Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-04-07

Murphy reached for the can and
slipped silently Then he cleared his
throat and continued:
"Flannery, it wasn't two days onttl
tn whole camp fell in love wild tn
goat We christened him Mack IN
honor iy tn owner iv tn pants. an he
TUX t. tn name like Georgia nay CUR
takes { a chicken. Phweneyer ony
man in tn camp would sthand on III
little hill back iv tn tints an call him
be tn name he had earned be tn
valor iv his appetite, he'd lave III
choicest morsels on the dump desert
tn finest tin can in tn place, an
come runnin' like a house afire An
phwen he was eatin' around tn
board table in tn mess tent he'd
sthand wild niver a bat iv tn eye an
wait ontil his turn come, he was thot
patient
Wan mornin' we got a hurry up
call firm tn thrack-walker on tn up
per division. They hod been a rain IN
night befoor thot washed down half
lv the fresh wurruk, an in tn same
rain it appears thot a washout up
above had loosened tn foundation
wurruk in a new trestle. They was
no thrain due ontl 8 O'Clock, an We
Tux our time gettin' out on tn repairs.
We hustled up there thin, whin We
did sthart, on a little handcar man
ned be a cr-r-rew iv eight, an | see tn
goat now, sthandin be tn thrack an
batin great sobs iv grief, he was
thot cut up at bein' lift behind. Whin
we arrived at tn trestle we found tn
damage greater thin we thought, an
it was a good hour befoor tn bed was
safe agin FIR tn Cheyenne Express t
come through. We hod iist enough
time t pump back fast t tn main
wurruks, an wild all aboord we whit
kitin' down tn thrack-'twas nearly
all down hill, Flannery, an aisy goin
| don't know how it liver happened.
Flannery but aither tn boss's watch
was wrong or tn express was runnin
ahead iv time. At ony rate, jist As
we rounded tn last curve phwat
should we see comm lickety-split up
tn thrack but tn Cheyenne Express,
maxim forthy miles an hour under
fun stheam an poundin' IN rails like
a herd iv Elephants on a sthampade,
1T was only few hundred yards
t. tn switch be tn camp, but We
knew we could niver make 1t. In eX-
press was jist on tn other side iy the
switch. We was goin down tn hill
at lightning spade, tn fresh cinders
fir m tn roadbed flynn out behind US,
Good God!' hollers Caesy, tn
saints presarye us, an jump f'r your
lives!
"Flannery, may tn north sthar an
all your vain idols iv ignorance an
superstition kape you firm witness
in such a sight as | Witnessed thin,
Paralyzed wild fear, two iv tn men,
new recruits firm Denver, couldn't
move firm tn car. Every body was
off but thin an me, an / was throw
in sand an chockin' down III hand
brake like tn dlvil was in it, an Thin
two fellies there lookln straight
ahead an no chance iv escape
Jump, We fools! l yelled, but
they only looked at me tn harder an
froZe stiff.
Thin bad cess t you: says,
takin' my last look at tn express, thin
just opposite tn camp, I'm FIR jump
in, an tn divil take tn hindmost.
Wild thot l calculated me distance.
limbered up me body { avoid breah.
in me bones, an jumped, | hit in
seventeen thousand ditf'runt places.
| To- III A,r nc,
the rock iy Gibraltar. AS quick as
cd get { me fate | whirled around
an looked down toward tn camp. AT
thot moment, a sthreak ~ gray jump.
ed firm tn cooks tint, an may tn
mkt tin thousand dollars l get sthrike
me dead if it wasn't Mack, III goal
| ed hear him blattin' out somethin
thot sounded like goat profanity, an
tn mkt mnnit he was sthandin on
the thrack wild his head down, wait
ing FIR tn express, whilst jist behind
him came tn handcar wild thin two
scared buffers on it, gainin spade
livery jump.
Don't ask me how it all happened
thin, Flannery! They was one great
blate iy defiance phwin tn goat made
rush f'r tn express. Thin a ball iv
gray wint whirlin through tn air an
fell down be tn side ~ McCafterg,
dead as a doornail, an befoor We ca
get our breath tn express was gone
: in tn distance, an Mack. III goat,
, was paisful as he is now be III side
; iv my parlor grathe.
There was a short silence. when
{ Flannery plucked up his voice ana
asked:
An phwat became iy tn min ON
tn handcar Murphy
Murphy took pull at his pipe.
, Wan " Thin jumped jist IN time
+ he said. "jist befoor III handcar was
i scattered over six counties.
' And tn ither wan-what ~ him
. He was promoted, Flanuery They
9 gathered him up wild shorel an n
!. coal hod."