The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-01-18

me Ludt IL mGsI De lulS DOy 5 IAI1er
who was wanted.
You have been begging for a chance
to take out an engine, Bartholomew"
began Neighbor coIdly. And / knew it
was on.
Eyes, sir"
You want to get killed, Bartholo-
new"
Bartholomew smiled as if the idea
was not altogether displeasing.
How would you like to so pilot to-
morrow for McCurdy? You to take the
A and run as first 70. McCurdy will
run as second 49,
II know / could run an engine all
right" ventured Bartholomew, az if
Neighbor were the only one taking the
chances in giving him an engine. Il
know the track from here to Zanes-
Vile / helped McNeff fire one week"
Then go home and go to bed and
be over here at g O'Clock tomorrow
morning. And sleep sound, for it may
be your last chance"
It was plain that the master mechan-
lie hated to do it. 1t was simply sheer
necessity.
Hes a wiper" unused Neighbor as
Bartholomew walked springily away.
81 took him in here sweeping two years
ago. He ought to be firing now. but
the union held him back That's why
he hates them. He knows more about
an engine now than half the lodge.
They'd better have let him in" said
the master mechanic grimly. HE may
be the means of breaking their backs
yet. II give him an engine and he
runs it. I'll never take him off, union
or no union, strike or no strike"
"How old is that boy?" / asked.
Eighteen, and never a kith or a kin
that know of. Bartholomew Mullen"
unused Neighbor as the slight figure
moved across the fiat, big name
small boy. Well, Bartholomew, you'll
know somethh more by tomorrow
night about rLaning an engine or q
whole lot less. That's as it happens.
If he gets killed, it's your fault, Reed"
BE meant that I was calling on him
for men when he absolutely couldn't
produce them.
81 heard once" he went on, "about a
fellow named Bartholomew being mix
ed up in a massacre. But I take 1t he
must have been an older man than
our Bartholomew. Nor his other name
wasn't Mullen, neither. l disremem-
Der just what 1t was, but it wasn't
Mullen"
"Well, don't say I want to get the
boy killed. Neighbour" / protested.
"I've plenty to answer for. I'm here
to run trains-when there are any to
run. That's murder enough for me.
You needn't send Bartholomew out on
my account"
"Give him slow schedule, and I'll
give him orders to jump early. That's
all we can do. If the strikers don't
ditch him, he'll get through some
how"
1t stuck in my crop-the idea of put,
ting the boy on q pilot engine to take
all the dangers ahead of that partic-
ular train. But had good deal else
to think of besides. From the minute
the silk got into the McCloud yards
we posted double guards around
About IL o'clock that night we held 9
council of war; which ended in oul
running the train into the out freight
house The result was that by morn
ing we had a new train made up. Il
consisted of fourteen refrigerator cars
loaded with oranges which had come
in mysteriously the night before. 1
was announced that the silk would bt
held for the present and the orange:
rushed through. Bright and early the
ice houses, and twenty men were pu
to work icing the oranges. At o'clocl
McCurdy pulled in the local passenge
with engine 105. Our plan was t.
cancel the local and run him right GU
with the oranges. When he got in b.
reported the 105 had sprung tire.
knocked our scheme into a cooked hat
There was lantern jawed confer
ence in the roundhouse.
"What can you do?" asked the super
intendent In desperation.
There's only one thing / can dc
Put Bartholomew Mullen on 1t wit
the Al and put McCurdy TO bed 70
No. 2 tonight" responded Neighbor.
We were running first In, first out
but we took care to always have some
body for and who at least knew a
injector from an air pump.
1t was O'clock. looked into tn
locomotive stalls. The f1rst-the only
man in sight was Bartholomew Muller
He was very busy polishing the A. 81
had good steam on her. and the old tn
was wheeling as If she had the asthms
The IL was old, she was homely, SD
was rickety, but Bartholomew Mule
wiped her battered nose as deferentia
~ as if she had been spick-span, sp
der driver. tail truck mail racer.
She wasn't much-the A. But
those days Bartholomew wasn't mucl
and the A was Bartholomew.
How is she steaming, Bartholt