Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-11-24
Jim Moore's
ThanksgiyingDinner
By WILL j. LAMpToN
VOL. xxx.

No. 47 was due at Bridgeport at IL
o'clock noon. 1t was Thanksgiving day
and Jim Moore. the engineer. was
booked to dine athome on turkey with
cranberry sauce on the side, not to mem
uon . few oysters, with q wind-up Of
mince pie that was warranted TO make
= man throw in = whole csfIoad 9.
thanks, extra. Bridseport was the eno
Of his division. and sssn happened ny
~ day occurred o. Thursday. hAs WIG
and all the kip on both sides were 70
Aays dinner that day at Jims " VA
70 be the dinner Of their lives. too. for
Jim hid not been at homo on Thanks
sivins day since his marriage nve years
bs6ore the dsteI Of this chronicle.
The weather had been very bad Tor
several days before Thanksgiving, and
every day Of that week It had rained
Is II there had been an encore for
Noah's flood, and the elements were
doing their best to respond to 1t. The
road ran through 20 miles Of river bot
tom lands SO low that in places long
trestles supported the tracks. and 1t was
1t times a section that engineers were
glad to get through without some kind
of an accident. On this trip Moore had
an eight hour run and he had accom-
plished but half Of It when he reached
the low grounds. AS the engine swung
round the last curve out of the hills,
and the first view OF the valley pre-
scented itself, through the pouring rain,
Dick Long, the fireman, burst forth.
Look at that sea, Jim." he shouted
above the roar of the engine. I'VE amt
made Of fioatin' stuff. and do you reckon
we can swim?"
Moore swept the watery waste with
his trained eyes. There was indeed
wilderness of water spread before them
but the railway tracks were plainly Wis
fble, winding through 1t like grea.
sea serpent with the ribs sticking out
OF its sides, and with innumerable feet
extending into the water at intervals
and long reaches Of dark body that had
no feet. 1t was thus the trestles and the
solid portions Of the road presented
themselves to him.
At the last station before passing out
into the low lands and over the bridge
which spanned the river proper. the
train was tagged and the engineer was
informed that he must wait for orders
before proceeding further. For four
long and soaking hours the engine stooc
on the track throbbing restlessly and
taking the pelting rain as II 1t realized
that 1t was being imposed upon.
'T don't care a cuss about the wet"
said Moore to his fireman. "for this
cab keeps us dry enough and warm.
but what hurts my feelings is that I
am going to miss the finest Thanks
giving dinner on the road between
Millopolis and Bridgeport. I've got a
bill of fare here in my wife's handwrit-
ing and it reads like fairy tale"
He took 1t out of his pocket and be-
gan reading 1t aloud.
Let up on that" protested Long.
Don't you suppose a fireman has got
as fine feelin's as an engineer has, OF
do you? If listen to that minute
longer I'll have stomach strike"
Jim would have read further, even
under protest, but he was interrupted
by the conductor, who came up to the
engine on trot.
"By gum. Jim." he exclaimed, "tht
WAFER mas pIOhcu thiou6h ehO hiA w
tween us and the hills and we ar.
marooned unless we go ahead and take
chances on getting out"
How about orders?" inquired the en-
gineer.
1.-THE wires went down in the rush ant
the operator has lost his connection!
at both ends"
whats the matter with waiting
here and taking it easy till the dry spel
sets in?" inquired the fireman jokingly
"See that water coming up there?'
said the conductor. pointing to the risini
tide creeping up the embankment u
where the engine stood. "In might!
little while it will be over this track
and the Lord only knows how high !
will get or what will happen to the I'll
with all that water piling up agains
It, and more coming every minute. FIT.
feet Of the fill has been eaten away sine
the break took place back yonder. an
II is dropping like grass before fre.
We've got to get out of this" sal
Moore decisively. Shake up the hre
Dick"
aBut how?" asked the conductor
I'VE have hundred passengers aooare
and We can't risk their lives. can we!'