Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1902-12-25
ANE CREEK was a railroad
crossing on the S. and G. C.
Railroad, about two miles

hallrOau, ABOUT TWO miles
from the division terminal
Mt Mercer. It was in the midst Of 4
serubby pine forest, with a sandy road
crooking out from the trees on one
side and into the trees on the other
There were only two or three houses,
a little general store with a porch like
the visor of a military cap. and a
school house, all arranged in a scraggy
row along the railroad track.
A dozen trains whirled through
Kane Greek every day with only
shrek of greeting and whipping
wake OF fine sand. Only two of them
paid The slightest attention to the girl
i'll blue gingham dress who stood in
the little observation window One of
them was the way freight which
stopped at Kane's every time it came
along while the conductor handed the
girl a bundle Of yellow papers and
received another like it in return. The
other was the night express, westward
bound from st. Paul, and running at
forty miles an hour. 1T was q splendid
train-ten ears, with the finest engine
on the road, big Number Six Hundred
Six. AS its glaring eye flashed around
the bend in the direction of Mercer the
girl in the gingham dress often thought
OF the great train as powerful and
ferocious beast snorting and roaring
westward on race with the sun. 1t
was beast, but 1t was well trained
and she knew the hand that trained
it. When the train was a mile away
there were always two blasts on the
whistle. Every one else in Kane's
thought they meant simply, wake
UP. look out!'-for that is what all
locomotives say at every crossing
but the girl in the ginghaln dress heard
Hello, Polly" and darted out on the
platform and waved her handkerchief.
AS tie great train thundered nearer a
window, and. although it was usually
dark she could see the dutter of some
thing white, and oftentilnes as the en-
glns dartel past the station she heard
tho blurred sound of a voice and
caught the glimpse Of a griny face and
blue Jean jacket. And then she went
back to her place in the little station
with sigh Of deep contentment.
For it was a moment OF great joy to
Polly Marshall when her fathers en-.
gina went through. Polly was the
station agent at Kane Creek-any one
could have told that a woman pre-
slced in the little depot, for was there
not always bouquet in the window
and dainty pictures surrounding the
Srlmy time tables Oh the walls, and 9
Kitten curling upon the doorstep? Al
seventeen Polly had gone in as assist
ant to learn telegraphy, and wher
clark. the agent, was called to Mercer
the company had left the Independent
slfl in charge. She and her father
hVed in one of the wooden houses {
stones throw back from the depot, ant
slhce PoIly's mother died they hat
oeen everything to each other.
Engineer Marshall was a big, silen
man, and his companions, some o
1hem. thought him gruff and ill-tem
pered, but to Poly he was always ten
Ger as kitten. Often when she wa
a little girl he took her down wit
nm to Mercer on his engine, an
While she sat on his black leather sea
at the cab window, clinging on wit
ootn hands, he explained to her hov
'he Dig black creature under them wa
started and stopped, what this bras
frank was for, and how, when the. er
slne squeaked here and squealed there
a little oil was needed in this cup or i
.hat crevice. And Polly had learne
~ Know an engine as well as she kne7
,he neat little pantry in the house q
nome. Indeed, she had more than ono
managed the levers and the throttle
annough it was very heavy work fc
girl TO do.