Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-08-19
A BRAKEMAN'S STORY

1t was 30 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 fakes as they fell. Not a
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
strange ghostly sort Of way. The
soft-coal tire that spluttered htfully IN
the d-fa shioned cast iron upright
stove lacked cheer enough to break
the spell of the outside air. WithCnt
knowing precisely why, We sat mostly
in silence or muttered an occasional
monosyllabIc observation as 10 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 endeavoring TO make up
something of its lost run.
Sitting IN the little red caboose In
the rear OF the big freight train, rum
bling along through a blind fog Of
buON VIII n ny tApitrs at Jul
gave an uncanny sensation that L, for
one, did not relish In the least. The
drummer who had boarded the train
at Newburg sat norosely on Il pile
OF grips, which sffol ted him n 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 list box car
and in through the door in j CHEEKY.
wholesome sort of fashion that warm
ed US at once.
Joe" said one of the shippers. ''b2
we going to reach Jersey City afore
ChrlstmasY
Isn't this good enough for You to
live in? How'd you like TO be out
braking tonight"
"'Taint no snap. that's a fact" the
shipper asscnted.
No, you bet it amt" said Joe. de
ClSl|tly. bUl liliS dIii l u ~
what 1t is sometimes"
Something In the manner in which
Joe carefully filed his cob pipe took
bit of stick from the floor, poked it
into the fire and lit his pipe slowly
and thoughtfully, indicated that ii story
was coming.
Strange" said Joe at last. with
ruminant look into the IRE and a long,
steady pull at his pipe, somehow to-
night reminds NE OF the day afcre
Christmas two years ago. That was
when we brought Johnny Haines home.
Guess you must "A known Johnny," he
added, turning to the shipper.
Nope. Heard of him. Go on, Joe
What was the story"
Not much of one" Joe replied te-
precatingly. Just a brakemun's yarn,
only its little out of the common
run The first day l ever saw Johnny
Haincs | thought he was about the
handsomest lad | ever set eyes on
He came up on No. 6 ON her first trip
We used to meet often up and down
the road and got to know each other
pretty well. He was one of these lads
with i fresh. pink and white COM
plexion and a jolly laugh that male
you warm up 10 him at once. He WIS
straight and strong, and when he used
to stand jauntily on top of the car, the
train going forty miles an hour and
he not seeming to think II was moving
at all, there wasn't a girl along the
road that hadn't smile for him as Re
went by. The lad was anxious to stick
aud worked hard, and, as he kept his
mouth shut pretty close, 1t was long
time before we found out anything
about who he was. He had little ways
about him that made US think once in
q while that he hadn't been brought
up 10 work, and his hands al first were
as soft and white as a girls One
OF the fellows told US a story OF how
Johnny belonged to a good family, but
got kicked out for some reason or
other, but we always thought he made
1t up. and, in fact, we never did fiud
out his story until that night. l mean
the night we took him home"
Joe stopped, pulled vigorously at his
pipe for few minutes, blinked rather
suspiciousIy several times, and finally
the rather husky voice went on:
1T seems that the lads name wasn't
Haines at all He took that to con.
ceal his own His first name really
was Johnny, though, and, as that
was what everybody called him, the
last didn't seem 10 make so much diff
ference. When he first came on the
road he was a little past 20, and his
open, boyish ways made some of the
fellows guy him and want to play
tricks on him at first But 1t didn't
take them long to find out that he had
plenty of mettle. A gang of US were
laying around the Albany roundhouse
one day, waiting for train to be made
up when BIZ Lawson began to nag
him and see if he couldn't get a fight
out of him. Ii seems they had soma