Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-09-14

so that before l could DO anything he
grabbed me 10y the shoulder, n I fell
backward alongside the boiler. my
head on the front doorsill Of the cab.
my back on the floor n Conroy on top
OF me. Although l was partly stunned
by the fall. | had mind enough left 10
get my arms around him n hug him
close TO me
"AH this time the train had been
gainin headway down that hill. n We
were fairly SiZzlin, the old mogawl
swayin To II fro as we swung around
turns. The space between the boiler
n the side of the cab was so narrer l
couldn't turn Conroy off me, n l
didn't dare let loose of him for fear
that he'd get hold of my throat. He
was SO crazed by the liquor that he'd
drunk II his cravin for more that there
was no reasonin with him. He was 50
big II heavy that / couldn't do much
the way we lay, my back fiat on the
floor, hemmed in 10y the side of the
cab on one side n the boiler on the
other n | huggin him like n long lost
brother. the cars behind us meanwhile
doin the ragtime down that hill.
Things were gettin rather excitin, as
there was likely to be somethin ahead
OF us. n at the foot of the hill was an
other water plug. 1t was n branch sta
ton there, n the engines We're swltchin
there at all times. II we ever hit any
thing at that rate of speed, | don't
think Joe Hoffman or any of us would
ever get in church but once again, n
that would be ahead of the mourners.
couldn't depend on the train crew to
do anything as you know crew on
these fast freights draw their money
for sleepin n playin penuchle in the
caboose durin trips.
I'VE flashed by station half way
down the hill. goin so fast that l
thought as how that dispatcher in Jer-
sey City would glggle with delight if
he saw what good time that perishable
freight was maxim toward Chicago. |
racked my brain to think what to do
As the light of that station flashed
through the cab spied the engineers
valve of the alrbrake. | figured as
how | could reach il with my right
foot, using my toe rs hook. n jerk
the valve around to the 'mergency
notch II stop that train with a bang
that would make Joe Hoffman n his
crew in the caboose think we'd run
into a stone wall l wriggled n got
my leg loose from under Conroy, N
with a mighty effort give him a raise
N kicked out at that valve. AS luck
would have it, my foot just caught the
valve in the rebound N jerked it
around in the 'mergency. n, say, you
would have thought we had been las
soed. The Jar broke both our holts,
N Conroy staggered to his feet fell
backward through the back cab door
n rolled off the tank. n that end
ed his railroad career then n there
without any special assistance from
me.
Hoffman came runnin up from the
caboose when we had stopped IA
yelled: Well, dash yer, whatcher
stoppinhere for? Can't you keep steam
nuf to drag 'em down hillT
"'Oh.' said, 'COnroy, my fireman, IS
got sick sister livin back up here in
the woods, N l guess he's gone to see
how she is.
I'VE went back n picked Conroy up.
His skull had been fractured by strik
| in 4 milepost n they put his body in
| the caboose n got another fireman at
he water plug. n we went in on time"
Just then the messenger boy came in
and yelled, stafford, they want you
fer train ST." and, taking n farewell
chew of tobacco, he left.-New York