The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-20
FLAGS FAST NAIL
Mother Anxious 10 Reach Her Dylng
Child De6es Railroad Roles.


Child Deaes Railroad Rules.
The anguish Of the mother OF a dying
child on the one hand and the prospect OF
the loss Of Thousands of dollars. the In
conveniencing Of hundreds of passengers.
and the delaying Of the United States
mails was the dilemma which confronted
officials OF the Chicago & Northwestern
railway recently. Cold-hearted CONNER
cialism. however. was placed before the
heart-broken appeals OF the woman. but
the mothers desperation finally triumph
ed. and, after riskinG her life, she was
enabled TO reach the bedside Of her child.
Shortly after o'clock yesterday after
noon Station Agent Lang. who has charge
Of the Northwestern depot at Evanston.
noticed . man and . woman. persons OF
apparent refinement. pacing nervously UP
and down the long platform and occasion
ally turning fearful faces In the direction
OF the city. Finally the man approached
Lang and inquired the time OF the arrival
Of the fast mail train from Chicago. Up
on being informed that the train never
stopped under any circumstances at Evan
ston, the look OF agony on the mans face
increased. and his companion wrung her
hands. The station agent was besecched
to nag the train. In humanify's name. as
the man and woman. who said they were
Mr.. and Mrs. Nathan Allen. OF Kenosha.
had been called to the bedside Of their
child. who was dying at home.
Upon being informed that II was out Of
the question TO nag the train: tina; II had
been tried before on several occasions
without avail. for the reason that IL
mounted a grade upon It's approach TO
Evanston. and its stoppage meant q loss
OF quarter OF an hour and thousands OF
dollars to the railroad on account OF miss
ing connections In the north. the woman
became frantic. The man reasoned and
impiored until at length he prevailed up
on Lang TO telegraph to Division Superin-
tendent Lawson. In Chicago. for permis-
sion 10 stop the heavy mali train.
The answer was: Much as we would
like to accommodate from humanitarian
standpoint. II will mean the loss Of thou
sands Of dollars to the road. and II Is ali
solutely impossible to think Of tagging
the O'Clock mall at Evanston
When the message was read both Mr.
and Mrs. Allen wept The next train by
whsh they could hope TO reach Kenoeha
passed through four hours later Their
child would probably have passed away
by that time. without the soiaeing caress
of ether parent during It's last hourA
With bowed head Allen stood leaning
against the station. He fa!le3 10 notice
the movements OF his wife. but was
brought from his iaz.d condition in
few moments by rumble and roar and
the deafening acreech OF a whistle. Min
gled the hurried ciang Of IN engine bell.
Looking toward the north end Of the plat
form. Alien was horrsf.ed TO see his wife
standing In the path Of the engine waving
above her dishsvssed hea[ for red-isned
golf cape. Allen turned his face In horror
The brakes under the heavy train Of
coaches rasped. ard when he locked again.
instead OF seeing his wife's manslsd form
beside the roadbed. he saw her. stu
clutching her cape. fainting In the arms
Of blue jscketed ana gr!my engineer.
Fly the time the passengers on the train
had recovered from the shock OF the su(:-
den halt and dragged themselves from
the heaps into which they had hsea
thrown. they hassened 70 the front end 81
tAo train. NJ. Allen, gushing hio way