Crittenden record=press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1907-1909, 1907-09-26

sepger train when Jimmie Brady was
running. and Jimmie afterward enlist
&c and was killed in the Custer tight
There was an odd tradition about
Sankey's name. He was tall,
swarthy fellow and carried the blood
Of a Sioux chief in his veins II was
n the time OF the Black Hills excite
ment. when railroad men. struck by
the gold fever. were abandoning their
trains even at way stations. and strik
ing across the divide for Clark's Cross
ing Men 10 run the trains were harl
70 get. and Tom Porter. trainmaster,
was putting in every man he could
pick up without reference 10 age or
color.
Porter-he died at Juiesburg after
ward-was a great joiller. and he was
not afraid of anybody on earth.
One day a war party Of Sioux clat-
tered into town They toCe around
like o storm and threatened 10 scalp
everything, even 10 the local tickets.
The head braves dashed In 90 Tom
Porter, sitting in the dispatcher's Of
fee upstairs. The dispatcher was Ind
ing under a loose plank in the baggage
room Hoor. Tom being bald as a sand
hll. considered himself exempt from
sealping parties. He was working u
game OF solitaire when they bore down
on him and interested them at once.
That led 10 a parfey. which ended in
Porters hiring the whole band 10
brake on freight trains. Old man San
hey 10 said TO have been ons of that
original war party.
Now, this Is merely a caboose story,
told on winter nights when trainmen
get stalled IN the snow drifting down
from the Sioux country. But what fol
lows is better at;ested-
sankey, 10 start with had a peculiar
name an unpronounceable unspell-
able, unmanageabLe name. never
heard II, 80 | can't give It. II was as
hard TO catch as an Indian cur, and
that name made more trOuo4e on the
psyrolls than all the other names put
together. Nobody az headquarters
could handle IT, II was never turned
In twice alike, and they were always
writing Tom Porter about the thing.
Tom explained several times mat II
was Sitting Bulls ambassador who
was drawing that money and that he
usually signed the payroll with a toma-
hawk. But nobody at Omaha ever
knew how 10 take joke
The first time Tom went down he
was called In very solemnly 10 ex-
plain again about the name and. be-
ing in a hurry and very tired sf the
whole business. Tom sputtered:
Hang il, don't bother me any more
about that name. II you can't read Il.
make it Sankey and be done with it."
They took Tom at his word. They
actually did make II Sankey. and that's
bow our oldest conductor came TO bear
the name OF the famous singer. and
more ! may say-good name as it was
and is the Sioux never disgraced IT,
Probably every old traveller on the
system knew Sankey. He was not
only always ready 10 answer questions,
but, what is much more, always ready
10 answer the same question twice. 1t
Is that which makes conductors gray
headed and spoils their chances for
heaven answering the same questions
over and over again. Children were
apt 10 be a bit startled at first sight
Of Sankey, he was SO dark, but he
had a very quiet smile that always
made them friends after the second
trip through the sleepers, and they
sometimes ran about asking for him
after be had left the train.
Uf late years-and ii is this that
hurts-these very same children. grown
ever SO much bigger and riding again
TO or from California or Japan or Aus
tralla, will ask when they reach the
West End about the Indian conductor.
But the conductors who now run the
overland trains pause at the question.
checking over the date limits on the
margins OF the coupon tickets, and.
handing the envelopes back, will look
AT the children and say slowly, He
isn't running any more"
II you have ever gone over our line
20 the mountains or 10 the coast you
may remember at McCloud, where they
change engines and set the diner in OF
out, the pretty little green park TO IN,
east of the depot. with "A row Of catalp,
trees along the platform line. 1t look
like glass OF spring water.
II II happened to be Sankey's rui
and regular West End day, sunny an,
delightful, you would be sure 10 Sc
standing under he catalpas a shy
dark skinned cir OF fourteen or fftee
years silently watching the prepar.
tions for the departure OF the ovei
land.
And after ;he new engine had bee
backed. champiL-, down and harness 81
20 It's long stH.g Of vestbuled slice
ers: after toe 1ir hose had been co
nected and thu air valves examine,
after the engineer had swung ont
his cab. filed his cups and swung
again; after the fireman and his help