Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-02-03

lildL Will DedC u nile Il minute udSu
with a heavy train, but to operate
them successfully you'll have to in
vent something besides flesh and
blood"
And the tenderfoot who has clung
to a firemans "seatbox" while the
machine under him was spinning out
the miles at that rate will vigorously
second the statement.
But that assertion was made back
yonder in the 18th century. This is
the Goth.
The Burlington had completed its
eastern cut off to the Mississippi riv-
er, and one locomotive was covering
the division between Brookfield and st.
Louis, IT'S miles.
The Northern Pacific express
reached the mid Missouri division so
minutes late. The engine hauling it
was sending aloft geyser of steam
from the safety valve and quivering
all over as if enraged that in spite
of Its best exertions this dishonor had
attached to 1t. And the engine driver
was mean enough to SANDER i. by say
ing, "She just wouldn't make steam"
If the machine could have talked it
would have said something about
nerve"
A helper leaped into the cab as the
engineer stepped off, and ran the en-
gine down to the tracks leading to the
round house. Then there was slowly
backed up to the long line of vesti-
buled coaches that had come in from
the Coast, double compound, type
recently adopted by the road. The
coupling was made so gently that the
most sensitive passenger could not
have told when the tender struck the
front express car. The engineer, "Aus-
tralian Jack" as the boys called him,
walked over to the fireman's side and
looked down the depot platform,
where trucks Of baggage and express
were being noisily wheeled about. A
tall man with an iron gray mustache
emerged from the crowd and walked
up to No. S50-Jack's engine. He was
superintendent of the lines in Mis-
souri,.
Jack" he said, we're nearly an
hour late. The president and two Of
the directors are along, and they want
to catch the Iron Mountain at Union
station in the morning. There's big
consolidation meeting of the Southern
at Memphis tomorrow, and they have
to be there. They won't wait for them
if they're late Blossom lost time out
of the junction because he was afraid
of the new track work, and the big
uns' are most wild You understand
what this means to me-"
Australian Jack touched his hat and
inclined his head little, but said
nothing. AS the superintendent turned
away messenger boy rushed up tow
ard $50. The official stopped him and
took the message from his hand. He
said: "Never mind; Jack don't want
that now. III give it to him at the
station"
When $50 started there was no Slip
ping of the drivers, no sudden jerk
and shutting off of the steam. Tho
engineer clasped the lever with vel
vet touch and the wheels began to
move. The start was so gradual that
the great men, who were smoking their
cigars in the rear compartment of the
presidents car frowned and wondered
il the man at the throttle was of the
sort that could gather up that so min
tac Of n tI1a
nearly 60 miles an hour.
81 think Jack will make it all right"
said the superintendent; but I'm
afraid played him scurvy trick to-
night, and one for which he will nev-
er forgive me when he learns the
truth
What was that?" said the presi-
Cent
"Well, his mother. who lived down
the road piece, had been unwell for
several days, and just before starting
the telegraph boy went toward the en-
gine with a telegram. l knew it
wasn't train order because they were
all in. 1t struck me that Jack had
better not get the message just then,
and took it. 1t was from his sister
and simply said, Mother is dead '"
concluded tie superintendent, with
sigh. "It was too late to get another
man, and didn't tell him"
"And he is ignorant of his misfor-
tune?" said one of the directors.
"Of course" answered the superin-
tendent 1T might be dangerous to
let him know while making the sort
of run he has to make tonight" The
speaker judged from sharp experience.
The men smoked their cigars in si-
lence. The smooth rolling cars be-
gan to gather momentum, but there
was no jerking, no swinging of the
solid train-just an easy slipping along
as pneumatic tired buggy might run
over a velvet carpet.
The superintendent explained the
distances between the stations and
the men who had thousands at stake
on the success of the run got out pa
Il l,a To OF wi hp