The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-01-11


watching a freight train moving GU
OF new town, over a new track. 4
pinch-bar, left carelessly by a section
gang. was picked up by the pilot O
the locomotive. 1t was caught In tn,
cyiinder-cock rigging, with the result
that 1t wrecked it.
Muttering softly the driver climbed
down and began the difficult task O.
disconnecting the disabled machinery
he was not machinist. Not all en-
CINE drivers can put q locomotive to
gether; In fact. the best runners ar,
just runners. The Englishman stood
oy, and when he saw the man fumbl,
MS wrenches offered a hand. Tht
uriver, with some hesitation, gave him
the tools. In few minutes the Grip
pied rigging was taken down, nuts
We're replaced, and the discarded
metal was tossed by the fireman on
the rear Of the tank.
Are you q machinist?" asked the
driver.
Yes, SIR" said the Englishman,
who lowered at least a foot above the
engineer. There's job for me up the
road IL l can get there"
And you're out of 'tallow?"
The Englishman was not quite sure,
but he guessed that "tallow" was q
United States term for money, and
said that he was short.
"All right" said the engine driver,
''climb on"
The fireman was a Teuton named
Martin, who proceeded to make the
Englishman comfortable, but the lat
ter wanted to work. He asked to be
allowed to help fire the engine. and
Martin showed him how to do 1t.
When they pulled into the little town
of E, the Englishman went over
to the roundhouse, where a man was
wanted, The foreman asked him IL
he had ever ''railroaded It." He said
he had not, but that he was a machin-
list. swell, 1 don't want you." said
the foreman. Disheartened the Eng
lishman went across to little eating
stand where the tralnmen were hav-
ing dinner. Martin moved aside and
made room for the stranger between
himself and his engineer.
Later, the engineer dropped little
oil here and there, for another dash;
the Englishman came up to the en-
CINE. He could not bring himself to
ask the driver for another ride, and
he wasn't obliged to. The engineer
gave him a lift in the cab, after the
hearty fashion of railroaders, despite
the risk he ran even in those easy
going days.
In little while they pulled into
M City, Iowa. at the crossing Of
the Wisconsin Central Railroad. There
the Englishman had to change cars.
w, his destination, was on the
crossroad, eighteen miles away. The
agent wrote on small piece of paper,
folded it carefully and gave it to the
Englishman. "Give that to the con-
ductor," said he. BE quick-they're
pulling out-runw Painting the Eng
llshman threw himself into a way-car
that was already making ten miles
an hour. The conductor unfolded the
paper, read it. looked the Englishman
over and said, "All right."s
1t was nearly night when the train
arrived Mt W. and the deadhead
followed the train crew into an IN
painted hotel. where all hands fell
eagerly to eating supper. A man stood
behind a narrow. high desk. at the
door, taking money. but when the
Englishman offered to pay he said,
'.Your's is paid fer"
"Not mine; nobody knows me here"
"well," said the landlord, someone
p'inted to you and said. 4 pay fer
him. 1t amt thing to make noise
about; it don't make no difference to
me whether It's Tom or Jerry that
pays, so long as everybody Is repre-
sented."
"well. this is a funny country"
unused the Englishman, as he strolled
over to the shop. Here. once more.
Encouragement awaited him. He had
never 'srailroaded it." and was denied
a job.
Weary, discouraged, homesick and
heartsick the young man sat and
thought 1t over, and concluded that.
MS a last resort he would see the mas
ter mechanic. If he had been wom-
an he might have cried himself to
sleep that night. II he had been
"quitter," he would have quit. but
the constant thought OF the faithful.
trusting wife, away pack down the
track, who had left her home and her
people in England to cast her lot with
him In the strange New World-at that
moment, mayhap, kneeling on bare
floor, teaching their babes to pray for
him-the thought of her love ana the
utter helplessness of the little ones
kept his face toward the light ana
gave him nerves of steel.
On the following morning he found
the local head of the motive-power de-
partment at his desk. and told his
story. He had just arrived from Eng
land with a wife and two children and
a few dollars. THAT Is all right"
said the master mechanic. "Tll give
you a job on Monday morning"
This was on Saturday. and. during
the day, the first foreman with whom
the Englishman had talked wired
that IL he would return to E. he
could find work. The youns man
showed this message to the master
mechanic. 81 should like to work
for you" he said; you have been
very kind, to give me employment
after the foreman had refused. but
my family Is near that place. 1t ID
100 miles or more from here"
.T understand" said the kind-heart-
ed official, "and you'd better 90 back
to E.. Here is a pass"
The next day. Sunday. the young
man told his young wife that the new
country was "all right" everybody
IL M