Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-12-30
SLUMBERIHGG

Number tWeaty-eight, the New Yorf
1Hicago merchandise train, was slid
ing swiftly toward the metropolis OF
me middle west The last 200 between
ule tWo great commercial centerS
was being covered Number twenty
elSht was the pet train of the line
Her schedule was fast, her stops were
lew, and engine and trainmen fought
tor the privilege of taking her over
tHe ROAD, Tor II meant an easy run The
engine and caboose were coupled or,
an order was signed and away she
went.
AS was their custom on the home
stretch the two rear brakemen and the
conductor We're seated in the caboose
taborln& hard with well-muscled pipes.
Being near the end of the run the
conductor had finished making out his
reports, and had drawn his chair
-t0''i NiiN 2dtdltf SloNC " listen 10 lHt
latest stories of his brakemen.
We'll | suppose We git the hog
train back Thursday mornn'," )" said the
Sandwich man, as the tall brakeman
was called because of his never salts
tied appetite for the indigastible staple
OF the luncheon counter. Things are
comm purity easy. The merchandise
west and the live stock back. | think
II take the dance in al Huntington
tomorrow night if kin cit that hatch
N-faced ham and egg Singer to join
y hreW me cold the last time
10 go ont in society. but
ma her a three weeks chance
to9 #, and maybe she'll be ready
D g, ketch me goin' to no
dane ;fte' bein' nearly thjrty-six
hours l.. the road" drowsily interject-
ed as mber, the brakeman. whom
his al uantances averred had not
been lntirely awake since he was
bora You ken call things comm
que if you want to. but I've got an
date name for it. call it raw-hidin'.
folysix hours on the road What #
est did get twelve hours sleep in the
.}thiry-siX and two fast trains to end
up with. Twelve hours in thirty-six ;
aim enough for me- Dance, You'll !
indme nicely laid out in one of Moth.
er Aclnery's soft beds this time to- !,
U.arow night if anybody should be |,
ookin' for me- 7
"The only way you'll ever git nough |
sleep, 'Slumber' will be to die said |
the conductor, half eontemptuously.
"Slumber" was too drOwSy to no.
tce the remark The hot stove and
the swingin' motion of the caboose
had thrown him into his ususal state
of emi-unconsciousness. Though when
in, this condition he appeared more
dead than alive. he could always hear
atzAh4stle. see light or catch the low.
eN word of command from the con
ductor.
"Trere's somethin' about the swing
of this train tonight that makes me
think of the night Ed Hillman fell
off our train just this side of Linn
mers. said the Sandwich man." t
That was a funny thing. l wus brak :
in for Ed and was on the hind end.
We wlls both sittin in the cupola.
Ed wanted to go ahead to see the en-
gineer about somethin'. He climbed
through the cupoa window and start /
ed ahead over the train. 1t wus the t
darkest night ever saw. We had I
thirty.fve loads. About ten cars from t
the caboose we had a string of five t
coal cars. Besides bein dark the I
night WIS cold and the cars WIS COW v
cred with snow and ice. Though I've t
beeo raiircaGin' a long while. | never I
coo a man Sld!l over Il lIuill l!]aC | q
don't kinda unconsciously watch him g
,;u he's over. watched Eds lamp !!
e;ckerin until he came to the coal cars t
The box car hid the first coal coar and a
didn't see him until he got on the n
second one. Then his lamp showed $
IN again. All at once | see the lamp C
f,u right down between the coal cars. S
krus all up with Ed says l. \
AUhhed my lamp and was out on top o
Fr's;sy swingin' the engineer down h
10 settin brakes at the same time.
~ WIS goin down little grade ard g
- WIS slippin' along purity lively, a.
:. eoemed to me that it ,ook us ten a.
,:,oc to stop, but of course it didn't. b,