Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1905-11-08
How A Prayer Was Answered.

swer to prayer is furnished the
Maiden Merit by J. S. johnson, at
Homer, Ill. 1t is his own person
al experience: "About tie year
1887, as near as | can remember,
while acting as train dispatcher
for the Iron Mountain R'y Co., at
De Soto, Mo, | was on the watch
from four p. m. to twelve O'Clock
midnight. About ten O'Clock |
noticed Bismarck CA w calling
Irondale (X) in a very excited
manner. (1ts down hill from Bis
marck to Irondale and up hill from
1rondale to Summit, with the ex-
ception of a few says; the distance
from Bismarck to Irondale being
about six miles, and about the
same distance from Irondale to
SnmmiU. ! opened my key and
asked Bismarck what was the mat
ter! He informed me that a
freight train had broken in two
there and the rear end was going
down the hill without anybody on
board. The Texas express, south
bound, had passed the last telc-
graph station and would soon be
at 1rondale. Something must he
done quick. A few calls from me
raised lronda|c. told him to
display his red sigma! and hold No.
So, and then explained the sitna-
ton. ! told him to run and get
the section foroman's key and 90
to the son,h switch and head the
runaway train in the siding. |
urged him 10 hurry AS time was
precious. He said the time was
too short to 90 for the foreman's
switch key, so | told him to 60 to
the switch and derail the detached
cars by throwing ties or something
on the track. The next few mir
ntes | spent in prayer. One Of
the Bible promises that came to
me during the prayer was this:
Call upon Me III the day of trou-
bic, | will deliver thee, and thou
shalt gIorify Me-" Upon the hope
given in this promise, together
with some others, how forgotten,
| besought the LORD in some way
to prevent the trains from collia-
inc. About the time No. 55
should have been at Irondale | be-
gan to ca * end in few min
utes had Il response. Replying to
inquiry as to The situation, he in
formed me that No. 55 was there,
aud that the runaway cars had
passed thronok the siding and were
ascending the other hill, stopping,
us was afterwar.l discovered, in Il
sag about two miles north ot Iron
dale. To gel out Of the depot the
operator had to pass through the
waiting roua,; fortunately there
was gentlen:an in this to whom
he hurridIy explained the situt-
ton, and to his joy (and nriae too)
this man had Il switch key. With
key in hand he rushed t. the south
switch, just in time to set It for
the runaway. Aaron Plstt was
engineer on No. 50, and in speak
! mo of the Matter sometime after
ward, he rem m,rked that VIXEN he
left Mineral i'oiut, which is some
two miles north of SumMIt, he
was about six minutes late, and
something seemed TO say To him,
Get to IrondaIe on time, get to
IronduIe on time..' The way he
went down that hill from Summit
to Irondale Was a caution. Seeing
the red signal displayed at Iron
dale he applied the air and brought
the train to Il halt, expecting or
ders. Just rs ise stepped OF his
engine he head something pass
by on the siding; it was the de-
i.tached cars moving at the rate of
about forty miles al hour. A ter
ribIe accident was avoided by Mr..
Platt needing the premonilion,
Get to Irand:.le an time | be
Iivve God moved upon the mind Of
the engineer in answer to my pray
err, which WAS bxsed on Tue eternal
promises fonnd in the Book of Di-
! vine Inspirations