Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-12-26
THE POSTAL CLERKS STORY.
A GIRL BABY FOUND IN ONE OF UNCLE
SANS MAIL POUCHES.
MIRACLE THAT SHE WIS NOT KILLED
But the Crew to Hhom She was so Strangely
Given have Adopted Her Bringing Her Up
Under tho Name OF Grace Woodford.
[Charleston Nows and Courier. I

charleston Nows and Courier.
Several railway postal clerks were
discussing the question of "babies"
recently. In the crowd was clerk
who used to run on the New York
aud Chicago fast mail. After re-
lighting a cigar he said he was
reminded of an accident that hap
pcncd on the fast mail by reading
in one of tho Now York papers
of a collection being made for lit
tie baby found on an ash heap. All
of the men had read of this. In
fact one of them, more compassion-
ate and tender hearted than the rest,
had sent small contribution to the
New York paper to be used as a
Christmas gift for the little girl baby.
"The reason that l didn't send
anything," exclaimed the man who
used to run between New York and
Chicago, sis because | am helping
take care of another baby" "NIar-
ried then, ch ?" asked one of the
mail men. "No, not that, but l am
helping support the baby just the
same" "Some of your sisters
children then, | guess" vcnturcd an
inquisitivc fellow, with blue
jumper on, The old-tmcr replied
in the negative. "No, + don't know
anything about the chila's history"
he began. 81 know You will think
this strange, but III tell you how it
came about.
81 cannot rccollect just now when
it was we found the baby, or rather
the baby found us, but all the same
we are taking care of her and some
day we hope to send her to school.
"No. Is, the fast mail, leaves New
York every night at 8 o'clock, l
think twas. | had just applied for
leave and was going to make my
last trip that night. | was on the
first squad which goes to work at 4
o'clock in the afternoon, five hours
before the train leaves. was work
ing in the Illinois car, which is the
second car on the train, as the short
stop There are five mail cars on
that train and the short stop works
in the second one, lending what aid
he can to the first assistant, who
faces up papers on the run between
New York and Albany.
eve took an extra car at Albany,
which gave us more work to do. We
were so busy that night that / didn',
take time to borrow chew from
the illinois derrick as we called the
first assistant in the second car, until
We arrived at Syracuse the next
morning at 5:35. When the train
gets to Syracuse all nineteen Of the
men lay off until $40 that night,
when they relieve the east bound
crew and then go to New York
Well, as | said, was going to get
off for two weeks, and instead of
getting off at Syracuse with the
boys and waiting for train into
Chicago the next day, decided to
be socablc and go into Chicago with
the relieving crew.
GAS we were leaving Syracuse |
started back into the California car,
which is the only through car on the
train. stopped in all of the others
to give the boys a jolly AS | walked
into the letter car one Of the boys
was ready to swing a bag. This is a
sight we see every day, you know,
so none of rs paid any attention
to what the fellow was doing.
don't remember what station it was,
but just before we got there the train
slowed down. We could feel the
brakes going on and the man stand
ing at the catcher pulled his head in
and SAID that some one was tagging
the train. Several of us looked out
OF the door to see what was going
on. The man at the crane had been
mistaken. lie had seen red glare,
which we saw as we turned a slight
curve came from fire near the track
The brakes went off then and Just at
that moment the crane grabbed the
pouch. The pouch was flung into a
corner Of the car with several other
pouches and nothing more was
thought of it until peculiar whin-
ing cry proceeded from the direction
OF the loaded pouches. We wanted
to know who made the cry, which
grew louder and louder Well we
searched for few minutes and at
last came to the last pouch that had
been taken on. Snap 'cr open,
boys cried the superintendent. 'May
be it's 'cr wild cat
"fhcrc's no use for me to tell you
that there was a baby girl in the bag
Poor little thing. | never heard a
child nrv uo ,nnnb onI g., 40 49,. :.