Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-25

to share his seat, seemed disposed to be
sociable. There was nothing to do but
watch the steam gauge and keep an eye on
the track ahead, and soon We were skim
ming along at forty-fiye mile pace. 1t
transpred in conversation that Murphy
vas an old Pennsylvania, and before com
ing west had put in some long and hard
years of service on eastern reads. Press
ing him for some incidents of life on the
footboard, he mellowed up at once and re-
saled me with story after story, all of
Whlch were replete with interest, and many
or them exciting to a high degree. Some
OF these had already worked their Nay in
10 print, but to be fully appreciated Should
be told with all the wild access cries which
Strrounded them that wintry night Incl
tents In railroad life during the rebellion
and during the Mollie Mcguire troubles in
The coal regions. hairbreadth escapes from
cciilsions and falling bridges followed in
quick succession, until felt that we were
about to repeat in fact what 1 was listen
ing to in the story
.Aiter dasaing through Iron Springs the
snrlH scream of the whistle had hardly
died away before the old man ''shu. her
OH and slowed up for water at Timpas |
was quite overcome by fatigue ard the
SS1IranSe experience OF the trip, and, while
MURPHY once more fabricated the muscles
OF OLD 6}, l fell into doZe from which I
with difficulty awakened after he again
came INTO the cab and once more started
Us oil our Journey A fresh cigar limbered
MIN up again. and shortly after whistlinc
Tor Benton. he took a few vigorous Whiffs
ana said: Now. young man, I'm going 10
tell you story that has never been gotten
INTO the newspapers. 1t was away back in
the early IUs. and at that time l was pull
Ing the midnight express on the old Will
Transport and Catawissa road, nv run
being from Williamsport to Onakake. We
We're scheduled to leave Willfamspprt at
ii 80 pm. but one Friday night in Septem-
Der we were held thirty minutes to await
transfer OF passengers who had come down
on the Northern Central Now. 1 always
Set KIND nervous when l register out
late, especially if it happens on a Friday.
L was more than usually careful when I
oiled around the old F. B. Gowan' that
night (our engiEeS were all named those
uays,' ana made the car inspector take
another good look over the train before l
got into the cab. He reported everything
.. X and at 30 We pulled slowly cut
OF the archway, and were soon skipping
along the west branch of the Susquehanna
Muncy. Milton, Lewisburg and Sunbury
successfully were reached and passed. and
although everything seemed all right 1
could not by any means pick up the thirty
minutes we had lost at Wiliamsport. Or
ciEarily it was easy, but that night it was
simply impossible to recover a minute of
our lost time. and, in fact, we pulled into
Tamaqua just forty minutes late. There
We got orders to run to Onakake regard
less but to meet extra north, Conductor
Gray, at that point. After signing the
order we pulled out at cnce. and were soon
spinning along, until Rupert, Danville and
denly my fireman exclaimed: There's a red
light out at Ringtown.'
Now. there was no meeting point at
Ringtown down en- the card, and / held
orders to run to Onakake, regardless SO I
was little shaken up when 1 saw that red
signal. AS we had a down-grade run, with.
good prospects of making up some of our
lost time, the sight of that signal made me
rather warm under the collar, but l shut
off steam, whistled for brakes, and brough.
the train to full stop at the little depot.
l found the operator sitting inside, calmly
smoking pipe, and at once demanded to
know by whose orcers l had been tagged.
Without looking up from the message he
was sending, he calmly informed me that
he had hung out the signal on. his own re-
sponsibility, and that no one that he was
aware of had given him any orders.
HE was young lad of about seven
teen, should judge. with rosy cheeks ana
Zig brown eyes that looked right at you
without fiinching. Something in his coun-
tenance told me that he would not stand
too much stirring up, and, though l was
boiling mad, l curbed my anger somewhat
ard remarked: Look mere, young man,
when you get through monkeying with
that instrument l will be pleased to hear
you explain why you have taken it upon
yourself to hold a passenger train without
orders to do So
Before he had time to reply, heard the
whistle and distant rumble of an approach
ing train. and rushing to the door, looked
down the track, and. there, just coming
round the curve, / saw the reflection of a
headlight, which, coming nearer and near
er. finally stopped altogether, and I knew
a northbound train was taking the siding
at the south end of the yard Then the
situation suddenly flashed upon me.
Il was being held for northbound
freight train which evidently had not been
protected against the midnight express.
Il excitedly thrust my hand in the pocket
or my blouse and drew out my orders. AL
though the words seemed to swim before
hka M mis- 10 IN
their meaning:
Midnight express. Eng'r Murphy, will
Jun to Onakake regardless OF all trains.
"1SigredD'
Midnight express. Eng'r Murphy. will
meet extra, engine log, Cond'r Grey, at
Orakake.
".(SigneD'
Merciful God. Had not that red light
which l dared not run by, stopped me at
that little station away up there among
the Pennsylvania hills, the midnight ex-
press, with its load of living freight would
have met and crashed into the heavy
ncrthbound freight train not very far be-
/ AA