Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-01-29
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
PERPENDICULAR RAILROAD
BY cY WARMAN.

When the Calumet branch was built
1. was not with the hope of increasing
the earnings Of the passenger depart
rent, but merely to bring the ore
down from the iron mines that were
up there. In fact, when the road was
opened trains were not allowed to car.
~ passengers at all. About 220 feet to
the mile is the maximum grade of the
mountain railroads of this country. A
sleeper grade is neither profitable nor
safe. The Calumet Branch ascends
4OS feet to the mile, and II they carry
passengers the gross earnings would
hot pay for the people they would kill.
II the reader can imagine himself in
a bucket going down a well after the
rope has parted, he can form very
good idea of the action of a locomotive
let loose on 40S.foOt grade. George
Russ let the 400 get away from him
enc day. and from dead standstill she
was able to get up speed enough ia
throw her from the track before she
passed the second telegraph pole. They
found her at the bottom of a deer
Lulch and drew her mangled remains
up with blocks and falls and locumo
tives. More than one engineer, after
making his maiden trip over the Calu
met Branch, has asked for q change
The writer of this sketch belonged
t. that class. Old King Cole" kept
the run a whole summer and never
had an accident. The branch was al
ways closed in winter the same as q
bathing resort. When Spring came
again and the old man was called fol
the Calumet he refused to sign the
book.
OF course there was not a man or
the division who was not willing tC
face death, but there were other runs
longer, to be sure, but more desirable
Whenever a new man was employed
from an Eastern road-"prairie sail
ors' we used to call them-the Calu
met run was offered him. Here's {
short run" De Remer, the foreman
would say, ten miles, one trip a day
pays 81. You can go up in an hour
and come down." then the foreman
would suppress grin and glanc,
about for expert testimony: How fas
/ can he come down, Cole?"
Fast as he wants TO-" says the ole
nan, sliding off the loaGng bench"
"YO' in big luck il yo' don't come
Gown in wooden overcoat. sab" says
McIvor, oiling the 27O. McIyor always
had that playful way with strangers
Mr.. Lee, the travelling engineer
would go out with the new man tn,
first day, and the next day the ney
man would go out alone--looking for
railroad that was not so high at tn,
other end.
McIvor took a cruel delight in taunt
ing the tenderieet who tried the steel
run and found II too swift, and tn,
master mechanic determined to take /
Out of the Virglnian gentleman an,
ordered him out on the Calumet. Nc
Ivor went along like n little soldier
but when they came for him the SEQ
ond day he refused to sign the book.
what's the matter with this run?
demanded the master mechanic.
We'll, there's nothing the natal
with the run, Mistah Jones, only IT.
that infu'nal pu'pindiculah | can't fine
q place TO set nah dinnah pail"
II began to look as II they woult
have to promote a reckless fireman I,
get an engineer for the Calume
Branch, when Abe Leonard came uneX
pectedly to the company's rescue
"Hardluck' Leonard, as he was called
had worked less than six months II
two whole years. He had gotteny los
in'the mountains while deer hunting
and had his feet severely frozen. BE
fore he was able to get work he allow
90 himself TO get hemmed in in tn,
hallelujah corner Of negro revival IL
Leadyille. A dusky damsel roaring
with rapture tipped the stove over, SCI
the church on fire, and. Leonard go
turned.
/ When he had been discharged from
the hospital at Salida he went down Il
| Denver to get a clearance from Chic
Surgeon O'CoDnor in order TO collec
his accident insurance. Leonard wen
10 drug store to stop his thirst, tn,
soda fountain blew up and Hardlucl
vent out through the roof and thel
back to the hospital
-.