The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-05

- AOT VERY many years ago
there stood. perched on
the very summit of Moosio
N Mountain, where the now
abandoned Gravity road
crossed the ridge. little
group of buildings, PER
laps a half dozen IN all. clustered
about the engine house at the head of
the planes. 1T is probable that of the
many who have made the trip from
Scranton to uawley on the it'll" pas
s.ngcr trains of the old road few VIII
s,n1cber the tiny hamle! at the end
OF the long climb from Dunmore. but
anyone who has walked to the summit
cr the mountain over the deserted road
bed knows Number Eleven well
enough
If IL "A little town no longer. only u
few bramble grown hollows the dilapi-
tated frame work above Il well. and
some yards of chip nunk haunted
stone wall, shows where once the
houses were. This last stage of deS-
olation is of rather recent date. how
ever. for only very few years since
The buildings still stood. infinitely
more pathetic in their partial decay
than in the entire Obliteration which
las since come unOn them.
The head house. where worked the
husiing engines that dragged til"
trips of loaded cars up the last two
planes To the summit. was pleasant
place to work for any one with an
eye for the beautiful. a few steps
from its door one looked out over the
1.Hckawanna valley, upon the quie5
mountains beyond. The city under
i,s haze of yellow smoke lay a little
To- the left. far below, surmounted by
the pluIn"s of steam from scores or
breakers and factories. on the right.
toward the north. the double cone OF
Elk Hill showed above the nearen
ridges. and still farther to the right
stretched away the long perspective
- mountain after mountain, disap-
n, ing in Il mist of blue. So delicate
that the line where summit and Sky
Joined was vague and intangible. Life
was worth while at any time at the
head house.
1t was still more worth the living
for Harry Waters. the fireman. when
Mary Burke ran over from the little
house acoss the lane to chat with her
father. WHO was engineer. 1t hap
pened that these visits We're of rather
common occurrence, for Harry was
fine young fellow. good looking in
large, rugged way. and steady. All
the nei"hborS--not very imposing
number. it is truc--and many of the
men whose work brought them often
through Number Eleven understood
HAT there was to be a wedding as
soon as ever HarrNs younger brother,
with whom he had kept Il kind Of rude
la, hclOr's hall since the death OF
their mother. should be able to sup
port himself Mcanwhlc. they wait
ed. and found lif" pleasant indeed.
in The little mountain town.
1t was on a day when only one OF
these visits of Mary's had been need
ed to make heaven Il place hardly to
he desired by Harry Waters. when the
thing happened that made this tale
r"ssihlc. If Fat" had not meddled
with the matter there would have
r"en only tie old. common place story
10 tell: very interesting it is true 10
the actors. but of very slight concern
to lhe audience. Fate is often ii good
story maker, for she counts no cost
In her victims.
Mary was standing in the doorway
of the hcadhouse, looking down The
planes, To where at the foot n long
train of coal cars was standing. wait
in" their tirn to, be drawn. four at a
time to The top. where, after being
coupled together again. they would
start on their long down hill run to the
next plane, miles away to the east.
burke was at his post while the cars
being hoistcd at the time crept slowly