The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-04-09

as 1t dasbcs over the country must be
beautiful sight for the rural distric
ter, but a look at it does not pay for a
runaway team with man family in
it.
81 said a little while ago that the
biggest fool was the one who would
stay on the track as long as possible,
but don't believe he is any worse
than that one who will pretend to you
that there is something serious ahead
OF you. lie will point down the track
and make all sorts of knowing gcs-
lures and signs. lie prctcnds that
there is horse in culvcrt, bridge
gone or something like that. Of
course our training is such that all
matters Of that kind must be ponder
cd over in moments time. We are
compelled to consider it, and the fool
by the track may be giving it just at
time when something critical is be-
ing considered in matters of our meet
ing orders. Many wreck is caused
primarily from this source, and while
the engineer gets discharged for the
wreck which has cost several lives,
perhaps the real cause of it was the
unnecessary and lying signal given by
the idiot near the track. OF course
we DO not sec anything 100 feet from
the right OF way, but then these smart
IDIOTS stand right near and give their
signs. After awhile so many like this
deceive US that it is like the boy who
was looking after the sheep. When
the cry of 'the wolf comes in earnest
We pay no attention to it.
Another idiot that is pretty plen-
tiful is the one who puts things on
tie rails-nals and small iron articles
and the like. Of course little things
like these don't amount to much
within themselves, but children will
sec that done and hear older ones tell
of it, and after awhile some little fell
low puts on :. larger thing, and q
wreck is the result. The idiots VINO
have been in the habit Of putting
small articles on the rail could not be
made to believe that they were the
primary cause of the wreck, oh, no;
but they are, just the same.
L ran across fool just the other
day that seemed to be something new.
AT least it was the first time anything
like 1t was over played on me. 1t was
at blind siding, where our fast train
did not stop, and he wanted US to stop
so he could get on. IS we pulled in
sight OF the switch there was a man
with his foot apparently caught in the
frog This is horrible affair, and Of
course [ slowed down and stopped
just IN time to save the poor fellow,
only to have him laugh an idiotic
laugh and make run for the coaches.
My fireman was a big husky fellow,
and l sent him after the idiot. | held
the train just 20 seconds, and you
never saw SO much blood come from
one mans nose in your life. The
husky fireman pounded him, would
throw him up and kick him as he
came down, showed his head in the
earth, twisted his legs and bent his
neck sidewise, and finally wound up
by dumping him out next to the
fence. lie will not stop another train
in that way.
There is farmhouse near the
track about 200 miles out. One day
we were late, and was making about
mile minute. down the long hill
there, when little tot about 3 years
old stood up in the centre of the track
and started to run away from us. I
was right on it before 1 saw it. The
fireman saw the child at the same
time. Nothing on earth could save
the darling, and knew it, but 1 seized
the whistle and blew it like crazy
man, at the same moment reversing
and opening the throttle wide. To
my amazement, calf, frightened by
the whistle, jumped into the middle
of the track, and looking back at us
as they will always do for few feet,
ran square into the tot and knocked it
clear Of the rails, as the calf itself
went under the engine. Come now,
Jim, you have hngged it long enough;
get on and let's be going, was the
first words understood after saw
the little fello. between the rails. 1
gave the child to it's mother who had
come screaming from the house near
the track. Portland Orcgonian.
Solomao'c corrov