The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1904-11-11
.VyEA 4. & / \ WI d / B HERO
Glory OF HIS BRAVERY AS ToLr
BY INNS ELF. HI 81 B
fare Pre5cnee Of Mind and 4 Wooden
Leg a Combination Thzt Saved
Train from Destruetlon Usual irri.l
cation, Followed.

rain from OeStruetton-O9Uat lffl,
CATION, Followed. vi
"The ether evenin was wendin'
lily way YEARLY along q railway in
that State which is noted for the pc
culiarity of It's justice" said Weary
William Rhoades, the one-legged pres.
ident of the Amalgamated Association
of Hoboes. "Tirin' of tho Oxford,
Pa, ties used in the construction Of
, the road, L sat me down to rest.
had boon grossly insulted earlier in
the day by farmers wife. l had
stepped at her kitchen door N asked
for sustcaance.
"tHere, me good man. she says,
I, arc some preserves; they have
! worked little, but not enough to
hurt en-
kind lady. says l, you grieve me
, deeply. Dost think l would take into
NC midst anythin' tainted by toil?'
Then skedaddle, she says in a
short and terse sentence. In my boy
hood days vas taught the value of
short sentences, m as grow older
appreciate 'em more Thirty days,
think, should be the limit, unless the
weather is cold m one has no other
visible place ter rest. In this same
have the courage of me convictions
havin' been convicted four times.
Il was much detected as l sat along
the railway m my wooden leg both.
mi hi r
curbed me alcoholic tooth in me youth
n not tried to make first trust of
meself,' i muses., 4 wouldn't be here
Even you can see, stranger, by me
majestic. horseless carriage that L
have been used to better things.
Why, used to be tenor in comic
opera chorus. an even now l pine for
the footlights. But can't get the
pitch.
'As sat there in the dumps, away
off in the distance l could hear the.
rumble of an approaching express,
rushin' city-ward with its cargo of
human freight. Should 1 cast me
clay n wooden carcass under the
creu-el wheels n end it all?
II gazed intently at the rail in.
frcnt OF me and was Mortified to-
see that one end OF the fish plate con-,
Meeting It with the next rail was loose.
Maxim 4 hasty examination, l found
that one of the bolts between the fish
plate n the rail had loosened m fall.
en- out, lGavin' bad connection at the
Joint.
What Was to, do? The onrushin
express world be thrown from the
tracks IN dashed to pieces waved
me. hat frantically in the air, but got
no response: from the engineer of the
flynn train. I tore me hair. Pullin'
that evidently Put the soundin' iron
to- work on me think tank, for I got
quick idea- lAayin prone on the
grouni at right angles with tho track,
sta,c,t the. Eerruled end of me wood
Ell: leg through the hole in the rail
n fish, plate. n this takin' the place
of the missin' bolt. held the rail firmly
il posish'n,. n the flynn express
dashed over i'm safety. I thought,
though. that the wind from the rush.
wieC Isl
Tho engineer secin me lynn there,
thought he'd run over man m
stopped hiss ursin -
'Mebbe tile passengers didn't hand
rae, tliu festive digits when they found
out what Ed done. IT. was just like
yettin' money from yer fond parents.
Ant now Cap'n, as the Gov'nor OF
North; Carolina said to the Gov'nor
OF South Carolina, this arid interim is
very distressin'. Tanks Cap'n, tanks,