West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-06-21


narso as ever you sGW. l.vca switch.
men, when they got pinchcd. Kind OF
10 lScl 10 Blackburn.
That day the minute lc get Fred into
CayhJrts hands thcrc was Frcd's
trick 10 take care o.. ana nobody. OF
course, but Blackburn % 90 Il. lie sat
la ana picked up the threads and held
them TN noon. then Maxwell relieved
him. Doubleday was waiting outside
when blackburn left the chair saw
him put out his hand TO the night dis
patchcr. They spoke n minute and
went out and up Third street toward
Fred Norman's room. IL was n gloomy
day around the depot Everybody was
talking about the trouble and the way
II had begun and the way IL had ended.
They talked In undertones. little groups
in corners and In rooms with the doors
shut There wasn't much OF that I'm
our day there. and II was depressing.
| went home early TO bed, for was on
nights. but the wind sung so, even in
the afternoon. that couldn't quiet
down TO sleep.
We We're handling trains then ON the
old single order system. mention this
because In no other way could this par
ticular thing have happened, but there's
no special point I'm that, since other
particular things do happen all tho
time single order double order or no
order system.
The wind had dropped and there was
just n drizzle of rain falling through
the mountains when got down TO the
depot at Z o'clock that Sunday even
ing. l don't know how much sleep
Blackburn had had during the day, but
he had been at Fred Norman's bed
most OF the afternoon with Doubleday
and Carhart so he couldn't have had
much About half past Maxwell sent
me over there with n note and his storm
coat for him, and the three men were
In the room then. Boylike, | hung
around until IL was time for Black
burn TO take his trick. and then lie and
Doubleday and l walked over to the
Wichup together.
At sundown everything was ship.
shape. There hadn't been an engine
failure In the district for twenty-fo
hours, ana every hand ear was run
iiAAE NAA4OOAnils NlOINONtIs llltIt were
no extra sections marked up aud only
one special on the division card-a the
atrlcal train eastbound with Henry Irv-
ing and company from Frisco 10 Chica-
go. The Irving special was heavy, as
II always Is. That night there were Ave
baggage cars. n coach and two sleepcrs.
i am particular TO lay all this out just
as the night opened when Blackburn
took his train sheet. because sometimes
these things happen under extraordi-
nary pressure on the line and some
times they don't; sometimes they hap
pen under pressure on the dispatcher
himself. II was all fixed. too, for Black.
burn 10 handle not only hls own trick,
but the first two hours OF Fred's trick,
which would carry till @ o'clock In the
morning. At @ Maxwell was TO double
into n four hour dog watch. and Gala.
han was to SIT In till noon.
There was nothing 20 hold the big fel.
lows around the depot flat night and
they began struggling home through the
rain about o'clock. Before 10 Bucks
and Callahan had left the Office. by IL
Neiglbor had got away from the round
house; Doubleday had gone back to sit
with Fred Norman.
The lights In the yard were low. and
the drizZle had eased into n mist; Il was
a nasty night, and yet one never prom
ised better for quiet. Before midnight
the switchmen were snug I'm the yard
shantles; IN the Wickiup there were the
night ticket agent downstairs and the
night bagga geman. Upstairs every door
was locked and every room was dark
except the dispatcher's office. In that
Blackburn sat at his key. Nearby, but
closer to the stove. sat the night caller
for the train crews, trying TO starch his
hair with Il ten cent novel.
The wcstbound overland passenger,
No, ], was due to leave Ames at 1910
q. m, and ordinarily would have met n
special like the Irving at Rosebud,
which Is good bit west OF the river.
But No. rs engine had Been steamlng
badly all the way from McCloud, and
on her schedule, which was crazy fast
all night she did not make Ames TIL
some fifty minutes late. While there
were no special orders, IL was under
stood we were TO help the Irving train
30 hhhNtA 10 lfyHHtnlt my way DuNhN
had made the acquaintance Of the great
man and hls fellows on the westbound
run, aud. as they had paid us the par.
ticular compliment Of return trip, we
were minded to give them the best Of
II, even against No. /, which was al
ways rather sacred on the sheet. This,
| say was pretty generally understood,
for when it was all over there wns no
criticism whatever on Blackburns in
tention OF making a meeting point for
the two trains, MS they then stood at
O'Fallon's siding.
Between Ames and Rosebud. twenty
miles apart, there are two sldings
O'Ballon's, west OF the river, aud Salt
Rocks, east There was no operator at
either place. The train hat leaves
Ames westbound Is in the open for
twenty miles. with only schedule rights
or a dispatcher's tissue between her
and the worst Of it At o'clock that
morning blackburn wired an order 20
Ames for No. I TO hold at O'Fallon for
Special 2O2. A minute later he sent On
order for Special 2O2 70 run to O'Fallon
regardless Of No. J. st least be thought
he sent such an order. but be didn't
lie made a mistake
When he had fixed the mef.ig 2 point,
Blackburn rose from his chlI and sat
dova by the stove. ! laaily watched
him till, falling into a doze as I eyed
him drowsily, he began to loom up in
his chair and 70 curl and twist toward
the roof like n signal column Then tho
front legs OF his chair struck the floor,
and with q start I woke just as he
stepped hurledly back 20 his table and
picked up the order book
The first suspicion / had that any.
thipg was wrong was an exclamation
eSofu Rinothurn 90 - Stared ~ fha