The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1899-07-20

| Smell. ID II not Qedu SCI dSdluSt Tug
stuff myself. but let her go.
| I'VE got started again n walked
away up the hill from the tank as easy
as Willie Bryan makes nice, long
speech, n I noticed an Improvement
in the steam gauge right away, n
commenced to let 'er out at once to
make up for lost time. 1t was purity
| good, even goin then for about 20 mile,
then up an incline of about 3 mile n
| down the mountainside II mile. When
| we struck the top Of that II mile hill
| ] kept her wide open for about half
mile to- give us good start down the
| hill n then shut her off N let 'em
buzz.
| "The old GOT was stem winder, with
boiler runnin right through the cab
| to the back, dividin the fireman and
engineers side. The airbrake valve
was placed right on top the boiler, to-
ward the back end of the cab, SOS you
could reach it nice n handy while sit
| tin in the seat. I'd no more n shut her
| off when a shadder fell over my shout
der, N turned quick, n Conroy sprung
| on me.
"'You dirty blackguardv he scream
| ed. I'll teach yer to chuck my booze
| overheard Report me, is it? You
dirty rag! Shure n you'll never live to
see the super ag'in.'
"As he leapt on me it took me back
so that before 1 could do anything he
grabbed me by the shoulder, n fell
backward alongside the boiler, my
head on the front doorsill of the cab,
my back on the floor n Conroy on top
of me. Although was partly stunned
by the fall. 1 had mind enough left to
get my arms around him n hug him
close to me.
Cali this time the train had been
gainin Roadway down that hill. n we
were fairly sizZlin, the old mogawl
swayin to n fro as we swung around
turns. The space between the boiler
n the side Of the cab was so narrer
couldn't turn Conroy off me, n
didn't dare let loose Of him for fear
that he'd get hold Of my throat. He
was SO crazed by the liquor that he'd
drunk n his cravin for more that there
was no reasonin with him. He was SO
big IN heavy that l couldn't do much
the way we lay, my back fat on the
floor. hemmed In by the side Of the
cab on one side n the boiler on the
other n huggin him like long lost
brother, the cars behind us meanwhile
dom the ragtime down that hill.
Things were gettin rather excitin, as
there was likely to be somethin ahead
Of us. n at the foot Of the hill was an
other water plug. 1t was a branch sta
ton there, n the engines were switchin
there at all times. If we ever hit any
thing at that rate Of speed, I don't
think Joe Hoffman or any Of us would
ever get in church but once again, n
that would be ahead Of the mourners.
I couldn't depend on the train crew to
do anything, as you know crew on
these fast freights draw their money
for sleepin n playin penuchle in the
caboose durin trips.
1--WE flashed by station half way
down the hill, goin so fast that
thought as how that dispatcher in Jer-
sey City would giggle with delight if
he saw what good time that perishable
freight was maxim toward Chicago. /
racked my brain to think what to do.
AS the light of that station flashed
through the cab spied the engineers
valve Of the airbrake. I figured as
how l could reach it with my right
foot, using my toe as hook, n jerk
the valve around to the Emergency
notch n stop that train with bang
that would make Joe Hoffman n his
crew in the caboose think we'd run
into stone wall 1 wriggled n got
my leg loose from under Conroy, N
with a mighty effort give him raise
n kicked out at that valve. AS luck
would have it, my foot just caught the
valve in the rebound n jerked it
around in the Emergency, n, say, you
would have thought we had been las
seed. The jar broke both our hollis,
n Conroy staggered to his feet, fell
backward through the back cab door
n rolled off the tank. N that end
ed his railroad career then n there
without any special assistance from
me.
Hoffman came runnin up from the
caboose when we had stopped n
yelled: Wen, dash yer, whatcher
stoppin here for? Can't you keep steam
nuf to drag 'em down hillY
"'Oh.' said, 'Conroy, my fireman, s
got sick sister Twin back up here in
the woods, n I guess he's gone to see
how she is.
eve went back n picked Conroy Up.
His skull had been fractured by strik-
in a milepost, n they put his body in
the caboose, n got another fireman at
he water plug, n we went in on time"
Just then the messenger boy came in
and yelled, stafford, they want you
fer train 81" and. taking farewell
chew Of tobacco, he left.-New York
Sun.
Skylark's Glorious Song.