The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-08-11
SAVES A TRAIN
Filled With Passengers from Awful
Doom and When offered

/
Doom and When offered
High Education Her Fearful Love
Marries Her to Prevent Her
"Growing UP q Lady,
Little Mamie Gibson, 15.year.o old
mountain girl, saved u whole train.
load OF people from being dashed down
the mountain-side in front of her
home In the mountains of North Car.
olina not far from Asheville.
In recognition Of this heroic act,
the Southern railroad promised her q
{ college education. Her mountaineer
lover, finding 1t out, married her by
stealth, In hopes to prevent her going.
Her future is now depending on suit
for divorce which her father Is bring.
ing for her.
Mamie lives In the mountains, 20
miles cast Of this CITY. The dream of
her life has been to receive an educa.
tion and grow up a lady. Its reallza-
tion had always seemed to be as far
away as the skies. Now Ii seems to
be at hand, and she has been simply
dazed by the fairy-like prospect.
1t all came about one day when
Mamie discovered that landslide
had blocked the track at q sharp
curve of the Southern railway near
her home. Even as she looked there
sounded the whistle of a passenger
train laundering down the mountain.
Mamie met the emergency by send.
ing Patty Gibson, her 13.year. old
sister, down the track to guard against
the remote possibility Of wreck from
that direction. She chose the post of
danger, lunning with all her might to
meet the coming train. When it
drew into sight she frantically sig.
nailed the engineer to stop.
He heSitated. But her earnestness
was so great that he realized q disas-
ter was imminent. The airbrakes
were applied and the train brought to
standstill with a sharp JOLT only a
few rods from the blockade.
When he saw the danger big Con.
ductor Weaver snatched her up in his
arms and swore she was the bravest
girl In North Carolina. Grateful pas.
sengers, learning Of their narrow es,
cape sl,owered her with money. Asa
preliminary tribute the company In O.
day or two sent her 825.
The railway officials, however,
rightly surmised that to q girl reared
In the freedom Of the mountain wilds
money meant little. So one of their
number was delegated to visit the
cabin In the hills to ask Mamie the
m0mentous questions 5g
What did she most desire In the
world, Nannie's little face, tanned
| by Q southern sun aud wind turned
| I36Sie gIlsn Of tear q, Iol 10. ssneu
want money; she didn't want clothes,
for her father, with growing pride in
his pretty daughter, had made sundry
trips to AsheV!lle and returned with
wonderful creations" OF white and
unwonted shoes and stockings; but
she did want an education and to
grow up lady.
The papers are now going the
rounds Of the railway offi0lals, with
one favorable recommendation after
another, and 1T seems as though Ma
lures great wish is to be gratifed
There Is one serious obstacle in the
way, though 1t will probably be re.
moved. Mamie has been married.
She had a lover, ABB Smith, an
open faced Laughing, careless noun
taineer, eight years older than She
In almost startling contradiction to
his burly swagger and incessant cigs
rette smoking is his gentle, caressinp
voice and his courteous and kindly
manner. To this sturdy mountaineer
the realization that Mamie was going
TO leave for years, probably and that
he might lose her, was unbcarable.
He must marry her and prevent her
going. He sent a friend to town to
get marriage license. Then with
the friend for q witness and magis
trate for the ceremony he went to
Nannie's home one morning when he
knew her father was away and mar.
ried her. Little could Mamie have
to say, for in the absence OF her father
she knew no law except that of her
impetuous lover.
The enraged father was quick to
action. He caused the arrest OF
Smith and the man who had procured
the license on the ground that Mamie
was not Of legal age. He also began
suit to have the marriage act aside.
Upon the success of this suit will de.
pend largely whether Mamie is to get
an education, the one great dream OF
her life.