The times., 1899-01-15
THE CRAZY IRNGINEER.


treatment of nervous diseases, and being
especially interested in that branch of my
profession. | had come out from town TO
spend 4 few days with him. He had just
been called away for short while and
was obliged to leave me in the company of
his freaks as he called his patients and
their attendants.
] started toward the steps leading up TO
the enormous porch which surrounded the
main building, where ] could see an old
man diligently studying over some object
on the step before him. | was much sur
prised, on approaching him, to find that
he did not appear TO be more than forty
five years of age; that is, while his hair
was snowy white, his form was strong and
upright, his eyes keen and intelligent, and
his firm skin and air of alertness showed
him to be man hardly past his prime.
Poor fellow, | thought, Il wonder what
brought you here. Surely not dissipation,
10 judge from your looks"
He did not discover that / vas coming
toward him until was only few yards
away. when he hastily secreted something
in the bosom of his old gray blouse Then
turning TO me he said pleasantly: Par
don me for hiding my invention. If you
are friend of DR.. jackson you must of
course, be an honorable man. but in speak
ing of this matter outside you might let
drop a remark. which. taken advantage
of by some INSCRIPTIONS persons, would
bring my years of labor TO nothing
You are surely excusable,'' l replied,
for not wishing your invention TO become
too well known, at least until you have had
it patented, but may | ask in which direc-
tion your energies are being applied?'
1T is intended he replied, TO prevent
,Ia of.
deaths-that caused by persons being
struck by locomotives. Further than that
1t is TO be attached to the pilot of the en-
gine, | can tell you nothing
Did you make this engine" | asked.
pointing TO a very well executed model of
an engine on the step before him.
No he replied. Some of the boys at
the roundhouse had it made for me, and it
has been of great value to me; in fact
without it l do not think l could have
brought my invention to its present almost
completed state
'You are railroad man. then" que
ried, AN engineer" l would have judged
from his appearance and conversation that
he had come from some exalted station.
Your invention, if successful, will be OF
immense benefit to mankind
Yes. he said sadly, "and ii will save
many railroad man from such fate as
mine" And he passed his hand slowly
through his hair and looked dreamiIy out
across the valley, still holding fast 10 the
thing he had placed in his blouse.
Il trust you will not be offended If I
ask you to tell me your story" l ventured,
for surely you have not come by that
white hair through age''
Il don't mind telling it to you" he said
But for fully five minutes he sat staring
straight before him and did not make a
sound l felt intensely sad as | watched
this prematurely aged man, to whom the
beautiful scene stretched out before us was
evidently lost-blotted out by the mental
sight of other scenes which had wrecked
his brain.
Finally he began: 1T has been about
hFe-yedrs since last ran an engine for the
L. q 5. Before that time life had no cares
or troubles for me. I had good position.
was well thought of by my superiors and
was the husband and father of as loving
family as ever a man was blessed with.
All was changed in one day-in one day."
Ana again he fell to gazing out over the
landscape, mutterlng unintelligibly TO him.
self. f.f.
Suddenly he turned to me and resumed
excitediy: Yes, all was changed in one
day and the company sent me up here TO
be treated for something that's gone
wrong in my head. This is how it came
about:
Il was running 743 on the daylight run
between st. Louis and Chicago. Ye gods,
but that was an engine. / believe she was
the fastest ever built, and no man knew
just what her speed was for none had ev-
er dared to throw her throttle wide open
"One day in April. we had been DELAYED
near brownsville by wash-out and were
nearly an hour behind time. l had orders
to make the siding al Somerfeld as soon
as possible. so as not to delay the north
bound mail.
From Brownsville to Somerfeld was
stretch of sixty miles of single track. and
for fifty miles of that distance We sped
along-l4S and without incident. each
throb she gave seeming to me like laugh
as she thought of how she was licking up
the distance and winning back the lost
moments.
We were going at the highest rate Of
speed dared TO send her when we came In
sight OF the village of Rvington. Here
there was sharp curve and | had to
slow down somewhat but | let her down
only very little The village | could
plainly see, but the station building was
hidden behind large hill In such a way
that south bound train could not be seen
from the station platform until within ff
considered one of the most dangerously
located on the road, and Heaven only
knows why the station building was ulac-
ed in such position
Half a mile north of Rivington 7 he
gan to sound the powerful whistle to warn
those round the station of our approach.
slowed down little more In order 10
take the curve safely. the whistle scream
Ing all the time. We rounded the curve
and the station lay before us and-Merci-
full God, let me forget the sight-a sight
that sent a chill through my brain and
parayzed me for an instant" In his ex-
citcment the poor fellow stood up and
pointed out with his hand the scene so
firmly fixed on his minds eye There
before me | saw an old woman walking
on the track toward the crossing She did
not seem TO realize her dangerous position
until We were not more than twenty wards
from her and then started to cross To tho
platform. But she was old and her move
ments slow. ! jumped to the lever. but It
was too late 10 stop the train or even to
slow down to any extent. and we thunder
cd on. | felt the shock. saw the poor old
fern hurled in the air-and 743 seemed to
fairly shrek with merriment as she
thought Of how she conquered such OBJ
structions. rffi.I
Il tugged at the lever attempting to
throw it back but--what power was it,
something on my arm that would not al
low me to draw it toward me, and en-
iirely against my will my arm shot for
ward and Ti3's throttle was wide open.
saw something on my hand-another hand.
although ! could not feel it-and then
became conscious that some one was be-
side me. Oh, | can feel to this moment
the horrible, creeping sensation that came