The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-27

conductor, half contemptuously.
t.Slumber' was too drowsy to notice
the remark The hot stove and the
swinging motion of the cabOose had
thrown him into his usual state of semi
Inconsistencies. Though when in this
condition he appeared more dead than
alive he could always hear a whistle.
see light or catch the lowest word of
command from the conductor
There'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 Limmers,'' said
the Sandwich man. THAT was fun
ny thing l wus brakin fer Ed and was
on the hind end. We wus both sittin'
in the cupola. Ed wanted to go ahead
to see the engineer about SOmethin. He
climbed through the cupola window and
started ahead over the train. 1t wus
the darkest night I ever saw. We had
thirty-f loads. About ten cars from
the caboose we had a string of five coal
cars. Besides bein' dark the night wus
cold and the cars wus covered with ice.
Though I've been railroadin' a long
while, I never see a man start over a
train that l don't kinda unconsciously
watch him till he's over. 1 watched
Eds lamp fiiekerin' until he came to the
coal cars. The box car hid the first
coal car and I didn't see him until he
got on the second one. Then his lamp
rflowed up again. All at once see the
lamp fall right down between the coal
cars.
:. It's all up with Ed, says I. I grab
bed my lamp and was out on top in 4
gify swingin' the engineer down and
settin' brakes at the same time. We
WuS gOln down little grade and WIS
slippin' along purely lively. 1t seemed
to me that it took US ten miles stop.
but of course it didn't. But we WIS at
least two miles from where poor Ed fell
when we got stopped and ready to go
back to look for the remains. There wus
a sidin' where we stopped, and putin
the train in on it, we uncoupled the
engin' and started back to look for our
conductor. I WuS the only man " no
saw him fall. and 1 took my lamp and
got on the hind end of the engin', which,
of course. wus front end. as we wus
bacfxin up. We just moved in goin'
back. / kept Swingin my lamp across
the track and tryin' to see the body,
and the engineer had a grip on the
verse lever ready to stop at the drop Of
the hat. We wus takin' big chances in
/ 1ookin' for him that way, because we
thought he might possibly be alive, and
/ If so and if he wus on the track we
might run over him. But I didn't think
there was any chance of KILN him
for in my mind that man had been dead
before we started to look for him.
| " Let her come along SLOW 1 kept
sayin' to Abe. the engineer. All right;
you watch the track and never mind
me- Abe kept a-sayin' back The head
on the footboards each side of the
engin' with lamps looking alongside the
1 tracks, thinl1in' maybe he had fell out
side the rails.
- I wonder what in the devil he want
ed to try to git over an ice train to see
me about said Abe. And not five miles
from the end of the run. But he had
reason for comm ahead. I'll bet. Ed
never did anything without. a reason
He wus mighty fine fellow, and he's
got q mighty fine wife
Yes, and a nice little girl said the
head brakeman.
.F'Itll be tough news for both of
4 them said the fireman.
=" Well, L believe were gittin past the
place where he fell said / had no
sooner said that when about SO feet
head of the engin' wus somebody right
in the middle of the track swingin' US
/ down.
It's a wonder you guys wouldn't be
tendin to business instead of playing
| horse around here with that engin' and
your train on sidin' without orders.
said the fiagger with the lamp, IS we
came to stop. Who wus it bus Ed.
/ with grin clear across his face. Well.
| If you ever saw paralyzed gang it wus
the push on that engin', fer there Wusn {
a man on it that wouldn't have taken an
affidavit that Ed wus at that minute
either fghtin fire or wearin' wings.
Much obliged to you feslers for your
sympathy, roared Ed. who had hea-G
all we had said about him for the last
hundred feet of our trip. Then he got
on the engin' and we went back after
our train. When he fell off he lit square
on his back on a five-foot deep snow
bank without a scratch
The conductor grinned. .+Slumoe."
smiled. without opening his eyes.
Before the Sandwich man. could get
his listeners in condition for another
yarn the short, shrill barke whistle of
twenty-eight's engine was heard. The
conductor and the sandwich man"
were on their feet in an instant. "Slun-
ber'' had heard the whistle, but had OF
enR0 his and aDnarRnflV he
waiting for the conductor to say some
thing before he made a move for the
top of the cars. He did not want 10
take any chances of losing a little sIeep
by climbing out unless it was absolutely
necessary.
We'll, why don't you git out on top
and git at them brakes?' yelled the con-
ductor at "Slumber'' There's some
thin wrong. We're five miles from an
order board, and what IS Hank goin' to
do with five csrs of air with 90 1oa9s2"
The last words of the conductor did
not reach "Slumber," for the latter,
though slow to move when he was mas
ter of his movements. was quick to obey
a command. He was soon on TOP set
ting brakes two at a time The con
ductor, suspecting trouble, went to the
rear of the caboose and took a 9osition
on the lower steps ready to jump. His
suspicious were quickly realized. He had
scarcely got his foot on the lowest ste0
when bang, roar, and the earth under
the train appeared to open and close at
the same time. The conductor did not
have time to jump.
The sudden stop threw him twenty
feet from his car. The merchandise was
wrecked. She had gone into the hind
end of No 49, A brakeman had been
sent out to flag the merchandise, but
he had fallen asleep.
AS soon as the conductor could gather
himself together he went ahead. The
ca boose and three cars ahead of it were
still on the track, but the the engine and
the other twenty-seven loads We're piled
up like old iron in a scrap heap He
made his way toward the engine. Half
the length of the train he met the