Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-06-11
DUNAWAY ON
THE A. And B.
By JAMES EDMUND DUNNEN6. go.
Copyright. 1909. BY T. C. Mcclure

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS" Observation-Disclosures
The G. ?. \. put his head f Ito the
general superintendent doorway and
said:
"Old Tympan's out there again.
see, Palmer
NO use" replied the general super
lntendent His name came in two
hours ago. l told him to report here
next time he got drunk This finishes
him"
Five minutes later old Tympan, aft
er forty years of service for the A. and
B., went tumbling down the stairs be-
cause he was drunk at the Hancock
street switch the day the directors
went up the line. Palmer had given
him a pass home, eighty miles up the
road, and then fired him with ten of
the words Palmer wasn't accustomed
to using on ordinary jobs.
Train No. pulled in while Tympan
fumbled the pass on the platform, and
he climbed in and found double seat
in the smoker. He knew only that he
was out of Job, with a full pint in
his coat and Palmer's transportation
to take him up home, where he could
camp down for the winter with the
boys. He had threatened that many
times. They deserved it for letting
him work for a living.
Taking vacation, Tympan?" asked
Hennessy of No. when he came
through for tickets. Tympan admitted
he was off for bit of time up the
road.
"Guess you amt coming back right
off," taunted Hennessy. "The return
check on your pass don't seem to be In
sight. Long lay off, eh, Tympanv'
Tympan sat up, pulling his hat over
his eyes.
"Dick Hennessy." he said, "you go
slow ON yer kiddin' r I'll roast you one
O. these days f'r bein' so smart. They've
fired me, you en- bet-yes, they have;
fired me good, but I'm next to Palmer
yet. An l heard what Palmer told
the G. P. A. this mornin' about your
runnin' over orders twice last week. l
know somethin', an don't you kid me
no more"
Train No. S's conductor ignored the
challenge, partly because he dared do
no more. He knew the whole operat-
erybody in sight because old Tympan,
invariably drunk and disorderly, held
his job while better and younger and
sober men were overhauled in Palmer's
office for nothing more than leaving
stations half q minute ahead of or
ders or failing to wise the annual of
some Of the spying directors who went
up and down. r. II. Palmer got n
master tongue lashing those days from
the rank and file, and now that the
dismissal had really come Hennessy
was no more skeptical than any of the
others concerning the general superin-
tendents honest intention of keeping
Tympan out of service.
Hennessy tried to conciliate Tympan
ON his next trip through, but the old
man lay with his hat over his face,
steaming with rage, too angry even to
curse. No. s was making beautiful
work, and Hennessy felt better than
usual. He had eight cars with big
load of women and kids and wanted to
be on time anyway because it was his
lay off that Saturday and there was an
all night game in the Club" at home.
At Inchburg Hennessy got his usual
orders, everything all straight, and left
on time. The rear brakeman found him
just afterward and said:
Hear about the wild freight went
up ahead of us? She's big one, and
it wouldn't surprise me If she got
stuck on the Long Misery and held us
at Lyshon."
Hennessy knew his man was right.
Lyshon station is at the foot of a
thirteen mile grade known for good
reasons as "the Long Misery" If a
freight got hung there ahead Of No. 8,
it meant everything balled up, for the
A. and r. is a single line, and the di-
rectors won't stand for a siding be-
tween Lyshon and Oldtown, the sta
ton at the crest of the Long Misery.
Hennessy took the platform at Ly-
shon before No. SIS brakes held her and
sought the dispatcher in the dingy sta
ton
"Wild freightW echoed the telegra-
pher. Eyes, went up an hour ago. Big
train? Yes, big train, but she's got a
good rail, and 1 don't believe she'll
hold you q minute"
Hennessy went out and looked in the
book by the station door. He found
where the wild freight he'd reported
and saw with satisfaction that she was
in charge of Bitters, one of the ring
and sure to do his best to get that
heavy train out of the way long before
Hennessy came along.
Lyshon was on the card for only
thirty seconds, but Hennessy risked a
trifiing delay and went back to the op-
orator:
"Can't you ask Oldtown, Just for a
chance, if that freights showed up
yetT he asked.
Wild freight 543 started over the
Long Misery in good order that Satur-
day and made excellent time for eight
miles or more. Then she was stopped
by a shaky injector in the mogul. Bit
ters left his caboose and ran up ahead
in time to see his redheaded engineer
grab up the wrenches and start from
his seat.
go ahead lively as you can, Mike"
he shouted.
Mike gave the mOgul sand and steam.
She strained for moment while her
drivers raced and then shot ahead so
hard that Mike bounced out of his seat.
The train had broken apart seven cars
down. leaving thirtythree detached
Before the mogul could gather herself
to back up and catch the breakaway
the fugitive section was slowly moving
off, very slowly, down the head end Of
the Long Misery.
Back up, 4rishl Back up and catch
'em!" screeched Bitters.
"You can't do it"' yelled breathless
brakeman who came up from the rear,
"because the gears just completely out
o the head O that section and there
wouldn't he nothin' to make a rouplin'
to if you caught 'em, which Sc amt
likely you'll do anyway"
Bitters was thinking of Hennessy
and No. 8. If No. We're on time, she
was just leaving Lyshon. Chances
were she was late. He knew Hennes-
sy. 1t was for him to reach Oldtown
in time to stop No. s at Lyshon. Bit
tiers sickened at the thought of the
Saturday night rush Of women and
children which had given Hennessy's