The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-04-01
ANE CREEK was a railroad


X crossing on the S. Il &. Rail
i Aroad, about two miles from the
divisional terminal at Mercer. 1t was
in the midst of a scrubby pine forest,
with a sandy road crooking out from
the trees on one side and into the trees
on the other. There were only two or
three houses, little general store with
a porch like the visor of military cap,
and a schoolhouse, all arranged in a
scraggy row along the railroad track.
The dusty red depot was an oasis in
the midst of a tinder desert, with a
great many telegraph wires singing
overhead.
A dozen trains whirled through Kane
Creek every day with only shrek of
greeting and a whipping wake of fine
sand. Only two of them paid the slight
est attention to the girl in blue ging-
ham dress who stood in the little OBJ
servation window. One of them was
the way freight, which stopped at
Kane every time. it came along while
the conductor handed the girl bundle
of yellow papers and received another
Ike it in return. The other was the
night express, westward bound, from
st. Paul. and running at forty miles an
hour. 1t was a splendid train-ten
cars, with the finest engine on the road,
big No. COG. AS it's glaring eye flashed
around the bend in the direction of
Mercer the girl in the gingham dress
often thought of the great train as a
powerful and ferociOus beast snorting
and roaring westward ON a race with
the sun, and she knew the hand that
trained it. When the train was mile
away there were always two blasts of
the whistle. Every one in Kane
thought they meant simply "Wake up,
look out" for that is what all locomo-
tiyes say at every crossing, but the girl
in the gingham dress heard "Hello,
Polly" and darted out on the platform
and waved her handkerchief. AS the
great train thundered nearer a hand
was thrust from the engineers win
dow, and, although it was usually dark
she could see the fiutter of something
white, and oftentimes as the engine
darted past the station she heard the
blurred sound of a voice and caught a
glimpse of a grimy face and blue jean
jacket, and then she went back to her
place in the little station with sigh of
contentment
For it was a moment of great joy to
-Rolly Marsi when her fathers en-.
g1He Went through. Polly was the sta
fion agent at Kane Creek ANY one
could have told that a woman presided
in the little depot, for was there not al
ways a bouquet in the window and
dainty pictures surrounding the grimy
time tables on the walls and kitten
curling upon the doorstep? At II Polly
has gone in as assistant to learn teleg
raphy, and when Clark, the agent, was
called to Mercer the company had left
the Independent girl in charge. She
and her father lived in one of the
wooden houses a stones throw back
from the depot, and since Polly's moth
er died they had been everything te
each other.
Engineer Marshall was a big, silenr
man, and his companions, some ol
them, thought him gruff and ill-tem
pered, but to Polly he was always as
tender as kitten. Often when she
was little girl he took her with hin
to Mercer on his engine, and while she
sat on his black leacther seat at thu
cab window, clinging on with botl
hands, he explained to her how the bi:
black creature under them was started
and stopped; what this brass cranl
was for, and how, when the engine
squeaked here or squaeked there, a lit
tile OIL was needed in this cup or in thai
cIevice, and Polly had learned to know
an engine as well as she knew the neal
little pantry in the house at home. In
deed, she had more than once managed
the levers and throttle, although it was
very heavy work for girl to do.
1t was one night late in the fall tha-
Polly Marshall had need of all hel
knowledge of engines. She was sittine
ut her desk in the little observation
window, a shaded light throwing it:
rays down on her telegraph instru
ments and the sounding key clickins
sleepily. Suddenly she was startled
by the call of. her number. Instantly
her fingers sought the keys, and sh,
gave the answer that signifed that sh,
was all attention.
Look out for -" clicked the sound
er, and then it suddenly ceased anC
try as she would Polly could get n,
further communication from the sta
tion next to the eastward. What coul,
the trouble be? Polly sprang to he
feet, remembering that the night ex
press of which her father was the en-
gineer was the next train due. Coul'
anything be the matter? She ran ou
on the dark platform to see that he
lights were all in place and that tn
switches were properly set, SO that tn
express would slip past the STATIC
without an accident. Then she wen
back and called UP Mercer.
Cant you get Pinckney?" she asked
Pinckney was the station which ha
sent her the warning dispatch so my:
terious interrupted. She knew the opt
rator at Pinckney well. Every nigh
he told her of the approach of her ratt
cr's train and whether or not it ha
left his station on time.
"Pinckney quiet. Can't get answer,
was the report of the wires. What
the trouble"
Polly answered as well as she coult
and Mercer made another attempt t
arouse Pincllney.
Her fathers train was now due.
should be whistling cheerily at til
lower bend. Polly stepped out on tn
platform and peered up the track. 9e'
there was the familiar headlight. Sh
would have known it among a hui
dred. Then came the whistle, "Hellt
Polly and Polly ran back into he
Office much relieved, and sat down t
warn Mercer. AT that instant she hear
n peculiar cracking sound that sen
her heart quiYering deep in her bosom
Then there was the shrill scream OF th
lncomotiEe whistle. suddenly interrup