The San Francisco call., 1904-06-12


company.
Pat Francis was a very old
conductor. but old man Sankey was
veteran when Pat Francis was brak-
ine. Sankey ran a passenger train
when Jimmie Brady was running-and
Jimmie afterward enlisted and was
killed in the Custer tight.
There was an odd tradition about
Sankey's name. he was a tall. swarthy
fellow. and carried the blood OF Sioux
chief in his veins. IT was in the time
OF the Black Hills excitement. when
railroad men. struck by the gold fever,
Were abandoning their trains, even at
way stations. and striking across the
divide for Clarlls crossing. Men to run
the trains We're hard to get. and Tom
Porter, trainmaster. was putting in
every man he could pick up, without
reference 70 age or color.
Porter-he died at Julesburg after
wErd-was a great 3ollier, and he
wasn't afraid OF anybody on earth.
One day a wan party of Sioux clat-
tered into town They tore around like
a storm, and threatened 10 scalp every
thing, even 10 local tickets. The head
braves dashed in on Tom Porter. sit
ting IN the dispatcher's Office upstairs.
The dispatcher vas hiding under
loose plank IN the baggage-room floor;
Tom. being bald as a sandhill. consid-
cred himself exempt from scalping par
ties. He was working a game Of soli-
tsire when they bore down on him. and
interested them at once. That led TO
parley. which ended in Porter's hiring
the whole band TO brake on freight
trains. Old man Sankey is said 10 have
been one OF that original war party.
Now this is merely a caboose story
tcld on winter nights when trainmen
ret stalled In the snow drifting down
from the Sioux country. But what
follows is better attested.
Ssnkey, 10 start with. had a peculiar
name. An unpronounceable, unspella-
bic, unmanageable name. I never
heard IL. so I can't give It. It was as
hard TO catch as an Indian cur. and
that name made more trouble IN the
Pay rolls than all the other names put
together. Nobody at headquarters
could handle II; II was never turned in
twice alike, and they were always
writing Tom Porter about the thing.
Tom explained several times that it
was Sitting Bulls ambassador who
was drawing that money, and he usu-
ally signed the pay roll with a toma-
hawk But nobody at Omaha ever
knew how 10 take joke.
The first time Tom went down he
vas called ia very sOlemnly TO explain
aGain about the name. and being in q
hurry and very tired OF the whole
business Tom splurered:
Hang ir, don't bother me any more
about that name. II you can't read it
make il Sankey and be done with it,"
They took Tom at his word. They
actually did make IL Sankey. and
that's how our oldest conductor came
% bear The name Of the famous singer
And more 7 may say; good name as it
Was-and is-the Sioux never disgraced
Probably every old traveller on the
system EneW Sankey. be was not only
always ready 10 answer questions, but.
what ls much mere, always ready 10
answer the same question twice. It is
that which makes conductors gray
headed and spOils their chances for
heaven-answering the same questions
over and over again. Children were
apt 10 be a bit startled at first sight Of
Sankey-he was so dark But he had
q very quiet smile that always made
them friends after the second trip
through the sleepers, and they some
times ran about asking for him after
he had left the train
OF late years-and IL is this that
4.
ever so much bigger, and riding again
20 or from California or Japan or Aus
tralia, viii ask when they reach the
West End about the Indian conductor
But the conductors who now run
the overland trains pause ar the ques-
tion, checking over the date limits on
the margins OF the coupon tickets, and.
handing the envelopes back viii look
AT the children and say. slowly: He
iHn't running any more"
II you have ever gone over our line
20 the mountains or to the coast you
may remember at McCloud, where they
change engines and set the diner in or
out, the pretty little green park 10
the east OF the depot with a row Of
catslpa trees along the platform line.
Il looks like q glass Of spring water
II II happened to be Sankey's run
and a regular West End day, sunny
and delightful. you would be sure to
see standing under the catalpas a shy,
dsrk-sldnned girl Of fourteen or fifteen
years, silently watching the prepara-
tons for the departure of the Over
land.
And after the new engine had been
backed, champing down. and harnessed
20 its long string OF vestibuled sleep
ers; after the air hose had been con-
nected and the air valves examined:
after the engineer had swung out of
his cab. Slled his cups and swung in
again; ARK the fireman and his help
er had disposed OF their slicebar and
shovel and given the tender a final
sprinkle, and the conductor had
walked leisUrely forward. compared
time with the engineer. and cried, "Au
sbo-o-o-ardt"
Then, as your coach moved slowly
ahead. you might notice under the re-
ceding catalDas the little girl waving
a parasol or a handkerchief, at the
outgoing train-that is. at Conductor
SanlIey; for she was his daughter.
Neeta Sankey. Her mother was Span
ish, and died when Neeta was a wee
bit. Neeta and the Limited were San
keys whole world.
When George Sinclair began pulling
the limited running west opposite
Foley, he struck UP a great friendship
with Sankey- Sankey, though he was
hard 10 start, was full OF early day
stories. George. II seemed, had the