Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-20

Compk
and
ned. senssr train No ? was whirlins
# the Il. I.d OF humanity over tbs Mohsve
heard d a great, wide eIpanse OF mid
IN los, L,.in country whose parehed
Geni@a . has exposed many an uncanuy
: Above ~ death from thirst and Indian
.e ea Wv Wearisd with the morOto-
no view OF treeIess- watsrless plains,
W. !, passengers gladly welcomed the
iron bach OF twilight The sun went
had in an angry glare. Outlining the
va, neaks Of q tar-aEaE range in
ID IS fsa lsjc forms. and gradually SIS night
ing a h IN there were more hopeful
and d NJ vegetation. II wAs the 24.h
speed ecember. and most OF the p2ssen-
CONSISTED were building on spending 4 mer-
oreechlJ khristmas in the favored spots OF
mefs land OF sunshine and flowers
torn i1na
ras a. ornia-
hors |ddenly we heard the warning
ought ID OF the engine ms 81" sat
dlsssd band OF cattle flying away in
led are r from either side Of the TRACK.
the engine shrisksd. the train
d nervoasly and seemed TO sway
rtainly on its curse
n. e next ome we were bounding
the ties in an uncomfortable and
I'D lying manner. The cries OF star
on women were drowned In the roar
hes scaping steam, and psnic-strickeu
pomth looked vainly for means OF es-
~ ea1 A group OF Mexicans, awakened
a sleep by the jar, plunged head
through an open window as
BIZ the devil were after them. The
: CHA finally spent its speed. and the
e mius] bughly frightened passengers
nit thai tged TO learn the number Of the
good \ and wounded, and 20 tender what
a. fhey could. The engine was COM
i ~ hidden in a great cloud of
'rVs \ !, which marked its position about
W the length OF the train. When
~ Stan finally exhausted itself, a
wreck was exposed The tender
" e engine was uptuFnei, and the
peer sat upon q piece OF Ereckage
PLY nursing an injured hand. The
m ian was some distance away, his
story and whiskers singed by the hot
in Es3 our from the engine. Neither was
es On Tlsiy Injured, and not q passenger
Of ad Pcratched. Beside the track, shiv-
tesd In the throes OF death, lay a
some steer-the cause OF ell the
I uA PIE. His neck had been twisted by
rush at the cowcatcher. As the
81 peers eyes fell upon the form Of
,hrts animal a smile OF satisfaction
,r,r q over his wan face. as he said:
,onius nat crittsr must nave been in the
nghts at some time in his career.
Ing hen ne spied that red flag yonder
e eoweatcher. he shook his head
ia usly and refused 70 leave the track
's the rest of them. ! slowed I'D
WASTED several times TO give him
- nee. but he only snorted dehantly.
!. q MS heels in the air and kept on
IAN unborn course. Finally he turn
,runst Dd / opened the throttle wide.
ShA ing that the best method of
the n ing him clear Of the track. With
psry roar ne came full at the en-
. MS head bent low TO the track.
yr y VI know the rest"
Steer az once became an object
c. eat interest to the relic fend One
& secured a horn and another cut
49, eooth, n the next day various
n, a views were taken OF the vail
,sodl nhnal that had wrecked a train.
) IN were twenty miles from the next
- ana the eastbound passenger
uue within an hour. Luckily a
IS Fapn operator was on the train
ae wires were hastily tapped so
ne oispatchers could be informed
ways.
i've passed a cherries night on the
F1 ana christmas morning found
Ors3 cohsolate party. There was no
DI car attached TO the train. and
y udseiers that We're not provided
" nuncn baskets rallied at the ILL.,
nat mad placed them in so mis-
~ plight Finally, some of them
NJ VI a foraging expedition. and
~ Tue track a few miles they locat-
q seSuon house controlled by Mex-
IA mere they appeased their hun
trlloies. chile con carne and
SCI ner warm dishes OF the natives
as lang train at length arrived on
put the work Of repair was
anu tedious. Several yards OF
uad been torn up, and II was
g an to construct a "shoo-ay"
! ne wreck. This took the
IA e OF the day. Meanwhile
engers looked on in a helpless
cBd mo all vowed that they had never
ab1 = christmas amid such d~esolata
pndings.-C. N. Stark.