Griggs courier., 1898-10-13

message to Lelands."
Lelands had been the end of the di-
vision before modern methods COM
PEELED the company to olengthenito it out to
200 miles. There was a big roundhouse
there, and plenty of engines. The
deferential care with which casket
must be handled caused them to leave
W three full minutes late-the
limit. Neither Jake nor Howard knew
that the baggagemaster had uncoupled
the air hose, and in the hustle at the
station that worthy had failed to OBJ
serve that no change of engines had
been made. So Jake pulled out with
no brakes on the train, and determined
to lose no more time if it was humanity
possible to avoid it.
The roundhouse foreman at Lelands
received an order to have an engine
ready to take train 10 on its arrival.
She was due in IS minutes, and, won
! dering what could have happened to
"Old Reliable" as Jake was popularity
called, he got his whole force on the
jump. Within five minutes of 19's ar
irving time he had an engine,
coaled, watered, and with her safety
valve simmering at 14o pounds to the
square inch, standing on the main
trackin charge of hostler, just beyond
the station. It was mighty good job,
we'll and quickly done.
After leaving w, the "s7'' be-
haved little better; she had thrown
out much of the offending matter, and
would stand pushing bit; but at her
best she had never made up quite a
minute between there and Lelands-
and she was far from being at her best
now.
When he reached the summit of the
hill from which he could look down
into Lelands, mile away, he knew
he would arrive there only 2A min
utes late-technically on time. He
knew to an inch how far be could use
steam, and it was with a sigh of relief
! that he shut her off and dropped the
lever down. He blew for the station,
glanced curiously at the airbrake
gauge-which showed the proper
pressure-and leaned wearily out the
window with his hand on the brake
valve.
AS the train rolled rapidly down the
grade lie applied the brake-gently.
to slow it up. He felt at once that 1t
had no hold. He glanced in alarm at
the gauge, and turned the valve all the
way around. The truth flashed over
him with paralyzing chill. He had no
brake!
He set his teeth grimly. and the gray
eyes flashed with determination as he
swung his great weight on the reverse
lever and horsed her over into the
back motion. There was a great big
chance that his time had come. AS he
reached for the whistle cord to blow
call for brakes-more for the infor-
nation of the man on the engine ahead
than from any faith in the hand brakes
he told his fireman to jump.
That single sharp blast of the whistle
sent chill to the heart of every rail-
road man who heard it. Jake was
hour. and no brake!
The hostler leaped from the extra
engine and ran half way across the
yard. The telegraph operator showed
a blanched face at his window. and
tried to think whether he had made a
mistake.
The brakeman feared to venture out
on the car platforms to set the brakes.
Phil Howard, the veteran railroader,
understood his friends wild appeal for
help. Regardless of probable conse-
quences, he jumped to brake wheel.
But the onward rush of ten heavy Pull
mans is not to be checked by single
hand brake.
With crash and roar "s7'' ran her
nose under the other engines tender:
she threw it-a crumpled and battered
can in appearance-clear over its own
boiler. The snare engine shot ahead.
but again 49," her drivers sliding. was
driven into her like ram. This tire
Jake's engine had her forward trrrk
derailed. and. as she plowed into the
ties. the force from behind her slucd
her around, and turned her over on top
of him.
The radiant light has gone from the
eyes of the widow and her orphans;
but it is one Of the valued traditions
Of the road to this day that Jake
Woodford was the only man who never
lost time with tac limitec-Saturday
Evening Post.
Russian Servants.
In Russia servants kiss their mis-