The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-07-04
5NNMr
THE 81" ENGINEERS
STORY. -

Nv STORY. 1MA
eyes, it's 30 years I've been running
an engine on the elevated. Not as long
a run in miles at first as 1 have now,
from the Battery to the Harlem, but
the hours have always been the same,
and I've never missed an hour in the
cab the company was entitled to in all
that time.
"Tire of it2 No. Some of the men
tell me-when we meet and talk, in the
engine yards beyond the Hundred and
Fifty fifth street station, while waiting
to relieve-some of the men say they
see nothing in the run that interests
them, and they get tired of it.
Maybe I'm different from most, but
in all my years the sights see from my
cab window have always been like
play on the stage to me.
"Do we get acquainted with the peo-
pie In the windows we see so often, day
after day, year after year?
''No wouldn't say acquainted, ex-
actly, for that means to speak to each
other. and we never get to know them
well enough for that, except the kids.
'tOh, yes, the kids get to call us by
the number of our engines and become
very friendly, especially those who live
in the houses opposite our stops.
81 said we didn't get acquainted, but
there was case, and if you're looking
for story I'll tell you that
SeTf woo uooro VOC v1ok .,,ouo
than ~, and to think what's happened
that I noticed a kindly faced, well
dressed woman sitting always in the
same window at the same hour in the
afternoons, just opposite to where my
cab stopped at-well, it was one of the
stations beyond the Central park turn.
1T was good neighborhood and in
one of the big apartment houses they
were rushing up at that time along the
line of the road on Eighth avenue.
cit might be the home, should say
of salesman, head salesman, in some
wholesale house, who'd be making a
good salary-like couple of thousand
year or so.
ut looked like a happy home, a
comfortable home where there was never
any sleep lost about whether the rent
money would be in the good wife's
hands at the end of the month or the
butchers bill be paid on time.
s"The lady would sometimes smile or
nod at me as I'd come to full stop Just
opposite her window.
"Well shift in my run brought me
along there on the up trip about 10
minutes later after awhile, and l saw
what the lady was always looking for
Ia schoolgirl. a big, hearty. fine look
ing lass-who threw kiss to the lady,
and on the next trip up, for it was late
in the spring and the days were long,
/ saw the two, mother and daughter,
at the open window. The girl was read
ing aloud and the mother listening,
with some sewing in her hand, and
proud of the daughter, as l well knew,
for I'd one of my own about the same
age
"After awhile they would both look
out and smile pleasantly and nod at me
out there in the cab waiting for the
starting signal, and I'd nod back.
''It was year or so I saw them that
way sometimes at supper, sometimes
in the morning before the husband took
his train, and then one day the shut
tiers were all drawn, and day or two
later there was funeral
s'The station agent told me it was
the husband and father who died.
HSoon there were strangers in the
house, and for whole year I never
saw my friends. They moved off the
line. 1 guess, for looked sharp but
never saw them again until at the end
of year l saw them in poorer fiat,
both of them at work sewing ON ma
chimes.
"'rhey saw me and smiled, but sad
like, and it was not many months be-
fore they moved again, not off the line,
but farther down on Sixth avenue.
Then, / take it, the mother died, for /
saw the young woman alone for few
weeks. and she was weeping as she
sewed
again lost her, until one day
saw her on the platform with man,
and she looked as happy-well, you
know how happy young woman looks
when she's with the first man she loves.
~ didn't like him. To be sure, l only
had sight of him, but that sight made
me uneasy, as told my own good wife
in talking about it that night.
'He did not look honest.
"For a year-maybe two-I saw
them off and on. Sometimes they lived
where / could see them in their rooms,
1o.,,ok;..,oe ,,0k I1,,4 HI oo%ob esr~I,k <,el
her taking or leaving train.
"Then she was mostly alone. and she
began to look troubled.
at was in winter month I next
saw the woman, In a room below the
Washington square turn. She was
standing at the window like one who
had plenty Of trouble and no hope and
holding baby-it might be year old,
say-in her arms. She happened to see
me and pointed me out to the baby, but
the little one was without spirit and
only turned his face to his mothers
breast and lay there quiet.
EVERY day l saw them, and-I'm a
father, I've told you'll made up my
mind from the looks Of both what was
the matter.
81 told my good woman, and she
said; John, III put something extra in
your dinner pail tomorrow, and You get
1t to the poor soul. for she's starving.
$50, when l pulled up opposite her
window the next day early In the morn
ing and saw her at the closed window,
l motioned her to open it, and just as !
got the starting signal she slid the win
dow up, and easily tossed in the bun
die the wife had made up-some good
bread and meat and little fruit.
81 pulled out before l could see her,
but the next trip she was there, smiling
and crying, and she kissed little note
the good wife had sent with the food
just little word to encourage, that
good woman like the wife would know
how to write to poor soul in trouble
s'My fireman, as bright lad as ever
was on the run with me, saw what
did, and the next day he tied little
bundle to mine, and for a week we pass