The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-04-27
Observation-Disclosures

SCN, N the days when the Union
4 " Y Pacific Railroad was fight
9 @ ing for traffic and exis-
q - tence the division between
~cS Evanston. Wyo.. and Og-
den, Utah. was considered to be about
as dangerous for an engine run as any
between Omaha and Salt Lake. Trav-
elers knew the dash out of Evanston
and then the rush into canyons, gorges,
the tortuous ways of Weber's, Weav-
er's. Echo and Pulpit Rock, to say
nothing of the Devils Slide and the
Bridal Veil Falls. The track was
rough, the curves almost right angles,
slides numerous. and enemies of the
road everywhere. Miners, stockmen,
pioneers and Indians did not meet ear
ly railroad building with that cordial
aty that their successors have. They
thought little Of drawing a rail, burn
ing culvert or starting loose mass
of rock from its perch for a slide down
to the track and in the way of on
coming trains. In consequence wrecks
were frequent and disastrous.
! One of the early engineers was a
man by the name Of Short Tready.
a youngster Of twenty-five, full of gin
ger and nerve and a capable en-
ploye. His fireman was younger than
he-eighteen-and by name Fat
Griswold. They were mutual admir-
ers of each other. Fat" regarded
"Short'' as the bravest man that ever
touched a throttle, and he could give
reasons for his belief. Short ad-
mired Fat" because he never failed
in performing his duty. "Short" was
unmarried. but engaged to settlers
daughter who lived with her father in
one of the mountain clefts near the
Devils Slide. Short and Fat" had
given this cleft the name of "Alice No.
d." the first part of the title being the
name of the sweetheart and the last
part the estimate placed upon her both
by lover and friend. Just west of the
cleft was great bend in the track.
above which hung tons and tons Of
mountain shale and rock. liable under
proper pressure to descend and bury
not only the track, but any train which
plunged into it. :.
{ '"Short" and Fat" hauled coal west
from Evanston TO Ogden and fruit
east from Ogden to Evanston. They
ran on no particular time card in those
days. They were supposed to get
over the track just as fast as their old
fashioned mogul could and to keep
out of the way Of anything that had a
faster schedule than they. They never
swung by Alice No. l." day or night,
but what there was the figure of a
young girl standing at the bend waving
a hand and throwing kisses-tbe hand
was for Fat" and. the kisses for
'Short." If it was night when they
circled through the mountains they
knew the girl was there because she
always carried red lamp. She had
said to Short" carly in their engage
ment:
THAT red lamp won't mean danger,
as it generally does elsewhere. Reds
my color. and when you see that lamp
before you hit the bend. you'll know
that the track is clear, that I'm well,
and that love you"
So week after week the special
freight swept through the canyon,
whistling shriily. and never a miss of
the Alice Of Alice No. L. 1t was
something to see Short" hang way
out of his cab when he caught sight
of her and skilfuny drop at her feet
some little package of trinkets which
he had bought for her in the town. II
was something also to see Fat man.
fully salute his partners future bride
and giving few extra tugs at the
whistle cord for her honor.
Everybody on the line knew OF
"Shorts' girl and the bend she
watched. Other engineers would loob
for her. but she was never visible un
til an engines scream way down the
canyon told her that Shorts" moSu
was coming. Then she took her place
and then she saw the man Of her love
This had been going on for about six
months. and Short" was beginning tc
think of his wedding day, when one
day the mountain rains set in and tre
mendous slides descended on the
tracks. Short" escaped all harm fol
the time. but he was very fearful! OF
the mass Of drift above the bend a
"'Alice No. l."
Don't worry about that salt
"Fat." Alice will watch that. ant
well get the signal sure if there:
trouble there"
So on a September night they came
plunging down to Alice No. L
through the mist and howl of the vino
and there was the welcome red light
and back of it the shadow of the girl
She was probably 300 feet from tht
bend and the upheld shale. Just a:
the engine was abreast OF her ant
"Short." leaning out so that he coult
see her face, a scream came from he1
lips. There was a rumble up thu
mountain sides. a crashing OF things
Cd lwfnl roar and the bend q! Alice