The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1899-01-13
DISCOVER A BROKEN RAIL.

Two Boy Tramps Discover a Broken Rail
On Rock IsIand-Srevsn5 IA Accident.
This is a story Of how two youthful
tramps saved life and property by dis
covering a broken railroad rail and
tagging a train just like boy heroes in
stage melOdramas have done for years,
says the Topeka State Journal.
The boys are named viii and Ed and
the name their father gave them is
Duncan. They are brothers aged 10 and
IA respectively. They were tTamps be
cause they went "brOks" hunting for
gold in Colorado and wanted to get
back to their home in Peoria, IL They
walked from the gold territory into
Denver and out Of Denver over the
Rock Island rOadbed through Colorado
and into Kansas, stopping at farm
houses or sleeping in hay stacks just
as opportunity offered at night. What
they ate they begged along the way.
Last Sunday morning they were still
trampiDg over the Rock Island rOadbed
and were a few miles west Of Phillips
burg. Kan, when the little star act that
changed their fortunes occurred. A
long freight train eastbOund came along
and the two boys cOUrteously loaned it
the right of way. They had gone but
short distance after again taking pos
session of the rOadbed when they dis
covered that under the long line Of
heavy freight cars one of the rails Of
the track had given away leaving
dangerous gap in the line of steel
The brothers stopped tramping and
held a caucus at the broken rail. They
reasoned that the gap would prove dis
astTOuS to a train passing over 1t and
decided that the burden Of action was
with them. While one boy remained at
- II ~ L l.
est farm house and asked for an old
mistress Of the particular farm gave
him the remnants of a red lawn dress
she had worn when a girl.
With the discarded lawn the boys
made their way back some distance
and, tearing the cloth IN two, manufac-
tured flags by the aid Of stout tree
branches. The imprOvised flags they
planted in the ground at either side of
the track. With this accomplished the
brothers resumed their tramp over the
rOadbed, thinking to flag any train they
might chance to meet before they ar
rived at the next station.
The boys reached Phillipsburg with
out meeting westbOund train, and told
the story of the broken rail to the Rock
Island employees there. An eaStbCund
passenger train was due IN Phillipsburg
within an hour and a section foreman
and gang of wOrkmen hurried to the
spot to repair the damage before the
arrival Of the train. They found that
the rail was in such shape that it would
have derailed a train, and after putting
in a new rail they retained to Phillips
burg and reported the fact. The agent
at PhilIipsburg telegraphed the offices
in Top and received orders to issue
transp ortatiOn to the two boys as far
as possible on the Rock Island, and in
formation that transportation from the
Rock Island point to Peoria would be
awaiting them on their arrival in Kan
sas City.
The passengers of the eastbOund
train we're told of the occurrence when
the train reached Phillipsburg, and a
substantial purse was made up for the
brothers. The Rock Island employees
at the station increased the amount,
and the boys left Phillipsburg with
enough to pay all the expenses Of the
trip to their home In Peoria.