The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-04-27
Observation-Disclosures
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-SoE~, y the days when the Union
I r y Pacific Railroad was fight.
9 ing for traffic and exiS.
y tence the division between
Ho< Evanston, Wyo.. and Og-
den. Utah. was considered to be about
As dangerous for an engine run a. any
between Omaha ard Salt Lake Tray.
siers knew the dash out OF Evanston
And then the rush into canyons. gorges.
the tortuouS ways Of Wcber's. Weav-
sr's. Echo and Pulpit Rock to say
nothing OF the Devils Slide ana the
Eridal Veil Falls. The track was
,ough, the curves almost right angles.
slides numerous. and enemies of the
road everywhere Miners. Stockmen.
pioneers and Indians did not meet ear.
y railroad building with that cordial.
ity that their successors have. They
thought little Of drawing a rail. burn.
ing a cuivert or starting loose mass
Of rock from its perch for a slide down
10 the track and in the way of on
coming trains. In consequence wrecks
were frequent and disastrous.
One Of the early engineers was
man by the pane Of short" Traady.
P 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
HriswOld. They We're mutual admir-.
prs Of each other. Fat" regarded
short as the bravest man that ever
touched throttle. and he could give
reasons for his belief. short" ad.
mired Fat" because he never failed
y performing his duty. "Short' was
Unmarried, but engaged to n settlers
laughter 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.
~ the first part Of the title being the
name Of the sweetheart and the last
oart the estimate placed upon her both
by lover and friend. Just west OF the
,lcft was a great bend in the track.
above which hung tons and tons of
mountain shale and rock. liable under
proper pressure to descend and bury
iOt only the track, but any train which
plunged into it,
short and Fat hauled coal west
rom Evanston to Ogden and fruit
east from Ogden to Evanston They
ian 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
'aster schedule than they. They never
swung by "Alice No. L. day or night.
1ut what there was the figure of
;0uEg girl standing at the bend waving
a band and throwing kisses-the hand
was for Fat" and the kisses for
short" II it was night when they
'ircied through the mountains they
Snew the girl was there because she
always carried a red lamp. She had
said to short early in their engage
Uent:
That red lamp won't mean danger,
SIS il generally does elsewhere. Red 5
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
end that | love you"
So week after week the special
freight swept through the canyon
wbistling shrllly. and never miss of
he Alice Of "Alice No. l." 1t was
something to see "Short" hang way
,ut Of his cab when he caught sight
oi her and skilfully drop at her feet
some little package OF trinkets which
se had bought for her in the town. 1t
~as something also to see Fat" man.
iuliy salute his partners future bride.
ana 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 look
'or her, but she was never visible un.
ID an engines scream way down the
canyon told her that Shorts" mognl
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 Ia
'hlnk OF his wedding day. when one
Jay the mountain rains set In and tire
-endous slides descended on the
tracks. "short" escaped all harm fol-
he time. but he was very fearful OF
The mass OF drift above the bend at
Alice No. 1."'
Don't worry about that" said
Fat" Alice will watch that. and
well get thu signal sure II there's
trouble there"
SO on a September night they came
plunging down to "Alice No. l.
through the mist and howl OF tile wind
and there was the welcome red light
and back OF II the shadow OF the girl
She was probably 300 feet from tn,
bend and the upheld shaIe. Just al
4. the engine was abreast OF her ant
Short" leaning out 90 that he couls
ace her face, a scream came from hel
Ups. There was a rumble up th,
mountain sides. crashing OF things
an awful roar and the bend at "Alic,
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