The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1896-10-03
A BRAKEMAN'S STORY

IL was so quiet outside that when
the long freight train would come TO
a standstill with an abrupt, awkward
Jerk we could almost hear the big,
drifting flakes as they fell. Not
breath OF air was stirring and the big.
round moon filtered down through The
snowstorm with a white, softened light
that revealed nearby objects In a
strange, ghostly sort OF way. The
soft-coal fire that spluttered htfuly In
the old-fashioned cast iron upright
stove lacked cheer enough to break
the spell OF the outside air. without
knowing precisely why, we sat mostly
In silence or muttered an occasional
monosyllabic observation as to how
soon we might reach Jersey City. We
were four hours behind time and some
where back OF us we knew was the
West Shore express, likewise behind
time and endeayorlng to make up
something OF It's lost run.
Sitting In the little red caboose In
the rear OF the big freight train, rum
bling along through a blind fog OF
snow with flying express at our heels
gave an uncanny sensation that |, for
one, did not relish In the least The
drummer who had boarded the train
at Newburg sat morosely on a pile
OF grips, which afforded him softer
seat than the hard, wooden benches
strung along the sides OF the car. A
couple OF shippers anxiously discussed
the prospects for getting their stock
to market without having them half
frozen to death.
At the entrance OF Joe, the brake
man, however. the glum little party
seemed to thaw at once. He swung
down off the roof OF the last box car
and In through the door In a CHEEKY,
wholesome sort OF fashion that warm
ed us at once.
"Joe," said one OF the shippers. "be
we going to reach Jersey City afore
ChrIstmasT
isn't this good enough for you to
live In? How'd you like to be out
braking to-nightY
"'Talnt no snap, that's a fact" the
shipper assented.
"No, you bet 1t amt" said Joe. de-
clslyely. But this aln't a patching TO
what 1t is sometimes"
Something In the manner in which
Joe carefully filled his cob pipe, took
bit OF stick from the floor poked II
into the fire and lit his pipe slowly
and thoughtfully, Indicated that a story
was coming
STRANGE" said Joe, at last, with a
rumlnant look into the fire and long,
steady pull at his pipe, somehow to-
= might reminds me OF the day afore
Christmas two years ago. That was
when webrought Johnny Halnes home
!, Guess you must "a known johnny he
added. turning to the shipper. :
"Nope Heard of him Go on. Joe
What was the storyY"
mot much OF one" Joe replied de
precatlngly. Just "A brskeman's yarn
only It's little out OF the common
run. The first day l ever saw Johnny
Halnes | thought he was about the
handsomest lad l ever set eyes on
He came up on No. @ on her first trip
We used to meet often up and dowr
the road and got TO know each Other
pretty well. He was one Of these lad:
with a fresh, pink and white com
plexIon and jolly laugh that mad,
you warm up to him at once. He wat
D straight and strong and when he use,
p 10 stand jauntlly on top OF the car, tn,
/ train going forty miles an hour anC
l he not seeming to think 1t was movin;
= at all. there wasn't girl along tn,
c road that hadn't a smile for him as h,
i went By. The lad was anxious to sticl
a and worked hard. and. as he kept hi
i mouth shut pretty close, It was a lon,
n time before we found out anything
!. about who he was He had little way
r about him that made us think once II
Il a while that he hadn't been brough
a up 10 work. and his hands at first wer
d as soft and white as "a girls. On
OF the fellows told us story OF hoy
IS Johnny belonged to a good family, bu
n got kicked out for some reason o
:, It up, and, In fact, we never did fin
RI out his story until that night. mea
% the night we took him home"
Joe stopped. pulled vigorously at hi
pipe for a few minutes. blinked rattle
suspiclously several times, and finall
- the rather husky voice went on:
at seems that the lads name WASH
Haines at all. He took that to col
ceal his own. His first name reall
was Johnny, though, and. as tbs
was what everybody called him, ii
last didn't seem to make so much di
ference. When he first came on II
road he was little past 90 and h
open, boyish ways made some OF II
fellows guy him and want TO pla
tricks on him at first But II didn
n take them long to find out that he ha
plenty Of mettle. A gang Of us WEI
70 laying around the Albany roundhoui
one day, waiting for train to be ma,
up, when BIZ Lawson began to M
he him and see II he couldn't get a fig
out OF him. II seems they had son