby
Junction of America Indigestion is
kept there, like field ammunition in
the quartermaster' department, to
serve out Mt a moments notice TO hum
gry and insane passengers. and il is
safe, for the trains carry away the
sufferers to die in other localities.
One hot, sunny, day in midsummer
found myself anticipating the punish
menfs due for sins and shortcomings in
this world by waiting for an eastern
bound tram long overdue, as If the
trains. like the passengers, disliked APP
preaching the depot at which suf-
tered
A surly telegrapher. also ticket
agent, who shot insults and tickets
through hole At people. told me after
an hours crOss-examinatIon that was
very cross, that my train had brought
up In q corn field. ard l could not
possibly get away BY rail before mid
night
Vow, what 10 do with myself from
the noon of this information to the noon
OF night was = question that sorely
perplexed me- / had no books, no
papers. no anything TO relieve
the dali monOtony of that awful
time
| / wandered listlessly about the dirty
frame and platform Both were hot
enough to roast potatoes In the shade.
gazed on-nay, | studied all the col
Ored bills. giving picturesque views of
various towns, and telling IN assorted
type the advantages each had over the
other-the only bit of amusement l
had, and Il was very mild. I found in
guessing at the missing letters of a
bill which read Rough line to Chi
cago some scamp had cut out the
initial ..th' when the bill had
originally read. Through line to
Chicago"
While upon the platform gazing at
an accommodation train just in. that
was awaiting its conductor leisurly
getting orders from the teIegrapher,
was attracted By noisy crowd OF men
and boys, gathered about young fell
low whose face indicated the idiotIc
condition that originated their enter
tainment
He was q tall, broad shouIdered.
wellformed youth, and well dressed
for one in his condition. But he had
his clothes half-buttcned, in the loose,
reckless manner of one Of his class,
while his face, without its intellectual
outlook, was regular in feature, and
one could see, had there been q brair
back Of il. would have been eminently
J handsome. As anxiety and care hac
ceased writing its record of age upor
his face, it was difficult to tell his age
de had the form of a man and ths
face of child.
Its the opinion of this crowd, Len, ,
said the blacksmith TO the idiot, sstha
you can beat that locomotive in q race
from here to the tunnel, and we hav,
bet $1,000 on il.
The poor fellows dead face Lit M
with an expression Of delight. so pita
bic that il would have disarmed an,
other crowd than the one engaged II
chatting him lie gazed wistfally a
the huge locomotive that stood hissins
in the hot sun as If wrathful at the de
lay, and then turned to the cruel Grove
az If the suggestion was slowly work
ing its way through his poor crippled
; brain.
Go in Len, cried one Of the crowd
we've got our money ON you, ane
: you're bound to win"
Well give you fifty yards the start
You keep on the track" cried tn,
blacksmith, land the thing can't pas
you"
could scarcely believe these scoun
drels were in earnest, when the surIl
engineer gave the last bang to mi
; noisy bell, exploded short snort from
the locomotive In the way Of warning
and to my astonishment saw the lido
throwing of his coat, start down th,
track ahead of the train. Fortunatel-
the engineer caught sight of the poo
fellow, and checking the speed of tn,
: locomotive, began ringing him off th,
track This was responded to BY tn.
idiot bawling out with great glee
Come on with your old tea-kettle, ;
and the brutal crowd cheered, ant
roared with laughter.
The crowd, keeping along with tn,
train, cheered Justify, and the lunati,
"spurted' as they say In boat race
that is, shot ahead and exhibited con
siderable power as a racer by tn,
speed with which he got over th.
ground. The engineer, Infatuated a
the delay, put on speed and rattles
! after. But be was npon down grade
and fearful Of oyertakIng the unfortun
ate, ne almost Immediately put on th,
brakes and checked up again.
BY this time heads were thrust on
OF windows and the platforms crowd
ed by passengers whose excitement
, became noisy and intense as they dis
covered that 1t was a human being in
stead OF a cow that impeded theil
progress. As for the idiot, ne paused
only long enough to indulge in jeer
ing laugh and gesture that was more
irritating than decent.
The crowd of brutal loafers that ex.
hibited more industry in accompany.
ing the race on this occasion than taey
had probably manifested In making an
honest living for year previous
went tearing along each eide of the
locomotive, laughing, shouting, cheer.