The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-05-03
OVER THE EAST BROADTOP.
A Day in Altoona.

Last Friday we drove up to
Three Springs; and after partalS-
ing of a good dinner at the Park
House, and leaving our "gray" in
the landlords care, we boarded
train on the East Broadtop for a
ride out TO the "main line. The
East Broadtop people do not put
on any airs with their narrow
guage accommodations they just
operate their road for business.
Our train was made up of a string
of loaded coal cars, baggage car,
miners cars, and a passenger
coach, while the interior finish
and furnishing of their coaches
does not present quite as luxuri-
Gus an appearance as a Pullman
on the Limited" yet you get
there just the same, and McCon-
nellsburgers wish they had just
as good railroad facilities.
AS we stopped at Rockhill, our
attention was drawn toward a
crowd of people who seemed to
have been awaiting the arrival of
the train. In a few moments we
saw taken carefully from the bag
gage car, a stretcher, upon which
was a corpse hidden from view by
a sheet.
Upon inquiry, we found that it
was the body of John Ruby, a
young man whose home had been
in Orbisonia. He had been work
ing in the mines up at Roberts
dale, but had quit to go to Clear
field For some reason he had
decided to go back to work at
Robertsdale, and had done so that
morning. After working about
two hours in a mine, and while
digging away, a large lump of
coal dropped from the top of the
drift striking him on the back of
the head and neck and crushing
him down. After a few convul-
sive quivers his body was still
and life had gone.
In a few minutes there was the
conductor "aw- board" and we
were speeding away. There
were not many passengers and
the conductor Mr.. O. w. Moore
found time to exchange a word
now and then with a passenger.
Moore is great big good natur-
ed fellow who has been on that
road for twenty y-fve years, and
whose vest is now not too little
for him.
81 guess you didn't know you
were riding on the train with d
corpse" he said in response to
some question about the unfor-
tunate young man.
'No; | do not care to have pas
sengers know aboutsuch things" I"
said he, 81 have had one or two
lessons.
Gone day after pulling out from
Mount Union, / started to take
up the tickets, when a lady said
Anything strange in Orbisonia?'
% no., l said, only Mrs. Blank
died this morning. Just then
a young lady sitting near, threw
up her hands with a scream, and
said, % that's my mother! that's
my mothern The young lady
tainted and our trip to Orbisonia
was anyCnlnS but a pleasant one.
| found afterward that this young
lady had been away at school, and
had been summoned to return
home on account of her mothers
illness, but she was not prepared
for the shock which came from
my careless remark,
81 had" continued the con
ductor, "almost as unpleasant a
trip with another young lady,
She was returning from Il distant
town to her home along the line
of our road, and as soon as she
met me on my train inquired,
How is mothery' Her mother had
died just a few hours before, and
so | made the young lady no an
swer. She asked again and |
turned and walked out of the
coach. My silence answered her
question as effectually as any
words could have done, and her