Crittenden record=press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1907-1909, 1907-03-14

cur master mechanic. Neighhor. had
an idea after her terrific collision, that
she could not stand heavy main line
passenger runs, SO he put her Oh the
Acton cut of. 1t was what railroad
men call jerk water run, whatever
that may be, a little jaunt OF ten miles
across the divide connecting the north
srn Division with the Denver stem.
II was Just about like running a troll
Icy. and the run was given TO Dad
Sinclair. Cor after that Lift at Oxford
his back was never strong enough to
shovel coal, and he had TO take an en-
CINE o. quit railroading.
Thus n happened that after many
years be took the throttle once more
and nan over. twice q day. as he does
yet. from Acton TO Willow Greek.
His bog. Georgie Sinclair. the kid
engineer, took the run on the fier OPP
posits Folsy Just as soon as he got
well
Georgia. who was never happy I'm
less be had eight or ten Pullmans be
hind him and the right Of way over
everything between Omaha and Den
yer, made great sport Of his fathers
little smoking car and day coach be
hind the big engine.
Foley made sport OF the remodeled
engine. He used TO stand by while
the old engineer was oiling and ask
hun whether ne thought she could
catch q Jack rabbit. II mean" Foley
would say, IF the rabbit was feeling
WELL
Dad Sinclair took Il all grimly and
quietly. BE bad railroaded too long TO
care for anybody's chat. But one day
after the skyscraper had got her tiues
pretty well chalked up with alkali. 70
ley insisted mat she must be renamed.
Il have the only genuine skyscraper
on the West End myself" declared Fo-
ley. He did have new Class ii en-
CINE. and she was awe inspiring. in
truth. Il don't propose" he continued.
''to have her confused with your old
tub any longer Dad"
Dad. oiling his old tub affectionately.
answered never a word.
shes full Of soda. isn't she, fatherr
asked George, standing by.
Reckon she is, son"
Full Of water. supposer
'"Try to keep her that way, SON.
SAL Soda, isn't il. DadF'
Now, can't say. AS TO that can't
say"
We'll call her sal Soda, George, %
suggested Foley.
mo" interposed George. stop a
bit. have it. Not Sal Soda at all.
Make il Soda Water Sal"
Then they laughed uproariously, and
In the teeth of Dad Sinclair's protests
for he objected at once and vigorously
the queer name stuck to the engine
and sticks yet.
To have seen the great hulking ma
chine you would never have suspected
there could be another story left in her
Yet one there was--a story OF the wind.
As she stood. too when old man Sin
clair took her on the Acton run. she
was the best illustration / have ever
seen OF the adage that one can never
tell from the looks Of frog how far
II will jump.
Have you ever felt the wind? Not
! think. unless you have lived on the
seas or on the plains. People every
where think the wind blows. but il
really blows only on the ocean aud oil
the prairies.
The summer that Dad took the Acton
run ii blew for month steadily all
of one August-hot. dry. merciless. the
despair Of the farmer and the terror Of
trainmen.
1t was on an August evening. with
the gale still sweeping up from the
southwest, that Dad came numbering
into Acton with his little trolley train.
He had barely pulled up at the plat
form 10 unload his passengers when
the station agent, " Drris Reynolds,
coatless and hatless, rushed up to the
engine ahead Of the hostler and sprang
into the cab. Reynolds was one OF
the quietest fellows in the service. TO
see him without coat or hat didn't
count for much in such weather. but
10 see him sallow with fright and al
most speechless was enough TO stir
even old Dad Sinclair
1t was not Dads habit to ask ques-
tons, but he looked at the man In ques.
tioning amazement. Reynolds choked
and caught at his breath as he seized
the engineers arm and pointed down
the line.
Dad" he gasped, three cars of coal
standing over there on the second spur
blew loose a few minutes ago.
where are theyT
where are theyf Blown through
the switch and down the line forty
miles an hour"
The old man grasped the frightened
man by the shoulder. What do you
mean1 How long ago? When is |
due7 Talk quick. man! What's the
matter with your
"Not five minutes ago. No. is due
here in less than thirty minutes. They'll
60 into her sure. Dad" cried Reyn-
Odds. all in fright. "what'll / do?
For heavens sake, do something!
called up Riverton and tried to catch
!, but she'd passed. | was too late
There'll be wreck and I'm booked