Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1907-02-22
By FRANK
SPEARMAN
sss :. :: sc Sc 8. :.

had disposed OF their slice bar and
shovel and given the tender a final
sprinkle and the conductor had walk
ed leisureiy forward, compared time
with the engineer aud cried, IAN
abO-o-o-ardv' then as your coach NOV.
ed slowly ahead you might notice uu-
der the receding catalpas the little girl
waving parasol or handkerchief at
the outgoing train-that is, at Con-
ductor Sankey, for she was his daugh-
ter. Meta Sankey. Her mother was
Spanish and died when Neeta was a
wee bit. Meta and the limited were
Sankey's whole world.
When George Sinclair began pulling
the limited. running west opposite Fo-
ley, he struck up a great friendship
with Sankey. Sankey. though he was
hard TO start, was full OF early day
stories. George, il seemed. had the
faculty OF getting him to talk. perhaps
because when he was pulling Sankey's
train he made extraordinary efforts to
keep on time-time was n hobby with
Sankey. Foley said he was so careful
or II that when he was off duty he let
his watch stop Just 10 save time.
Sankey loved TO breast the winds
and the foods and the SHOWS. and IL
he could get home pretty near on
schedule. with everybody else late. he
was happy. and In respect OF that, as
Sankey used 10 say. George Sinclair
could come nearer gratifying Sankey's
ambition than any runner we had.
Even the firemen used 10 observe
that the young engineer. always neat,
looked still neater the days that he
took out Sankey's train. By and BY
there was an Introduction under the
catalpas. After that II was noticed
that George began wearing gloves on
the engine-not kid gloves, but yellow
dogskin-0nd black silk shirts. lie
bought them ia Denver.
Then-an odd way engineers have OF
paying compliments - when George
pulled into town on No. 2, II IL was
Sankey's train. the big skyscI -aper
would give a short, hoarse scream, a
most peculiar note. just as they drew
past Sankey's house, which stool on
the brow OF the hill west OF the ynrds
Then Meta would know that No. .
and her father and naturally Mr.. Sin
clair were In again and all safe and
sound.
When the railway trainmen held
their division fair at McCloud, there
was 4 lantern TO be voted to the most
popular conductor-a gold plated Ian
tern, with green curtain I'm the globe.
Cal Stewart and Ben Doton, who were
very swell conductors and great rivals.
were the favorltes and had the town
divided over their chances for win
ming It,
But during the last moments George
Sinclair stepped up to the booth and
cast storm of votes for old man
Sankey. bottoms friends and Stewards
laughed at first. but Sankey's votes
Kept pouring in amazingly. The IA
Vorites grew frightened. They pooled
their issues by throwing Stewards vote
To Doton, but it wouldn't do. Georgia
Sinclair. with crowd of engineers
Cameron, Moore. Foley, Bat Mullen
and Burns-came back at them with
such swing that in the final round
up they fairly swamped Doton. San
Key took the lantern 10y Il thousand
votes. but understood ii cost George
and his friends pot OF money.
Sankey said all the time he didn't
want the lantern; but, Just the same.
he always carried that particular Ian
tern, with his full name, Sylvester San
Key, ground into the glass just below
the green mantle Pretty soon. Meta
being then eighteen, IL was rumored
that Sinclair was engaged to Miss San
key-was going to marry her And
marry her he did, though that was not
until after the wreck in the Blackwood
gorge, the time OF the big snow.
II goes yet by just that name on the
West End. for never was such win
ter and such snow known on the
plains and In the mountains. One train
on the northern division was stalled
six weeks that winter, and one whole
coach was chopped up for kindllng
wood
But the great and desperate effort of
the company was to hold open the
main line, the artery which connected
the two coasts. 1t was a hard winter
on trainmen. Week after week the
snow kept falling and blowing. The
trick was not TO clear the line; Ii was
10 keep II clear. Every day we sent
out trains with the fear we should not
see them again for u week
Freight we didn't pretend to move.
Local passenger business had to be
abandoned. Coal. to keep our engines
ana our towns supplied. we were oblig-
ed to carry, and after that all the
Drains and the muscle and the motive
power were centered on keeping Nos.
ana z, our through passenger trains,
running.
Our trainmen worked like Americans.
There were no towards ON orr rolls