The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-09-21
WHY THE TRAIN WAITED.
Trunk Had Been Forgotten and
Two Men Went Back Three
Miles After 1t.

! They were bound for some unpro-
nounceable town in Michigan which
had originally been discovered by an
investigating summer resorter and
| thereupon handed over to investigating
hordes. However, the town kept it's
dignity and stiffly refused to become
metropolitan and civilized. An unde-
cided single-track railroad led into it's
hallowed precincts and the timetable
had long ago been lost behind the coal
bin or down the we'll, for trains ran any
old time, according to when the con-
ductor finished his slab of custard pie
at the lunch counter or the engineer de-
cided he had read all he wanted in the
morning paper, says the Chicago Even
ing News.
The townspeople never went any
where and the visitors were on vaca-
tons, had plenty of time and were
charmed with the carelessness of the
system, so nobody complained to the
president of the road. In fact it was
not quite certain there was president.
Somebody paid the train crew their
wages and supplied coal, SO the train
service meandered jerkily on. And, as
the village philosopher explained to
critics of the road, that was all that
was necessary.
"Yeh started fer here" he indignant
ly demonstrated, "and here yeh be.
| Watchuh kickin' about?"
This was the last time any restless
traveller ever ventured to complain at
spending IL hours accomplishing a
five-hour trip, for the argument was
undeniably succinct and unanswerable.
| There was one Philistine in the party
from Chicago which changed cars at
the junction at noon and committed
themselves to the single-track road.
Her friends had explained carefully the
vagaries of this railway. 81 know the
station agent at the junction said we'd
be there in five hours, DEAR" said the
matron of the crowd, "but you needn't
keep your belongings gathered up.
We shan't get there before midnight, if
we do then"
The girl raised her eyebrows politely.
She disliked exaggeration and she had
great faith in the American railway as
having emerged from a backwoods
state. "Why doesn't somebody do
something's" she asked. That's dis
graceful. When people take train"
Exactly" cheerfully broke in the
funny man. you've got right to the
point. The passengers nine times out
of ten have to drag the whole blamed
concern or push it along by main force.
It's the only way the train would ever
get there, positively"
The girls scornful reply was cut
short by the train stopping. They had
travelled three miles from the junction.
Nobody seemed surprised or even an
noyed or jumped up to see what was
the trouble.
"We might get out and pick flowers"
said the matron, casually. "There are
some pretty ones over there" The
whole party arose and went. The Phil
istine kept casting nervous glances
over her shoulder at the sulky train.
'Don't worry" they told her. ct
won't possibly start before half an
hour. It's just thinking over the ques-
ton trying to decide if it really wants
to make the trip or not. Or perhaps
the fireman remembered he had not
had his afternoon siesta and they were
giving him chance at beauty Sleep"
Then the girl gave up and picked
black-eyed Susans. Presently the train
coughed and growled and began to
back up. Slowly it retraced the path
toward the junction and the girl was
alarmed. Had it decided finally it did
mt want to go to the town with the I'M
pronounceable name and would it leave
them stranded in this wildwood which
suggested bears and mosquitoes?
Up the track two men came toll
ing along to meet the train backing
toward them. They were carrying
something, 1t was trunk. Perhaps
it was murder mystery! Everybody
dropped their black-eyed Susans and
ran to be in at the finish.
But there was shrek of surprise
from the Philistine. "Why, it's my
trunk" she cried, in amazement. The
struggling, red-faced men carrying the
piece of baggage dropped it with a
thump and mopped their foreheads on
their bingham shirt sleeves.
'Yes'm," said the brakeman, who
stood near. "They forgot and left it at
the junction when the change of cars
was made and we just waited for 'em
to go back after it. All aboard!"
They reached the town with the un
pronounceable name exactly one hour
after midnight, but the girl didn't say