The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-04-10


bars of steel that tie the wheels to-
gether-and with the broken ends
whipped her cab into splinteFs 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 riddIed 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 loolin' devil" as
Badly Hooten had called her, had gone
to the shops and her driver to the hos
pitaI. the trainmen and enginemen began
to discuss her from a superstitious
standpoint. Not one railroad employee
in a dozen viii admit that he is the
least little bit snperstitious, but watch
them when they see a new moon, and
if nine out of every ten don't go down
in their clothes and turn over silver, "
it's because they are "broke;" and in
the left breast pocket of three out of
every five switchmen you meet, sand
WICKED in between q lead pencil and a
toothbrush, yon 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 1O7 was limbered UP
and put onto the regular night run
from Pueblo to Leadyille; and on the
second trip she left the track at a
switch and turned over, killed the
engineer and fireman, and crippled the
mail agent. The switch, upon examine
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 "unlucl1y'
because she went out on Friday, but
when she was rebuilt she was trans
ferred and put on a less important run,
with not so many people behind her.
"It's all poppycock," said McIvor. oil
ing the engine. ''This Friday talk is
all ehild'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 unlucIy engine was taking out
the pay train, consisting of two light
cars. The first day was uneyentful
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,
McIyor made n 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 McIvoI, as he
climbed out of the cab. 81 never did
balieve that 7 was horn tn he killed on
an engine"
For a long time after that 1O7 stood
out in the field at the compaEy's shops
near Denver, where all the old relies
were sidetraeked, and the employees be-
gan to hope that she might be allowed
to remain there, but the company, il
for no other reason than to prevent
the employees from becoming hopeless
ly superstitious, put her into the shops
rebuilt and repainted her, so that wher
she came out again to be limbered VI
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, thu
scene of her last escapade. Her coming
was not regarded as a 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, unit
her rods rusted and her bell began Il
corrode. Then, for The same reason
that she had been brought ont of tht
field at Denver, she was taken from
the roundhOuse and put III order.
One of the regular engines on wha
in the early days had been called 9Th,
Death Run" having been disabled, thu
ROckaway was ordered outin her place
While every nan on the road dreadcc
her and hated the sight of her, Their,
was not one among them who would
sbun the responsibility of handling
her if it fell to him; so when Enginee
Ryan and Fireman North were callet
to take the night run with 1O7 the,
made nothing Of it, butsigned the book
/ said good-by to their families and wen
away. It may be that each lingere.
at the door a little longer thpn usual
and took an extra kiss or two from
their wives and little ones, but tina
was all. They did not mention tn
fact to their wives that the engine Of
the call book was the fatal 10T. To d
that would have been to increase til
anxiety Of the women folks without di
miDishing the danger Of the trip.
RYAN, thongh usually cheerful an