The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-12-31

suitor. Well, when George got near
the end of his trip, he was stopped
by red signal at a tower, which, by
the way, was just outside my yard.
1t was showing hard, and the eager
fellow hastened to find out why he
was detained. He was close on the
time of Dawes passenger train, fol-
lowing close behind, and if he were
kept there many minutes he would
have to back his train in on a siding
so as to clear the express. And then
he would not see Maggie that happy
New Years evening, for Dave would
be with her.
Once in the tower he found that
the operator had stopped him in or
der to deliver the following message
from his superintendent:
sc. Bailey, Neutrality-suspicious.
Harlan reports running through an
open switch at Hampton on No. FL
this A. NJ, which was left open by
you. Please report particulars at
once. J. B. COOK, Supt."
The message was hard blow to
poor George. An "open switch"
meant a suspension; possibly he
would be set back to a brakeman's
position again. The thought Of Har-
Ian reporting it, too, was poison to
him. What a mean thing it was, es-
pecially on New Years Dayl And
what would Maggie say? He could
imagine Dave telling her all about
it, winding UP with: ''You see you
cannot trust the man; he is not re-
liable" And then, suppose,he swore
a little bit.
After writing a careful answer to
the message, he looked at his watch.
The passenger train was about due,
and he dashed out toward his train,
which was still standing on the main
track opposite the tower.
"I'1l get in ahead of him tonight,
so help me" he cried, as he jumped
on the caboose, seized with sudden
and irresistible impulse, and he gave
the signal to go ahead. He knew the
passenger train with Dave running it
was due. He knew his own train had
no business to be where it was under
those circumstances. He knew that
he would get into trouble by the
probable delay to the passenger. But
81 viii see Maggie tonight ahead
of that fellow if I die for it" he NUT
tered to himself.
He had the desperate feeling of
temporary abstainer who has not
touched liquor for some time, and
then, some reverse happening, makes
a bulls rush for the red stuff, regard
less Of anything else.
His train had barely started when
there was a wild rush through the
falling snow behind it. There was
howling whistle, a glare of light,
churning of big wheels, an awful,
sickenening crash. The passenger
train had run into the local freight.
Reused from hearty New Years
dinner, was sent there with the
wreck train, but by the time we ar
rived the ''pile-up" was decked with
a beautiful covering of white. 1t was
one of the worst messes ever look
ed at, from railroads mans point
of view, but an artist would have
admired the picture. Everything was
quiet about the wreck, except the
soft Kissing of steam, and under
Jagged mass of cars / could see parts
of the engine. My main impression
was the peacefulness of the scene,
queer as it sounds. l think this was
due to the stiffness and the soft fall
of the large fakes of snow No one
was stirring around the wreck. The
sight was a weird one, and chilled
me to the bone.
Where's the engineer | asked.
Under the wreck"
Anybody else?"
"The conductor of the freight"
And so it turned out. After some
hours of work we came across their
bodies. George Bailey and David
Harlan had taken a long trip together
that New Years day.
often hear the trainmen talking
about this accident. which was cel-
ebrated one, and they use the words
eff he hadn't very frequently. 1
often think about it myself. If George
and Dave had only been friends; if
George had not left that Hampton
switch open; if Dave had not report
ed the petty thing; if Gracious,
but it is queer how one matter leads
to another in this world. You never
can tell, when you do thing, just
where the end of it will be. I cannot
help speculating over the might-have-
beens in spite of the uselessness and
sadness of it. And yet there is a
good deal of philosophy of life to be
gotten from the deaths of those two
men.
Maggie? She is still Maggie Dex-
ter.