Cañon City record., 1906-03-29

thege wsTe Spns pea in .Denklefoa who
anoueht they were bad. and these were
. source of constant bedevilment to the
railroad men.
southwest Of the yard. where the riv-
er breaks sheer into the bottoms. there
hived and still hives colony Of rail-
road laborers, Russians They have
squatted there, burrowed into the face
OF the bench Ike sand swallows and
scraped caves out for themselves and
the name of the place is Little Russia
This was in the troublous days when
the cowboys, homesick for evil. would
ride around Little Russia with rope
and gun and scare the pioneers cross
eyed. The cattle fellows spent the en-
tire winter months, all sand and sun
shine. putting up schemes to worry
Callahan and the Little Russians. The
headquarters for this restless gang
were at Pat Barlie's place across from
the postohice. It was there that the
cowboys loved to congregate. To Cal
lahan Pat Barlie's place was a wasps'
nest, but to Chris It was den of
wolves. and of dreader sort than
Russian wolves, for Barlie's pack new
q slept
The east and west section men could
run away from them on hand cars. 1t
was the yardmen who caught 1t. and 1t
grew so bad they couldn't keep a
switchman. About 10 O'Clock at night.
after No. % had pulled in and they
were distributing train load Of bridge
timber, a switchman's lantern would
80 up In signal. when-pist:-a bullet
would knock the lamp clean out Of his
hand and the nerve clean out Of his
head. Handling light in the Benkle
pipeyou never could tell when it
would go off.
Cowboys shot away the lamps faster
than acquisitions could be drawn for
new ones. They shot the signals OF
the switches and the lights from the
tops of moving trains. Whenever
brakeman showed a flicker two cow
boys stood waiting to snufr 1t. II they
missed the lamp, they winged the
brakeman. 1t compelled Bucks after
awhile to run trains through Benkle-
ton without showing ever light. This,
though tough, could be managed, but
to shunt fats in the yard at night with
no light or to get a switchman willing
to play young Tell to Peg Leg Reynolds
William for any length OF time was
impossible. At last Bucks, on whom
the worry reflected at headquarters.
swore he would fight them with fire,
and he sent Shockley. Callahan still
sat speculating on what he would be
up against when Shockley arrived.
The impression Bucks letter gave
him, knowing Bucks to be frugal of
words, was that Shockley would rise
up with cartridges in his ears and
bowie knives dangling from his watch
chain. To live in fear Of the cowboys
was one thing, but to live in fear Of
the cowboys on the one hand and In
terror of yardmaster on the other
seemed, all things consi cred. confus-
ing, particularly II the new ally. got to
drinking and his fire scattered. Just
then train 50 whistled. Pat Barlie's
corner began to sputter its salute. Cal
lahan shifted around behind his bomb
proof, lit his powderhorn and. looking
down the line, wondered whether
Shockley might be on that train.
1t was not till the next night, though.
that tall, thinnish chap, without visi-
BILE reasons for alighting, got of 80 and
walked tentatively down the platform.
At the ticket office he asked for the as
sistant superintendent.
"Out there on the platform talking
to the conductor"
The thin fellow emerged and headed
for Callahan. Callahan noticed only
his light, springy amble and his hatchet
face.
Mr. Callahan
"Yes"
Bucks sent me up to take the yard"
whats your nameT
"Shockley."
"Step upstairs. I'll be up in min
ute.''
Shockley walked back into the depot,
but he leftthe copper haired assistant
superintendent uncertain as to whether
it was really over, whether Shockley
had actually arrived or not. As Cal
lahan studied the claimants inoffen-
sive appearance walking away he rath-
er thought 1t couldn't be over or that
Bucks was mistaken. But Bucks new
er made mistake.
Next morning at Z the new yardmas-
ter took hold. Callahan had intimated
that the night air In the yard, 1t being
low land, was miasmatic and that
Shockley had maybe better try for
awhile to do his switching in the day
time. Just before the appointed hour
in the morning the assistant had look
ed out on his unlucky yard. He thought
to himself that IL that yard didn't drive
a man to drink nothing ever would.
Piled shanty high with a bewildering
array of material, it was enough to
take the heart out Of Denver switch
ing crew.