Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-06-26

Hello, 'bo!"
Helle there brakey."
What yer doin in there?"
A face. dirty. unshaven and wear
ing sardoDic grim. was thrust from
the sewer-pipe on tue 'gondola.P
I'm tourin round for rae health.
Did me observation-car get hitched 70
de wrong scooter.
THAT depends, said the brakeman,
Is he came down the iron ladder Of
the next car. Got smoker
For answer the tramp came cut Of
the pipe and perching on the low
rail. drew from his pocket package
Of tobacco and some crumpleG cigat-
cite papers. He whistled IN fine un-
concern as he proceeded to roll q
tempting-looking cigarette. This ne
held toward the brakeman.
Much obliged. said that function
airy. reaching for the roll
The tramp suddenly lowered his ex-
tended arm Slow up minute
said be. and as he spoke he ran his
thumb thoughtfully up and down the
seam Of the cigarette. yer forgot t"
say whether ! connected wild de wrtng
scooter or not
The brakeman laughed oh. you're
all right with this crew, he said.
The tramp passed up the cigarette
Keep in the pipe when we hit a
TOWN the brakeman counseled be
tween puffs.
/ Say" said the other, I'm all d.
way from Frisco, an towns ain :
what I'm loolzin' at. Rural scenes is
what hits me more where I i've"
"All right. DO, the brakeman re-
sponded, were comm to one now.
Better do the Dutch.
In = moment the tramp had dis
appeared. He stuck out his head 10
say Come roun to De smoldn-
room again. Me berths number tree
from de right" and then he curled w
in the cylinder and slept"
1t was wen along in the evening
when he was aroused by lantern
thrust into The end of the pipe.
Hello. brakey." he said. as he recog-
nized the face peering in. Want a
smoker"
That's me" said the otner
1t was only few moments when
the tramp was perched on top of the
: pipe. and rolling a 1it Of tobacco II
the soiled tissue. The brakeman sat
in the bottom of the car his back
against the rail, and his long legs
stretched out before him.
Suddenly hoarse scream from the
whistle sounded above the roar of the
grinding wheels. The brakeman
sprang to his feet There was ter
rible crash. a moment of sickenirg
suspense. and the tramp bruised md
dazed, was lying on a sand bank he.
side the road. his mouth filed with
dust. He struggled painfully 10 MS
feet. blood was streaming into his
eyes. and the skin was gone from the
eft side of his face He tore a piece
from the lining of his coat and wiped
the blood from mis- eyes
A glance down the track told the
story. They had been toiling up a
heavy grade. and az the top was 4
curve, There at the curve a hundred
wards away. two locomotives. dis
mantled ard Missing, were clingng
together as in a death-gr.p -Four
passenger-coaches were niled On enc
another in shapelcss heap: fifth.
its front end in splinters was half OFT
the rails Two more stood on the
rails intact
The first FIVE cars-empties-of the
freight were kindling wood; three
more lay grotesquely on their sides.
and the gondola was obliquely across
the rails. bottom up. The remainder
Of the freight sloped down the grade.
II had kept the track and the twisted
couplings of the overturned cars had
held,
The uninjured Of the crews and
/ passnger we're focking about the
wrecked cars. Shrill staccato screams
and deeper grosns cine from under
the sbapeless pile The wreck had
taken fire and tiny tor gnes u fame
lent "a feeble Eight TO the ghas- y
scene.
The tramp stood helnlsssly rubin;
his hands across his singing face. SO
suddenly had the shock come that he
could not realize the magnitude Of the
disas:er HIS only coherent thought
was that he had lost his tobacco. He
walked over to the gondola and began
to kick the dirt abou, in the hope Of
finding the missing pouch. His head
throhhed strangely. He leaned for a
moment against the side of the car.
AS he did so, he heard low moan
He listened for it again and dropped
to his hands and knees.
"Hello!" he called. Anybody iE
! Il ere?7
The answer came to him family
For the love Of God get me out Of
!! A4re!"
That you. brakey, he called back
Hurt