St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-09-16
JAcKKNFE SAVED HIS LIFE
A Texan RailPoaa Mans Narrow Es-
cape from . Terrible
Death.

The bald-headed railroad man who
frequents the rotunda of the Great
Northern hotel these evenings is usu-
ally the center of quite number OF
loungers, for he has many interesting
incidents of adventure to relate.
''When l was a section boss down in
Texas" he said. the other evening. Il
had the crookedest piece of track in the
state-couldn't see two telegraph poles
at one time at any point on my section.
Right where the Toulouse was there
was . curve and at the end of the
curve there was q switch for a passing
track. l had my men working one day
around the curve near the Toulouse,
and while they were filing in a piece of
track l moseyed down to look at the
switch at the other end of the curve.
The men were about quarter of mile
from the switch, but out of my view
around the curve. In those days we did
not take the precaution to put blocks of
wood in the chinks of the frogs and at
the end of the guard rails as they do
now to keep brakemen from getting
lcCl IdSts III VIC uou "OoAu hOS
have been telling this story, because it
wouldn't have happened.
''As was poking around the frog
got one of my heels wedged in one Of
the numerous openings and could not
get myself free. ! tugged away and
swore little under my breath, but
machinist's wise could not have held
that heel tighter than the frog did.
You can easily judge the extent Of my
alarm when l heard a train whistle for
q crossing which knew to be mile
and a half from the point where was
fastened. looked at my watch; it was
the four o'clock cannon ball from the
west and i knew that it would bear
down on me in three minutes unless |
succeeded in wrenching the heel of my
shoe, which appeared hopeless task.
The train would shoot around the curve,
the engineer would not have time to
even slow down in response to NY sig
nal, and would be ground beneath the
wheels. The train was approaching
from the direction of my men, and
shouted, hoping they might hear me
and flag it, but it was a vain hope. and
I heard the roar across bridge less
than a mile away. / was beginning to
despair, but cast glance arounf to see
if help was coming from any other
quarter, when saw small. tow-head-
ed boy standing in the middle of the
track behind me.
..Run up there!' 1 yelled, pointing to-
ward the tool house. 'anI flag the can
non ball.
1.-The boy looked at me, but did not
bulge.
"'Run, rum 1 whooped again. or I'll
be killed! Don't you see my foot's fast
and can't get on the track!'
1.-THE boy said nothing, but put his
hand in his pocket and pulled out his
jacknife.. / thought he would look for
a stick next so he could whittle while he
discussed my proposition. as they do
down in Texas. / could hear the engine
bell ringing to warn my men to clear
the track, and I knew that there re-
mained but few seconds between my
self and death, as the boy had stood in
active too long to get any distance away
and signal the engineer.
But the boy was not as stupid as
had thought him to be; indeed, he was
not half as stupid rs myself. He didn't
look for stick, but he stepped up be-
side me. stopped down, ran the keen
blade of his knife over my shoe string.
up, grinned and said:
"'Yank yer foot out, mister; here she |
comes
II rolled of the track and the train |
swept past. and the boy sauntered away
down the track just as if nothing had
d."-Chicago Chronicle.