The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-03-10
Teaching "a
President

Iuf1H UP iIOtn 0uUGAiOn WY
Georgetown, matter of 40 miles
The line was owned mostly by mar
named Thedford. 49, 4~ss president
and superintendent 49, In one.
had been firing on the line for two
years back; all the time with one en-
gineer, Bob Hunter by name, and a
finer man never lived.
suppose il would be only natural
for me to speak well of Bob, anyway
for | was clean head over ears in love
with hiss pretty daughter Molly, and
was only waiting for a bit of rise in
my pay to make her Mrs. Martin.
Though l didn't see any chance for
that rise where l was, l didn't like to
leave and go on another line, for that
would take me away from Molly.
One day Bob says to me:
Jim, amt you and Molly never GO
ing TO get married."
Just as soon as can get my RISE
says /; "but don't see how I'm going
to get it here"
why don't you so and ask Biny?"
says he.
You see, Billy was always what we
called Mr.. Thedford-behind his back,
of course-for we were mighty polite
to his face,
He won't do anything for me-"
says |, "for you know either one of
the cleaners up TO Georgetown would
be glad enough to jump into my place,
and he ain't going % give me rise just
TO please me-"
WELL" says Bob, st won't do any
hurt to try it,"
SO next day washed up and went
70 the company's office, and asked for
Mr.. Thedford. After few minutes he
sent word to me that he would see me,
and in 1 went.
What is it, my man? I'm very
busy" says he.
So up and told him what l wanted.
How much are you getting now?''
says he.
"Forty-five dollars month" says /.
Then he pursed up his lips, and
hemmed and hawed little and saws:
Il don't see how we can give YOU
anything more, my good fellow. You
see yours is not very responsible 20
sition; merely one that requires lit
tie bodily strength. And we can find
plenty of men who would be only too
glad to take your place at that sal
ary"
With that he turned to a letter he
was writing, and knew had no more
business there. l tell you / felt sore
TO be told it didn't take much to know
how to fire an engine, and / came
mighty near throwing my job up and
trying to get on another line. But
Molly persuaded me to hold on a lit
tie longer.
Now, before / come to the particu-
Jar point of this yarn, l want to tell
you little about this line. Ihave said
II was a single track one, running
from Junction City to Georgetown.
The latter place was little town of
500 or 600 inhabitants; but in summer
great many people came up there,
and SO / suppose the line paid
Anyhow, Thedford, who had sum
mer place there, was rich enough to run
it for himself if he wanted to.
Bob lived at Georgetown and
boarded with him. Our trips began
Mt eight in the morning, and we gener-
ally ran the ITO miles in five hours.
Then at three in the afternoon we
came back, getting home at eight.
As soon as we reached the round
house at Georgetown our days work
was over, for the cleaners took the
engine then, cleaned and polished her,
and laid the fire all ready to start the
next morning.
Wea, IS | said, hung on to my Job.
hoping that something would turn up
that would give me lift, till one day
in August.
The whole summer had been uncom-
mon hotgbut that day went ahead OF
anything l ever saw OF course, while
we were running we had breeze, but
the minute we stopped it seemed as If
we were in a furnace, and, naturally.
working near hot fire didn't improve
things.
On the home trip Bob was taken
''~+t "'N h"h al nc COuiQ 90 TO hold
out till we got to the home station.
when he got home AS soon as possible.
After the train was emptied ran
the engine to the roundhouse, expect
ing to go straight home and wash up.
But when ! ran the engine in the
first thing saw was my two cleaners
laid out on heap of ashes, dead
drunk.
Here was pretty mess, for II would
certainly take me until midnight to
get the machine in proper trim for the
next days run; and hot, greasy lob
u was in any weather, but on such a
night as that 1t was frightful to think
OF 1t. However, there was no help for
1t, and started in.
had barely made beginning when
} heard some one coming in at the
door. Looking up, saw It was Billy
ihedford. In very excited voice he
asked where Hunter was.
Home" ! said. "and so sick he can't
hold his head up"
Heavens" said he; az shall be
ruined!"
Then he xve,n4 -. a..