The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-08-28

- ONE men are born heroes, some become heroic
and some have heroism thrust upon them;
~ but nothing of the kind ever happened to me
don't know how it is but, some way or other,
remember all the railroad incidents I see or hear
and get to the bottom of most of the stories of the
road. must study them more than most men
DO or else the other fellows enjoy the comedies and
deplore the tragedies and say nothing. Sometimes /
am mean enough think that the romance the
dramas and the tragedies of the road don't IMPRESS
them being interesting those of the plains the
Indians the seas-peOpe apt to see only the
every day side Of life anyway. and to draw all their
romance and heroics from books.
helped make hero once-no, didn't either: /
helped make the golden setting after the rough
mOnd had shown its value.
Miles Diston pulled freight on our road few years
ago. He a medium stature, dark complexion,
but beauty He was a manipulating, well edu-
Gated enough sober and a steady going reliable
engineer; you would never pick him out for hero.
Miles was young yet-nOt 30-but somehow other.
he had escaped matrimony ! guess he had never had
time He stayed on the farm at home until he was
Of age, and then went firing. SO that when first
knew him he had barely got his goal-the throttle
A good many men, when they first get there take
great interest in their work for a few months-untl
experience gives them confidence then they take it
easier look around and take some interest in other
things Most OF them never hope to get above run
ming, and so sit down more or less eontented. get
married buy real estate gamble or grow fat each ac-
eordng TO the dictates of hi sown conscience or the
fnenations of his makeup. Miles figured little on
matrimony.
I can't explain it; but when railroad man is in
trouble he comes to me for advice. just he would
go to the company doctor for kidney complaint. am
a specialist in heart troubles. Miles came TO me-
Miles like the rest of them. They don't come
right down and say, Something's the matter with
me; what would you do for it?" No sir They hem
and haw and laugh OF the symptoms. until you come
right out and tell them just how they feel and ex-
plain the cause then they will do anything you say
Miles hemmed and hawed little, but soon came out
and showed his symptoms-he asked me IL had ever
noticed the 'FTenchman's" girl.
The Frenchman," be Ii known, was our boss
bridge carpenter. He lived a small place half way
over our division pulling express-and the
freights stopped there changing engines. knew We
not. the bridge carpenter, very well; met him in
lodge occasionally and once in a while he rode on
the engine with to inspect the bridges. His wife
was Canadian woman and good looking for her
killing Miles Diston, Marie Venot, was the eldest
and had just graduated from some sisters school.
She a very handsome girl, and you could read
round, gray eyes. She was viyacious and loved to
go; but she dutiful daughter, and once took
hold to help her mother in way that made her all
the more adorable in the eyes of practical men like
Miles.
Niles made the most of his opportunities.
But, bless you there were other eyes for good look
ing girls beside those in poor Miles Diton's head
and he far from having the field to himself; this
he wanted badly and came TO get advice from me-
advised strongly against wasting energy to clear
the field and in favor of putting it all into making the
best show and in getting ahead of all competitors.