Morris tribune., 1900-11-10

-..c--- c- every mile Q! RE ccs:;: -.
employees were gossiping as to wha'
she would do next. The next thing
after jumping the culvert was TRACE
dy. She had been loaded with. shelleG
corn in bulk at Romersvflle for Chica
60, and before the doors were closed
four hoboes ensconced themselves
among the corn. It was a "a hours ride
and they had a soft bed Of it. No. 1414
was attached to. a freight train about
Z o'clock in the evening and was the
last car, or next to the caboose. Nc
one was really afraid Of her, but there
was q bit of uneasiness as she was
picked up, and special care was taken
to see If her brakes were in good order
and her journal boxes well packed.
Away she went with the others, and
nothing happened until the train reach
ed Iron Hill. 1t had to side track
there for passenger train and to pick
up three or four cars. In backing down
the long siding No. 1414 suddenly left
the track, breaking loose from the car
ahead and the caboose behind and run
ming off at right angles. Fortunately,
she did not run over the main track,
but took the other direction and
brought up against the coal dump and
reared up on end. She stood up there
like a ladder planted against house
and had to be reported as job for the
wrecking crew. Next day, when she
was hauled back on the track and in
spected the dead bodies of the hoboes
were discovered. They had been smoth-
cred under the corn.
The master mechanic set to work to
discover why No. 1414 was track
jumper. This was her third jump. and
it was suspected that something must
be wrong with her wheels. She was
taken to the shop and lifted OF the
trucks, and axles and wheels were in
spected down to. q fine hair. The
wheels were absolutely true, and SO
were the axles and the hang Of the
trucks. No better box car was ever
built, but No. 1414 was not sent back
on the road for a few weeks. The Off
cials waited until the gossip had died
out. There was talk Of giving her a
new number, but that would have been
admitting that She was queer car.
After vacation of eight weeks the
car was loaded with -four for Wells
vile and made the trip without Incl
dent. d. She was reloaded with shocks
for a Chicago cooper, but not without
an adventure. There was a rich old
WidoWer at Wellsville named Carney,
and he had a lovable daughter named
Mary. While the girl was in love with
a young fellow named Phillips, the IA
Their wanted her to marry man of his
own choice. The result was an elope-
ment and perhaps the only one of the
kind ever heard Of. With the conniv-
Rnce Of the station agent Phillips and
the girl were locked up in No. Ala
provided with food and water, and
while the wrathy old father was riding
over the highways with a shotgun in
his hands and blood in his eye the
happy lovers We're on their way to Chi
cago to be married.
4 Two weeks later the carlcut up rusty
again. She was loaded with agricul-
tural implements and bound west and
was in the middle of a train. After
running along as smoothly as you
please for 30 miles she suddenly balk-
ed-that is, her wheels gripped the I
rails as if both brakes had been twist
ed by giants hand fire few from the !.
rails, and, as the coupling on the next I
ear ahead gave way, the train broke in
two, and there was eussing to beat the
band. There was no earthly excuse
for such conduct on the part of l414.
Her journals were well packed, the
brakes off and the track all right.
When the train was coupled up, she
moved off with the other ears like a
snake going over the grass, but after
.en mile run she gripped again and
again broke the train. She was tried
lgain, and for the third time she cut
Up rusty. This happened near sid
ng, and she was cut out of the train
Ind pulled in and left there. In the
cutting out not one of her wheels
would turn. They simply slid along
he rails. When the conductor report
d the adventure be was given to I'M
ierstand that such stories didn't 90. !
7 was held that his train crew ought
9 have sense enough to discover what
vas wrong. and the five of them barely
escaped ten day lay off. They es-
aped It because 9 mechanic was sent Z.
loWn from the shops who reported
hat, while he could find nothing wrong
With the car, she had certainly gripped
nd baked and broken the train. as
XsAspx