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


conductor back to me nearest station
for the tools and assistance, while he
took an axe and went into the wood
after the logs. He chopped and chop
ped for about ten minutes, aud when
he had as much wood as he wanted, he
returned to the train that Is, he went
back 10 where he thought he had left
it-but the locomotive and the three
ears had disappeared.
"Disappearedv' cried the farmer and
the schoolmaster in one breath.
'Yes,n said Bob, ''my grandfather
was SO astonished that he just sat down
on the track and cried. Then he
thought it was foolish for him to be-
have in that way; perhaps the con-
ductor and the brakeman had found
out the trouble, while he was busy
chopping, and had taken the train and
passengers away. But he reflected that
they would have known better than to
get themselves into trouble with the di-
rectors by such an action; so. not know,
ing what else to do, he shouted so loud
and so often that the people all came
running out Of the wood, thinking that
the locomotive had been repaired, and
that this was the promised signal.
"Myl those biscuits are certainly
good, Mr.. Blossom" said Bob, as he
bit into another that he had been hold
ing In his hand.
"Yes, yes, know said the farmer
impatiently; 'hurry your story along,
Bob, and tell us what was the matter
with the locomotive, and I'll see that
you get whole painful tomorrow"
"Thank you, sir,n said Bob; sail
right, then; I'll cut II short. Ny grand
father and the passengers started to run
along the track as fast as they could
all except the sad faced man; they could
not find him - for they thought the
train might stop again after a short
run. My grandfather was terribly
frightened, for he thought of the acei-
dents that might happen with no one
to manage the LOCOMOTIVES; but in spite
of that he said he could not help laugh
ing when he looked back and saw the
people running madly after him with
their hands full of flowers, and their
faces as long as his arm.
sit all turned out just as my grand
father had expected; they had found
the locomotive standing still again, and
pulling and blowing, about a quarter of
mile from the station, and they had
to get another locomotive to pull her in.
'Then," said Bob, "they found out
the trouble. The machinery was run
ming independent of the levers because
it had slipped cog.n
"slipped a cog" exclaimed his hear
ers incredulously.
"Yes." said Bob, 'my grandfather
explained it all very clearly in techni-
cal terms. II was in the early days Of
locomotives, YOU know. and they were
not so well built as they are to day,
when such a thing could not happen.
You have seen betting slip off a pulley
and stop moving, while the machinery
kept on going, haven't you, Mr.. Birch?''
"Oh, yes" answered the schoolmas-
ter.
"And both you gentlemen" added
Bob, "have probably noticed the hands
of clock get caught and lose an hour
or two, and then go on again, while the
clock kept ticking all the while?"
Certainly" they answered.
"WeI, that's tho way this was. You
recollect, told you my grandfather
had the forward lever ola when he lefi
his engine, so the parts came together
again. Hallor' cried Bob, suddenly,
site half-past seven, and have an en-
gagement. Good night, gentlemenP'
and off he went.