Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-02-19

and had all he could do to hold out till
we got to the home station, when he got
home as soon as possible After the
train was emptied l ran the engine to
the roundhouse, expecting to go
straight home and wash up. But when
ran the engine in the first thing saw
was my two cleaners laid out on heap
of ashes, dead drunk.
Here was a pretty mess, for it would
certainly take me until midnight to get
the machine in proper trim for the next
days run; and a hot, greasy job it was
in any weather, but on such a night as
that it was frightful to think of it.
However, there was no help for it, and
l started in.
l had barely made beginning when
l heard someone coming in at the door.
Looking up, l saw that it was Billy
Thedford. In a very excited voice he
asked where Hunter was.
Home said, "and so sick he can't
hold his head up."
Heavens" said he; 81 shall be ruin
ed!'
Then he went on to say that if he
wasn't in Chicago the next day, some
deal, think he called it, would fall
through, and it would cost him a quar-
ter of million.
There's train goes through juno
ton City at IL :05 that will get you to
Chicago in tme," says 1.
what goodll that do me?" says he.
GIVE been away for two days, and only
just now got the telegram. If Hunter
was here he might get me down; but
as it is 1 may as well go home and let
the money CO."
"Mr. Thedford," said I, "Bob Is sick.
but l can run this machine to Junction
City in time to connect with the train
you want; but you will have to fire for
me, as my two cleaners are drunk, as
you see, and there isn't another man in
this village knows the engine from the
tender hardly"
hope that have been forgiven that
lie, forthere were two or three men that
could have fired all right, but it struck
me all of a sudden that here was a fine
chance to get even with Billy, and let
him see whether it took any knowhow
to fire an engine for Homie run. 1t
so happened that we had just wooded
up on the home trip at a little station
three miles from Georgetown, so we
had plenty of fuel aboard to make the
run with.
"Can you do itT' says he, remember
it is ITO miles, and it is $50 now, so
you have only two and half hours to
make the run that generally takes
double that time.'
II can do it," says 1, ''if you will jump
aboard, pull off your coat, and do just
as tell you"
No sooner said than done, and in ten
minutes we had the old engine on the
turntable, turned her around and were
off.
If the road was rough when we ran
at our usual speed, that night, making
double time, it was just awful. AS we
flew around the curves it seemed as if
we should lose the track at every turn
of the drivers, and the poor old machine
rocked and swayed so that, used as 1
was to it, l could hardly keep on my
seat by the lever.
If it was hard on me, what must it
have been to poor old Billy? l eould
hardly keep from laughing in his face,
as watched him and heard him groan
as he handled the heavy sticks we used
for fuel.
The heat of the weather, added to
that Of the furnace and the unusual
work, made him look as If he was in a
| Turkish bath. The water ran down his
face, his stiff, white collar hung down
| on his shoulders like a wet rag, and his
| beautiful, smooth bosom looked as If
some one had thrown pail of dirty
water over him. His hands were torn
and cut from handling the wood, and
| take it altogether he was the most un-
| likely looking railway president l ever
saw. Once in a while had to shout at
him to lay the wood even in the fur
nace and would tell him he would get
the knack of it in time.
| Whenever he tried to rest told him
we were losing steam, and if he wanted
| to catch that train he mustn't idle over
the work. If had thought to hitch a
car on when we started we should have
run much smoother; but it was too late
to think of that now, and SO on we
rushed( now through woodlands, now
past grain fields, lurching first to one
side and then to the other, until ex-
pected every minute to land wrong side
up in the ditch.
However, luck was with us that
night. and we pulled up at Junction
City at just Ii. Poor old Billy could
hardly climb down from the engine,
but he managed to gasp out:
"Come to my Office at 2 o'clock next
Saturday."
| learned afterward that, finding the
Chicago train was behind time, he hunt
ed up clothing shop and rugged him.
self up so as to look like a civilized
man, which he didn't when he left me-
| managed TO find a fireman who was
willing to make the run back with me,
and 1 finally got home at o'clock, and
finding the cleaners a little sobered I'D
got to bed as soon as possible, for was
clean played out told Bob about my
trip next day, and thought he would die
laughing to think of old Billy playing
fireman. But all he said was:
I'm afraid that'll settle your hash
Jim, for he will find out that you work
ed him more than was needed
The next Saturday, at 2 o'clock, l re
ported at the presidents office. wonder
ing whether 1 was going to be reward
ed for my extra work or get kicked ou
for my impudence.
the old man, spick and span as ever