Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-02-25

1t is freezing cold here this morn
ing, after an all day rain yester-
day-the first weather unpleasant
ness | have experienced since my
coming. l do hope to-day's cold
is only a narrow streak with IRON
ton on the outside.
HOME, 21sT, 7 A. NJ.
After mailing the foregoing, l
went to the railway station, in
tending to proceed northward as
far as Newport, remain there until
10 A. NJ. next day, and then con-
clude my journey on No. s. At
the station the bulletin board
showed the coming train one hour
and forty-five minutes late, and as
the clock slowly licked the interval
into eternity, the disparity between
actual and stated time became
more and more pronounced. We
finally got away three hours be-
hind the schedule hour. Ihad par
taken of no MONDAY meal, but |
cared little for that, for would |
not in two short hours be stretch
ing my legs under, and exercising
my godlier portion over the social
mahogany g~roaning beneath its
burden of furnishings for the inner
man? Would not the feast of
welcome be for me ready spread
my travel-strained appetite to
satisfy? | suppose I am of the
earth earthly and have q natural
longing for it's grosser holdings
out. Anyway, / don't disdain the
pleasures of the table at stated
reasonable intervals, if the cook
ing is good. When one knows a
fine dinner awaits him at the end
of his journey, every mile inter-
vening is savory with anticipation,
and he finds pleasure in nursing
his appetite to keepit warm. And
SO, when | boarded the belated
train | seated myself with a sigh of
relief that was at length on my
way, and contentment settled DER
me and haloed my impatience as
morning mists the mountain top.
| bought a magazine from the
clutch" and soon was reading,
oblivious to the rain and sleet pelt-
ing the windows and making out
side life miserable; or, doing
sensuously to the rhythmic rattle
OF the car, with pleasant snatches
of half-waking dream interlacing
Inconsistencies and dim percep-
ton. From this state | was
aroused by the conductor, who,
accompanied by his colored as
sistant, came along diligently in
vestigating the title of each and
every passenger to the seat by him
or her occupied. / passed my
mileage book to him with the
punch. "Where to?' he inquired.
"To Newport" was my answer.
"To Newport" with grieved sur
prise; 81 can't take you there to-
day! There's a wreck at the bridge
this side of that town, and this
train will go around it by way of
the branch road running from Bald
Knob to Wynne, where it forms
junction with the main line run
ming from Memphis to st. Louis.
| can take care of my through pas
sengers all right, but hardly know
what to do with you. Check him
to Newport, porter, and We'll see."
You may feel assured vas now
wide awake, with anxious thought
raising Cain. Gone MY dinner,
gone the pleasure of meeting
friends, and an all-night ride or a
weary wait at some wayside sta
ton staring into the face Of my
perception. Ichose the formerhorn
of the dilemma, not because liked
it, but from necessity; I'd rather be
struck with a chair-rung than an
iron poker. Our fate determined,
we wisely sought its kindlier phase
and made ourselves as comfortable
as the conditions permitted. We
patronized "the diner" and an ex-
cellent supper gave us courage to
endure. A good cigar passed me
another hour, and | read and
dozed under the Welsbach lamp
over many a swampy mile. Then
little conversational acquaintance
was struck up, and in that way we
''rolled along, rolled along" past
Bald Knob, past Wynne, and up
to Poplar Bluff. There we changed
conductors and | made vain en-
deavor to have the new man in
charge let me off at Ironton. He
courteously but firmly denied my
plea-as / had expected-and sug-
gested that | get off at Williams
vile and there await No. 10, which
is billed to halt at the place de-
sired. But, thanking him for the
suggestion, l told him to clip
enough mileage to carry me to
Bismarck, whence | would retro
grade home on No:7. 1t was3:30
A, M. when we reached the former
place, and I stepped out on to a
pavement of solid ice, so treacher-
GUS to the step that it required my
utmost caution to keep from max
ing "a holy show" of myself to the
trainmen there congregated. |
finally, unhurt and unhumiliated,
gained the N6rrid Hotel. AS No.
7 would be along in two hours, if
on time, to secure a room and bed
would have been but an aggrava-
ton to my WEAKNESS, and so | sat
me down in an easy chair before
the fire blazing in the chimney and
fell asleep.
| slept soundly and awoke with
a start. Consulting my watch, |
was Mortified to see the hands point
ing to 6:10-twenty minutes after