The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-23

him promotion and an easy place,
which he could not have gained save
through the kindness of higher Of
ficials. He had been in any number of
wrecks; for many of the western rClds
were new at that time, and railloading
was not safe as d is TOW. Once there
was head-end collision. in which the
wreck took fire. Doc was dreadfuily
bruised. but he had all his limbs. and
as the flames crept closer and closer to
his car he busted himself carrying the
mail matter to a, place of safety. When
his work had been completed and the
flames lit W. the oanyctl, they showed
Doc lying upon his mail bags, appar-
emily dead. The train men found him
and soon restored him TO consciousness,
for he had only tainted from. overwoIk
and the pain of his many wounds.
It was nearly a wear before ne was
able TO take his run again, and This
time his route lay over the Sara Fe
sDSten.
One night, when the train came rcar-
ing down the canyon, the engine
jumped the track, the mail car went
to pieces against the locomotive, the
coaches piled upon the pieces, and the
wreck began to burn.
When the train men and passengers
came forward TO look for the fellows
envelopes sailing out of the burning
debris, and they knew at once that the
mail agent must be fast ir the wreck.
The whistle valve had been forced
open. and now the wild. ceaseiess crv
OF the wounded engine drowned gil
other sounds. and made it impossible
for the men to hear the cries of the i'm
Iorisoned postal clerk. All this ne
knew, and while the hungry flames
+ir1cr y nit
he pulled the register bag to him, and
began to Shy the valuable mail out into
the sage brush.
When the steam was exhausted and
the cry of the engine had hushed there
came no sound from the engine men,
for their voices were hushed in DEATH
Above the sound Of the cracking
flames they could hear Doc calling 30
them from his place below the wreck.
perately right in the very face of the
fire 20 rescue the unfortunate.
Gradually the voice of the prisoner
grew fainter and fainter and before
the rescuers reached him it hushed en-
tireIy
At last. just as they were about TO
give him up, as he was now apparently
dead. they succeeded in dragging Doc
from the wreck, and to the Joy OF all
y
had breathed so much of the flames
that his left lung was almost ruined,
and he was never able to resume His
place on the road.
It was this unfortunate wreck and
the story of his heroism that gave him
the i important position of assistant
clerk of the western division of the
United States mail service when he
was nos vet 30 years old. 1t was the
burn in his breast that made him
cough and beat his left lung, that
pinched his face and made his eyes
look larger than they were. He went
on silently-almost cheerfully-doing
what he could. but we who watched
knew that the hidden scar he had
there was wearing his life away.
Net long ago I returned to Denver,
and meeting the chief clerk in the
street, asked him about Doc. l had
been wandering over the face of the
earth for nearly two years. and was
behind the times as good country
folk say, and now as my friend looked
at me his face took on a sadder shade
as he answered slowly: I'VE buried Doc
six months ago