West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-06-28

- yet science, after no end
vEySSE1I OF Investigation stands
lhS0S&Et In it's presence bafiied.
The source OF its Illu-
mination is believed TO be understood.
| say believed, because In day when
yesterdays beliefs are tomorrow's de-
luslons l commit myself personally to
no theory. Whether IL Is n thing living
or dead, whether mnlign to mackerel
or potent In it's influence on imperfect
~ understood atmospheric phenomena,
l do not know. l doubt whether my
body knows. except maybe Monsoon
himself. I know only that on the West
End Monsoon's headlight from every
point of view stands high. and that OH
one occasion II stood between Abe Mon
soon and a frightful catastrophe.
There have been OF late studied ef-
forts 10 Introduce electric headlights
on the Mountain division But there
are grlzzled men I'm the cab who look
with distrust-sllent, II IL true, yet dis
trust-on the claims put forth for
them. While Monsoon's headlight does
Its work -as II has done even long be-
fore Monsoon followed II TO the West
End and will do long after he leaves
the West End-why. thcy say. and rea-
sonably enough, take on new and the-
oretical substltutesI
While tho discussion dcepens and
even RACES in the Wickiup. Monsoon
himself Is silent. Brave mon are mod
est men. Among ourselves we don't
use adjcctives. Where Monsoon Is
known IL Is not necessary to put any
thing ahead of his name, except maybe
once month on the payroll. when the
crosseyed accountant adds A. or Abe
or Abraham, just as he happens to be
-ffxed for time. Monsoon's name In f.
self stands for II great deal When his
brother engineers, men who have
grown seamy and weatherbcaten in
the service put up their voices for
Monsoon's headlight, or when talkatIve
storekecpers. who servilely jump at
headquarters experiments In order to
court the favor OF the high. speak for
electricity, Abe Monsoon himself Is ST.
lent. His light is there; let them take
1t or leave II, as they Will. If the su-
perintendent OF motive power should
attempt to throw II out for the new
doubtless feel that IL was not the first
time Omaha had gone wrong, and, for
that matter. neither he nor anybody
else had assurance IL would be the last
However
The story opens on Bob Duffy. Bob
right from the start was what call a
good locker. and, being the oldest boy,
he had more OF the swing anyway.
When Martin came along his mother
hadn't got over thinking about Bob.
Doubtless she thought, too, of Martin,
but he was kind of overshadowed Bob
began by clerking In the postoffice and
delivering mail to all the pretty girls.
His sympathy for the girls was so
great that after awhile he began pass
Ing out letters to them whether they
: were addressed to the girls or to some
body else. This gradually weakened his
influence with the government
Martin began work In the telegraph
Office. He really learned the whole thing
right there at the Bend under Callahan.
Began carrying Western Unions stuck
at his waist under heavy leather belt.
lie wore I'm those days, when lie had
real responsibility, a formidable brown
soft hat that appeared bent on swal-
lowing his ears. II was about the time
he was rising trousers and eleven No.
body but Sinkers ever beat Martin DUFF
fy delivering messages, and nobody. bar
none-Bullhead, McTerza. anybody
ever beat him eating pie. II was by
eating pie that he was able to wear the
belt so long md you may take that
either way. But speak gladly OF the
pie. because I'm the usual course of
events there isn't much pie I'm dis
potcher's life. There is, by very large
odds, more anxiety than pic and In
troduce the pie not 60 give weight to
the incidents that follow. but rather to
tighten them, though as Duffy has more
recently admitted this was not always
the effect OF the pie itself.
do not believe that Martin Duffy
ever had an enemy. A right tight little
chap he was. with always n good word,
even under no end Of pressure on the
single track. There's many a strug.
Cling trainman that will look quick and
grateful when any fellow far or near
speaks word about Martin Duffy.
Fast he climbed. His head never swell
cd. His hats rested, even nfter he got a
key. same ns the original one. right
on tho wings Of his ears. But bis heart
frew right along after his head stopped,
md thnts where he laid over some 9th.
or railroad men I could mention n
Lad to. which I don't-not here
. About the time It looked ms n Mar
tin would make n go OF Il on the road
the postoflico inspectors were thinking
Bob would make 20 Of II over tho
road. But he was such q kid Of a fel-
low that the postmaster convinced the
detectives Bob's way OF doing things
was simple foollslncss, which II prob
ably was. and they merely swore him
out Of the service.
II was then that Martin reached out
q hand to his elfer brother. There
were really just tlse two brothers. ana
back Of them-as there IA somewhere
back OF every railroad mana mother.
No father-not generally; Just moth.