Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-12-24
Showed Up on the "HOiack. y

Showed Up on the "f1OIacN.
"'Tain't much of story" apologized
tie old engineer as he got his pipe going
and leaned back in the big chair, but
YOU fellows takin about that little blow
we had back in 'S8 reminded me of real
blizzard | happened to know somethin'
about once. and how Jim Peters got his
wife You know jim? He's takin' things
easy now, as | am. and is Il big man over
in the Pennsylvania Offices. But I'm
gettin' ahead OF that Christmas story !
was gcin' to tell you.
AT that time | was runnin' an old
eight wheeler that pulled the Hojack eX-
press over the Boston & Albany. Peters,
who had just got promoted, was conduc-
tor, and Matty Stiles-'Old Alatty,' the
boys all called him--was the express mes
scngcr and baggage man.
The Ilojack wasn't much of a train,
as trains g nowadays. We was the only
train, though. that made all the stops
between Springfield ard Albany, about
l02 miles, and if we got through in ten
hours we were pretty near on time. If
we didn't, nobody ever found any fault.
Queer name for a train? Well it wasn't
that on the timetable. but Jack Horton,
who used to run the engine, until he fell
underneath when she went into a ditch
one night, and | got his job. was about
the most accommodation feller that ever
sat on the right of cab. He knew
everybody along the road and they knew
him, and if anybody wanted to 90 or
send to town and didn't have time to get
to the depot they just waited until they
seen the train comm and then stood out
in front and yelled, 'IIo Jack!' and most
always Horton would stop for 'em.
wasn't quite so obhgin', but the name
stuck to the train just the same.
i Winter used to set i'll earlier in that
section than it does here, and we always
carried some beddin' and made sure to
have sometlin' to eat aboard in case of
gettin' caught in drift between stations
for there wasn't any slccpin' or dinin'
ears on the Hoiack. When we did get
caught we all used to turn in, passengers
aud crew, and live together until the
company sent crew to dig us out. That
is, all of lis but old Matty.' who didn't
like company. and had a little stove and
kept a cot in mis- own ear. Matty wasn't
exactly moTose. but he didn't seem to like
people around He'd come from out west
somewhere, and there was a yarn some
of us had heard about daughter who
had run away from home and disap-
pointed him. We thought mebbe it was
that that had made him kinder sore on
things generally, but he never talked
much. and none of us ever felt like askin'
Questions.
IF there was anything that Matty
hated it was deadhead or cheap freight.
\ frank or Il half-rate bill of ladin' al
ways set him to cussn'. and as the holi-
days approached and his car began to
take in mission stuff Christmas boxes
going out west, and such things the cid
man got more eantankerous every day
when We pulled out of Springfield mt
noon the day before Christmas. Matty's
car was pretty well filed and when |
saw big dry goods case out ON the plat
form as we pulled into Chester, and a
J half dozen women standin' around it, |
) spotted it for a mission box in minute
and called to Ben Ec&man. who fred for
me, to come over ON my side and see
{ Matty throw Il fit. Sure enough it was
+ Il lot of things some SEWN circle was
t scndin' off to Albany for some mission
1 schools Christmas, and the whole circle
y had come down to the station to see il
g OIL
/ The presence of the women. who rioht
=, away began askin' all sorts of questions,
:. kinder handicapped Matty. but | heard
"a him growlin' sometmm' about 'half-raters'
! and Christmas nonsense Then Peters
\ came up TO the women, who turned on
u him.
oh, that's all right, ladies, he cx-
=, planned You mustn't mind Mr. Stiles.
e. The trouble is, his cars gettin' So fun
K he's afraid there won't be room to hang
up his stockin'. Anything good to eat in
that box? Cause if there is we NAV
want it for our own Christmas, if the
: snow gets much deeper
f Yes, there's whole lot Of coed
things in it, replied one of the women,
f. hut | guess You won't want them as bad
e As the poor folks they're goin' to-
: Then Jim called An aboard and we
II pulled out. 1t had been showing before
9 we lett Springfield, and by the time we
= got away at Chester, the snow was four
= or five inches deep, 1t was good packin'
I snow as the boys call it. and was comin'
b down IN flakes almost as bic as sparrous.
Il We kept goiu' all right to Delhi. where
L j'akH Gordmccr, who lived there. got into
the cab with me.
Looks as if id have to work tomoy.
ier' sand Jake =, | run down to emf
= Christmas dinner with mother and the
children day ahead, to make surc of
r gettin' turkey
lakes engine was loym' up at Pitts.
4, field, and before Ne got there the old mn.
{ chime was wadm' through twenty inches
/ OF snow and puiin' like Il wiud-brokeo
{ horse.