The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-03
THE GHOST OF AN ENGINEER.
Jack Confer and His Pet, Old Hun
dred and Seven.
Mary r. p. Hatch in the Springfield
Mass Renuhlic4nl

(AIass-) Republican,
THAT story bout Jack Gonjer's engine?
Wall, L do no. There's queer works IN
this world. Sometimes it Jest seems TO
tech tother one in a dretful close way
Stranger things happen than is dreamL
of in our Philadelphy. Horace That's
what | heerd once in a play down to Bos-
ton, and it's true as preaching from the
pulpit"
comm back to ride his engine, do YEP
odd hunderd and seven? Wall L do no
what to think 1t shows wear, the engine
d00z, and there's them that SEE they We
seen it with Jak on its sence he died
George Lunt says he has, and so does
Arth Stlllman. We've watched, me and
Fred ellis but we didn't see nothing out
of common. But. then, ghosts never 90
come when you're looking for EN-, furZi-
Fred is
What about it, anyway"
Gosh ali hemIockI 1 s'posed you
knowed all about it Wall III tell ye-
Wen set right down here by the round
house You can see the engine over there
yender- Wall, to begin at the first ont.
Jack aIlUs seemed to love that engine Jest
as eff it was alive. He'd work over II Tor
hours when there want mite Of need
ont, and he'd talk to 1t kinder Iovin IKE.
lest as eff it was alive and knew what ne
was sayin' of. Sorter crazy2 No. not
the least mite crazy. A ieveler-headed feI-
Ter or a better engineer never Went on
the road. Every body respected JACK, out
YOU see ne hadn't no folks OF his own,
never married, nor anything, and tnat
| engine seemed to grow right into MS
heart. or his heart into the engine-see-
| ing's it's so big, that would be more IKE
| it Jack rode it for ten years. and II
| want new when he took It II was Ialo
| up for repairs a good deal, and we boys
/ used to tell Jack that there wa n notnln
/ left if il scurceIy 'cept the nozzle. but
Jack got the better of Us there same same
| every seven years says Jack YOU see
! Jack was dedicated right up to the
| handle, used to read the paper a slgnt
| when he could git time, and ne read some
/ books, I've seen him at 1t. But twas
| said-I don't know how true II was-thAt
he was disappointed in love or soL ne
| road, so I've heerd tell Wall, IL was q
/ sight to see Jack workin' round tnAl
/ engine busting Of it Ike lady dusune
/ a pianner- He didn't give ms fireman
| sam Peters. scurcely a thing 70 do except
| when they was on the road; then ne mace
/ him hustle for all he was worth Ihey 9
| take the long run across the pralries Ike
| a shot Sam crowding in the coal reg lal
| and Jack handling old hunQreo ano s sS9 e
! loyiuger than q boss. and masterfuiler
| To see him settin Up there VIII ~ ~. -,
| stretches was something TO make your
| flesh creep, so Sam says but guess ne
| thought Of IL sense the story doouE l in
| ghost got round. That's the way II i
| Generate with most folks, you know
I sam said Jack Jest seemed part OF tnt
| engine. no more nor less, tneh .II..s1
! Lord, / never. went so fur as that.
| wall, bout six months ago JACK wa
| took down real sick Hundred ana So 81
| 80 off for repairs and Jack was board
ing. as he had for a year or two, cow
to the station agents; When ms e Ill,s'
was being repaired he'd soTter cl4 = I.
sro1,rd for the agent. enough 10 pay M
board But this time he eSlld mt / sa "a
| 49, too sick He was turrloie SICK 81,
80 ,Soeai-e we bows see that from IN
inst of. He wandered in his mind con
Siderable and when he DID ne 30 .
taIkfne TO his engine Jest as IoFt1 a. :. .
| - "a - a vrife or child He say You an
me N has spent good many years toge 5irb
iSH 7 he hTIf I ike YOU all the bette
2o- that and it's made me use you peter peter
We've tramped the Pr2lrles ana a VI y :,
| go, short trips round home. and you y
| 49, fsiIed 10 come up TO scratch once
| / ailus knowed could trust ye' ana 70 ~
| ari1Is knoyed YOU could trust me- =,
aaa s..ss,-s ~ NJ shines uothin' but gooo
| Straight work for US both nam ~ ~
Won on the strain when you needed 'es'