The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-06-25

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perilously close to being the STRAW"
The road ran I'D narrow riff in the
mountain. only room for the curved
twisting bed and little dashing stream.
AS Brady looked upon the rush of the
turnbiing. dashing water he began to
realize the manner of the gradient.
They had not got mile from Attic
when Coffin pointed to a broken. rusty
mass of wreckage; truss rods pro-
truding like petrified ropes from con-
glomeration of twisted shattered wheels
and axles piled upon crushed battered |
boiler, damming the water the point |
of sharp curve. Holding up two |
! fingers he pointed upwards. Brady |
smiled grimly. Four times in the next |
three miles came again the CHASTITY re-
| minders of fated '-runaways." Coffin |
repeated mis- grim pantOrninle with |
| fingers ranging from two to four. An
hour had been fought away when the
| exhausts began to come faster Look
| ing under the cinder shower Brady saw
the clustering cabins of typical mining
| camp. AS they passed along the nar-
| row street men and women nodded APP
rovingly as the extra car passed, and
! when they came to a stop a heavily
| bearded old car Cornisbman said:
| Boys, that is something like. Four
more families are sure Of warm toes
| Yes, and you can thank old man
| Blank for it, said Coffin.
We'll, it's hard to separate Blank and
/ his 1iISn; they are all of kind, re-
sponded the miner
The train put away and the conduc-
tor busily engaged in sizing up the
yard, the two engine crews gathered
upon the platform of the little station
around their lunch baskets. John and
Brady being unprcvided the others gen
! erously shared with them.
Well said Coffin. what do you
think of our road, and especially the
| Black Canyon Cemetery"
The road is all right replied Brady.
/ There's one consolation, it's only UP
hill one way, and as for the cemetery at
tachment man goes until his time
comes, and then N the way and manner
he was cut out for. AS far as I'm con-
cerned. I'd rather get It as those fell
| lows did down there than go by a
! fever route-a nuisance to myself and
everyone else for three or four weeks
Good reolied Coffin, warmly You
will do. That is the only way you can
look at it. but don't forget to keep
good pumn and lots of air. How are
you fixed? '' he added, quizzicaliy, to
Gray.
John deliberately laid piece Of boiled
ham on a mammoth slice OF bread. then,
looking complacentiy upon it, replied,
dryly:
Had no time 20 think coming up, but.
from your conversation. if I ever live to
get back to Virginia I'll study an old
vo.ume Of Calvin moldins in fathers
bookcase
Calvin? Who was he? An authority
on air. asked Coffin. in surprise
yes after a fashion, John replied.
gravel.
NOW there Is another thing 1 had
best tell you" said Coffin. I'VE have
code of private signals that comes very
useful at times. Now, when we are
going down tonight, II I need your help
in recharging the train, IN blow two
short blasts of the whistle. thrice re-
peated. AS soon as your gauge shows
full pressure cut your reservoir out.
. Now. if we should have a runaway I'll
call for brakes, but the three whistles
means that the game is called and all
are 70 look out for their own safety.
We mountain men have figured that the
safest place for the cneine crew in 4
runaway is out on the boiler The cab
is sooner or later failed to flinders by
; broken side rods and, of course, you
know that the deck of an engine is the
nest dangerous place on a train. The
tank goes to the boiler head as iron
to a magnet. but I've heard men grown
gray in railway service say that never
in their long experience had a wreck
, come under their observation when q
. man would not have been safe hac he
been on the boiler between sandboX and
! s-.V "a
night you can remember the whistle
, cord slips through ny fingers as ! scoot
out of thQ front cab door"
y ~
Here the conductor accompanied by
Mr.. Adams, the manager of the mines.
/. came no to the group.
Take your time said Healey, no
, ticing the party beginning to replace
the lunch in the baskets You have all
, afternoon Our friend has snubbed us
yes" said the man of authority, I'VE
expect to run out five cars of high
, grade ore from new pocket today and
from the way you people have allowed
/ cars 10 accumulate here, l am in the
future going TO make II my business to
Z see that / make you skim the cream.
! We have on the yard now thirty loads.
The smelter people are jumping side
ways and as for those ducks in Boston
well L believe each man of them keeps
1 | a secretary whose only duty is 10 write
me hourly letters. Now I have a pro-
posaI 10 make you fellows. am aware
, of the existence of bulletin by which
, you are to move only six cars from
here. So a few days since I wrote Mr.
Blank upon the matter. but yet have
, received no answer. Have you fellows
, got nerve enough TO take all Of these
loads down this trip? II you will I'll
set them up"
Nerve has nothing &c do with it, re-
piled Coffin decidedly, "a bulletin IS the
{ same as an order issued over the same
: signature and they are things 1 try
hard not to even bend, let alone break ="
The manager without a word swung
= on mis- heel. Then accompanied by
HeaTey crossed over TO his Office. AS
they reached the room Healey turned
: | to Adams saying:
"Now are you satisfiedT'