The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-03-15

4
another.
"Thank you, Mrs. Blossom said
Rob warmly, as he quickly disposed Of
the second biscuit; "they don't make
biscuit SO good as these at Maple Farm,
because they d)u't know how
Help yourself, Bob, - said the farm
er's wife, delighted with his compli-
ment to her baking; there's plenty
more where these came FROM" then
she left the room.
The farmer looked as if he did not
fully share his wife's opinion, but he
said nothing.
''Let me see" resumed Bob, glsncing
at the pan, "where was I? Oh, yes
well, everything went along all right;
the engine was working beautifully;
aud IL was well that it did, for my
grandfather had his hands full trying
TO do the work of two men. He had
covered about thirty miles-the loco
motive was only making twenty six
miles an hour, which was high speed
for those days-and he could see that
the track ahead of him was as clear
and straight as could he for miles and
miles, so he did some more of the fire.
mans work, and then sat down on the
door of the cab TO repair his shoes. My
grandfather was not only an independ-
ent engineer, but he was independent,
also, of the shoemaker, having learned
that trade as well.
"Well, he cut the leather and pegged
and hammered the soles, and got so
much interested la his task that he al
most forgot where he was. Just as he
had begun the heel on his second shoe
he felt the locomotive entering, as il
were. a new road-bed, and gliding
along so smoothly that he wondered If
they had already reached the much
talked about section, of which the di-
rectors had said the day before that it
was so smooth that one could hardly
feel the motion in riding over it. Judg-
ing that this was the case and marvel
! ing at the ease with which the new
locomotive was going, he gave no
further thought TO the matter and kept
on at his shoes until he had them TO his
liking. Then he got up, and natural
~, as e=sTy engineer does when his
train is in motion, he looked straight
ahead and the first thing he saw Was a
round, white object with colored top,
lying on the left hand rail two or three
hundred feet ahead.
"My grandfather was little curious
to know what this object might be, and
was Just about to reverse the lever aud
stop the train, when he noticed that
the landscape was standing still and
that the object, whatever il was, APP
preached no closer He rubbed his eyes
several times. and pinched himself to
see whether he was awake or dream
ing, and then he looked again.
well, you can imagine his surprise
when he saw that not only were the
trees and houses, and other objects,
standing still, but the locomotive also.
There was that brand new locomotive,
standing stock still in the middle of
the track, with her wheels going round,
and steam escaping as if she were do
ing her duty, only il sounded soft, like
| running over thick carpet!
"When my grandfather reversed the
lever, the locomotive became as quiet
as lamb; then he put il on full again,
and the machinery started to revolve
and the steam to escape, and she con-
tinued to make almost as much ado as
if she were going twenty-six miles an
hour; but she never moved an inch.
my grandfather didn't know, a.
first, whether to laugh or to get angry,
but he just then happened TO think oi
the fireman, so he got angry; and he
gave the locomotive such talking to
that he soon got out of breath.
"What was the round thing on the
track ?'' interjected the farmer, whose
interest in the story was now aroused.
at was only a turnip," answered
Bob, "about as big as two OF these bis
cults put together" and he picked up
the biscuits and crushed them together
to illustrate the size Of the turnip
"Hallop' he cried, as the fiaky roll:
fell apart, 81 didn't mean TO do thatg
"That's all right" said the farmer
"Eat them, and take more if you wan
them"
Thank you, sir" said Bob, taking
immediate sdvantage:of the invitation
by filling his pockets.
"Well, gentlemen" he continued
"by this time most Of the passenger
had discovered that the train had beer
standing still for at least fifteen min
utes, so they came up and crowded
around my grandfather, asking ques
tions and-making all sorts of sugges
tions as to the trouble. Some of then
laughed, and said they guessed the 10
conotive was tired and wanted a rest
One seientific-looking man poked al
around the machinery, and said tha
the rails were probably magnetized a
that spot, and the wheels could not ge
away from them. Another man sale
that somebody must have put oil o
grease on the track; so they looked
very carefully but could not find any.
"The brakeman and the conductor,
continued Bob, reported that th'
brakes were all right, and so the who'll
crowd stood looking helplessly at tina
locomotive, working away for dear life
. not knowing what TO do next, and tax
ing my grandfather's word for it tha
the machinery was in proper eondi
} ton.
"My grandfather, by this time, wa
in what be called white heat, an6
he wanted to be left aloae, so he spok'
to the crowd so earnestly that they al
walked away rather quickly, and wen
. into neighboring wood to stroll abou
and gather flowers aud discuss the sit
uation, my grandfather promising Il
call them as soon as he had solved thu
! difficulty. Well, he got down on hi
hands and knees, the brakeman ans
! the conductor with him, and the.
erawled under the engine and inspect
, ed il. and then climbed into the eal