The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-07-17
A REAL HERO.
BY A. W. wFuTEFORD.

wv vide the gang for awhile thi
morning, because there is two job
that have to be done right away. The
broke the frog at the north switch las
night, and we will have to put in new
one; and then there is bad rail re
ported just at the end of the trestle
down in the hollow. We will load vi
while we are all here together, and
will take two of the men to put in tn
frog, and that leaves three for you.
guess I'll send Teddy along with you
too. He can't do very much when /
comes to lift, but you can put hin
on the ratchet, drilling the holes, o
something. You'll need all the hell
that you can get for that's job tina
must be done in hurry"
The speaker was William Hogan, ia
miliarly known as "Old Bill" foreman
of the section gang that kept in repair
five miles of the track of the Burling
ton on each side of Rock Bridge, III.
and he was giving his orders for tn,
days work.
The Mike spoken to was Mike Lynch
the workman who had been longest In
the employ of the company, as a mem
Der of the gang, and whose right it was
to take charge of the second division
whenever the work was such that the
gang had to be divided.
They were standing with the rest OF
the gang in front of the little red shanty
or section house in which were kept
their hand car, "dumpies," rails, spices.
spikes, and. in fact, everything that
goes together to make up a section
gang outfit.
But we must not forget Teddy, with
whom our story has the most to do. He
was the son of Hogan, the foreman. a
well-built, active, freckle-faced lad.
about Is years of age. and he was en-
ployed in the capacity of water boy
during the summer months when he
did not have to go to school.
He had to carry water for the men to
drink from the neighboring farm
houses when they were working along
the track in the country; and, when not
either going or coming with bucket.
he was kept busy carrying tools from
one to the other, running after spikes
and doing countless number of little
things that were constantly turning up
and were always left for ''the kid" to
look after.
Besides oil this his keen ear was al-
ways the first to detect the rumble of
an approaching train. until the men
had come to depend upon him to give
them warning when they were out be-
tween stations on their hand car.
He was general favorite, too. with
hem all, because he was always good
1atured and willing to work, and ON
his particular morning after his ia
her had finished giving his orders
Nike turned to him with the remark:
"Al right, Teddy; you come along
With us. You see, your father knows
low to pick good company for you.
Veil make roadmaster out of you vet
you just stay with us, and then wen |
IL expect job as boss some place.
You can take the hand car, Mike.
nd we'll take the 'dumpy,'" said Ho-
an, when they had gathered together
IL the things needed and were about
eady to start. "And If we get done
rst we'll come down and help Won
nish up. If we don't, you can come up
. where we are"
And with this the two parties sep-
rated, Hogan and his men starting in
ne direction with the 'dumpy," while
like and the balance clambered IN on
the hand car and began 'spumpinp,
nd were soon moving in the opposite
ERECTION.
The trestle spoken of, which was
ally an uncovered bridge, spanncd a
ully known as "McCoupin Hollow"
takes its name from the creek that
ows through it, and with possibly one
two exceptions is the highest rail- ,
'ad trcstle in the state of Illinois Il
eng fully 90 feet from the rails TO low.
alter mark.
1t is $50 feet long, and the Law of IN.
nd is such that the track is compelled ,
} curve so at each end that it is al
ost impossible to see the trestle until !
u are almost upon it.
Lying, as it does, between two steen :
lis, it is a hard pull both ways for =
avy trains, and In order to get ont
the gully without stalling and bay-
g to double the engineers generally =
ct 'em roll" down into the hollow.
me OF the more reckless ones often
shing across the trestle at the rate of !,
or 60 miles an hour. 1t can then =
ably be seen that bad rail at the !,
OF the trestle might mean q very !.
.ious mishap. =
It was only about mile and a half
I'M the town, so it was not long until =,
Ike and his men reached the place. :,
after throwing off the new rail =
y had brought, unloading their tools =
lifting the hand car to one side of .,
track, they proceeded to examine =,
, rail. "
)ne glance at it showed that il was in :,
minent danger of breaking every