The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-05-28
SONS on
A NTOKT or

Copyrighted. 1905. by N. B, de Courcy.
CHAPTER ].
~ Ohm GRAY Strengthened his tired
back and stood looking over the
ragsed corn field. rather a disheart-
g ening process. The struggling rows.
yellow, scanty. almost weed-choked. gave
little promise Of future yields The young
man, despite the tired droop of figure
and discouraged eyes. presented type
far above the traditional Virginia farm
er. Heavy shouldered. standing over
six feet. there was in bearing and
clear-cut features the namelesss indie
structible something always present In
the true, pure-bre6 sons OF the Old Do
rninion. The boy with the patrician
face standing tired amid the rays of
the setting SUI had many counterparts
In the sad days OF the late seventies
Then came the sound of the hollow
exhaust Of an old diamond stack" the
clatteri1g OF wheels over rough unbsl-
lasted chair joint rails. and a freight
train runbled past the field As the
caboose passed a young man swung
gracefully TO the ground Quickly
catching his balance by q swing OF heel
he stood facing Gray. who gazed in
tently upon the stranger He saw u
slender. bright-faced youth of his own
sSe-Sbout tEenty-a jaunty silk cap
on his head. dressed in a suit OF black
basket work worsted. edges and
pockets faced with inch-deep silk
braid. an inch welt ran down the out
side or the trouser. legs with sixteen
and half spring bottoms haring over
alligator shoes with heavy inch extern
sion soles-the correct dress OF the tops
OF the rail at that epoch
Heuo.- he said. as on coming to
John he wiped his hands on a piece OF
waste Have you any water around
here27
Thanks" after emptying the drip
ping gourd- Il expect I'll have to
hang around here awhile; am a
brakeman; got ninety days leave of
absence and came down here TO see il
/ could get road where promotion
was quicker. but guess can't get out
OF this mans country soon enough; you
people have too much black oak in
cabs and on top and the captains seem
10 be all made by Office pull or war
record The fellows on that. extra said
thar ali nOrthbound trains took water
here, so I'll be q chunk OF the land
l. -
what part Of the country are you
FROM" asked John
Pennsylvania and the Northern Cen
tral Railroad Ny name is Frank Howe,
and yours Soon the pair were busily
talking. lower sank the torrid sun, slow
er worked the brace OF Africans at the
far end OF the field Thoughtfuny John
sat by the spring. mechanically dipping
his fingers into the cool water, while his
companion with fluent speech ran eagerly
On
There is something in the life that
brings you out; you might prance around
in q store, stoop over q desk, or grub
around on a farm all OF your life and
never know yourself. but when you take
UP rsilroading you soon get to know
your Limitations II your feet tangle cas-
ny or IL your hands are not quicker than
your eyes, you viii soon be one OF those
wrecks waving white flag at a cross
ing-eating your heart out as the boys
dash BY. Let me tell you, on the road
where belong. about half way down
= fcrty-minute hill stands an old farm
house Our SO passes there at 1:2o a m.
In the front room the folks have base
burner coal stove. Farmer-like, they
leave the curtains Of the windows UP.
Now on a singing January night 1 pass
on top Of train Of decks and the red
glow OF the FIRE in the farmhouse laughs
against twenty degrees below zero out
side II you think that la Scotch cap
pulled down over my ears-out there IN
der the cold stars or amid the slither of
drifting fakes, feel a pang or envy. your
place is here banging corn stalks or act
ing rural undertaken to split potatoes.
1T means a whole lot to a fellow" he
continued. that he is expected to do
things that a lot OF other fellows are
afraid TO do. and that he not only can
III the bin but loves TO do It Take it at
a m; you are out with rag in a biz
Yard snow, chucked at you in chunks, a
wind bowling around you worse than
hungry wolves, then as your lamp dies
down-the lamp on whose light other men
are pinning their lives-you put it under
your coat and something tells you if it
comes on-to freeze your Iigat win go out
first Take it pitching down a steep
mountain grade. the roofs sheeting the
driving rain, wet TO the hide. a meeting
order half way down, the boys in the
engine snug and comfortable. depending
on you to stop them o. x, and you know
as you pitch from car to car and brake
70 brake that you can do it. but if you
would fail or skulk. he'll would out for
noon. Can you understand what it means