The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1904-11-18
Jim Moorc's
Neutrality-suspicious.
BY WILL j. LAMPToS

h------~----~-------~--
No. Az was due al Bridgeport at y
O'Clock noon II was THANKSGIVING day
end Jim Moor the engineer. was
booked a. dine sc home on turkey with
cranberry sauce On lie side. not TO men
ton a few oysters. with a wind-up oil
mince pic that was warranted To make
a man throw Gid whole carload Of
thanks. extra Bridgeport was the end
Of lls Csy o. and a. il happened his
Of day occurred on Thursday. his wife
and all the Kin oil both sides were To
nave dinner that day at Jim's. IL was
10 be the dinner ~ their lives. too for
jim had not been at home on Thanks
giving day since his marriage FIVE years
before the DATE of this chronicle
The weather had been very bad for
several days before THANKSGIVING. and
every day q that week II had rained
as n there rad been an encore for
Noah's flood and the elements we're
doing their best % respond TO H. The
road ran through % miles OF river bot
tom LANDS So low that In places long
trestles supported the tracks. and II was
MT times a section that engineers were
glad to got through without some kind
or m accident On this trip Moore had
an eight hour run and he had accom-
piished but half OF n when he reached
the low grounds. As the engine swung
round the last curve out Of the hills.
and the drst view OF the valley pre-
scented itself. through the pouring rain.
Dick Lore. tho fireman. burst forth.
Look M that sea. Jim" he shouted
above the roar ~ the engine. we amt
made of goatin' stuff and do you reckon
we can SWIM"
Moore swept the watery waste with
his trained eyes. There was indeed
wilderness 81 water spread before them
hut the railway tracks were plainly Wis
fbie. winding through ii like a great
sea serpent with the ribs sticking out
OF It's sides. ard with. Innumerable feet
extending into the water nj intervals
and long reaches or dark body that had
no feet II was thus rhe trestles and the
solid portions or the road presented
themselves to him.
At the Lost station before passing out
into the low lands and over the bridge
which spanned the river proper. the
train was flaeged and the engineer was
informed that he must wait for orders
before proceeding further For four
long and soaking hours the engine stood
on the track throbbing restlessly and
taking the peIting rain A. II IL realized
that 1t was being imposed upon.
II don't care cuss about the wet"
said Moore 70 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 wifes handwrit-
ing and It reads like fairy tale"
Tie took II out OF his pocket and be-
gan reading IL aloud.
Let up on that" protested Long.
Don't you suppose q fireman has got
as fine feelin's a an engineer has. or
do you? II | listen to that a minute
longer I'll have a 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, "the
water has broken through the fill be-
tween US and the hills and we are
marooned unless We 20 ahead and take
chances on getting out"
How about orders?" inquired the en-
gineer.
The wires went down In the rush and
the operator has lost his connections
at both ends"
What's the matter with waiting
here and taking IL easy till the dry spell
sets in?" inquired the fireman jokingly.
See that water coming M there?"
said the conductor. pointing to the rising
tide creeping up the embankment to
where the engine stood. I'm a mighty
little while II will be over this track.
and the Lord only knows how high IL
will get or what will happen to the fill
with all that water piling up against
It. and more coming every minute. Fifty
feet OF the MI has been eaten away since
the break took place back yonder. and
~ IL dropping like grass before fire."
We've got TO get ont Of this" said
Moore decisively. Shake up tho fire. |
Dick"
But how" asked the conductor. |
I'VE have a hundred passengers aboard. !
and We can't risk their lives. can VET"