The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-04-14
HIS ONE SOFT SPOT.
THE CONSTRUCTION BOSS WAS HARD,
BUT HE LOVED CHILDREN.
Tho Story OF How He Found Little Jimmy
ssd Answered. the Starving Boys Cry For
Mnnk-But She Rough Fellow wouldnr
4 Own 20 His Weakness.

ssd Answered. the Starving Boys Cry For
Ssak-But Ahe Rough Fellow wouldn't
Own To His Weakness.
Captain Mahem was a hard man with a
soft spot. That soft spot was his friend
ship for little Jimmy Gregg and dated
from the winter when the child was lost
In the Nevada sagebrush.
According TO the point Of view, the cap
tain was the best man or the worst who
ever bossed a railroad construction camp.
Ask the leading contractors, and they
would tell you that he was an AL man,
who could get more work out Of his gang
than any foreman on the line. Leave il to
the men who did the work, and you would
learn that he was the meanest and most
abusive old hustler who ever gave man
his time for laying down his shovel to
light pipe There were ugly stories told
about his practice of eye gouging in a
fight, and his reputation was sufficient to
keep his camp the quetest of them all.
In December the camp contained about
40 men and teams, one woman and two
children. The inventory is not complete
without including one old rawboned horse,
n sort of camp follower, who subsisted on
owned by Gregg, the boarding master, who,
with his wife. ministered beef, bacon,
beans, potatoes, bread and coffee thrice a
day to the 40 hungry men.
At this time camp was ten miles from
water, upon dry plain carrying no vege-
tation but sparse sagebrush and grease
wood. Water was hauled in tank wagons,
and the old horse, not getting all he need
H.
teams to the spring
One morning, after the gang had break
tasted and gone TO work on the grade and
the tank wagons could be dimly seen
through their own dust on the road to the
spring, Gregg's little 3-year-old son came
out of the mess tent and crossed over to
the corral, where he often played. The old
hsrse was there, nosing through the man
ger. and the child presently climbed upon
its back as 1t stood rubbing against wag-
on. The horse paid no heed to his little
rider, and soon ambled of up the road aft
er the water wagons The child held on
tightly, at first laughing then crying, un-
til he had been carried several miles, when
he fell of and wandered away from the
road through the brush.
Jimmy was not missed until the men
came In from the grade for dinner. Then
there was hurried and unayailing search
through the camp. After dinner Mahem
laid of ten teams and sent the drivers out
20 make q general search. BY midafter-
noon they returned and reported failure.
Meanwhile Mrs. Gregg, who said she was
perfecsly sure Jimmy would not leave
camp, had been through every tent and
overhauled every bed roll, believing that
some man for joke had hidden the boy
Aahem now took the whole force Of 40
men and joined in the quest. Under his
direction the camp was circled twice at q
distance Of one mile, and every yard of the
way carefully examined for footprints.
None was found, and Mahem said to his
men: "Now your work is cut out for YOU
Before dark you've got to look under every
brush inside of this line, and you're bound
TO find him, for he could not get outside
without making tracks"
This search also was, of course, fruit
less. Some men came to camp at night
fall and others kept moving about the plain
at night, hoping to hear the child cry.
At daybreak the captain was in the sad
die mounted on his favorite mule. He still
believed the boy must be inside the circle,
AZ that had been properly made. To clear
up that doubt he meant to make the entire
round alone and outside of the line made
by the men. To reach the starting point
he rode out up the road toward the spring,
his eyes on tho ground, his mind on the
problem of how Jimmy could get out of
camp and leave no trail.
"By God, I've got it, said he suddenly,
jabbiDg both spurs into the mule, which
responded with gallant attempt to pitch
him into cactus bed. "That boy rode
out on water wagon. His mother is off
wrong in thinking he was in the tent when
the wagons pulled out. He must have
hung on TO the tail Of the last wagon and
lay low for fear the driver would see him
and send him back. After awhile he got
sleepy and fell off, and / shall find his
tracks somewhere in this road. Damna-
tioni Why couldn't think Of that yester-
day?"
(, The captain confidently urged his mule
along as fast as q scraper mule could be
made to travel. And his confidence was
justified by soon picking up the boys trail
1t the point where he fell from the horse
Abandoning now his mule, Mahem on
foot followed the torturous trail as rapidly
rs he could locate IL. At times this was
quick work; again, on hard ground, it was
slow and difficult task. Toward noon he
entirely lost 1t on a rocky hill and was de-
layed some hours, SO that 1t was near night
when he at last found the boy curled up
beside bush.
Jimmie was very much alive, but too
cold to walk or talk. Mahem wrapped him
in some Of his own clothing and put few
drops Of whisky in his mouth. Whisky
straight was too strong a beverage for the
child and he choked. "Mi'k, MIX" he
cried family.
Mahem had brought no food with him,
and had nothing TO offer but whisky.
MIX" said Jimmie again.
IAN right" said Mahem, drawing %
clasp knife, 'you shall have milk" And
he tapped vein in his own arm, caught
the blood In the cap of his whisky flask,
added little Bourbon and gave the starv-
ing child liberal draft. Jimmie was
much strengthened by this potion, and by
midnight was safely home again and trans
ferred from Mahem's TO his mothers arms
The boy was able next day to tell some
thing about his adventure, but the captain
then and always disputed the boys story
that he went out of camp on the back Of
old Barney