Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1907-01-23

Uk-f9S <<Au OF 1nyeStlgaI1On sIdnus
uRoSk9SI In its presence baffled.
The source of its illu-
mination is believed to be understood.
/ say believed, because In day when
yesterdays beliefs are tomorrOw's de-
lusions | commit myself personally to
no theory. Whether 1t is thing living
or dead, whether malign to mackerel
or potent in its influence on imperfect
1y understood atmospheric phenomena,
l do not know. l doubt whether any
body knows. except maybe Monsoon
himself. know only that on the West
End Monsoon's headlight from every
point of view stands high, and that on
one occasion 1t stood between Abe Mon
soon and frightful catastrophe.
There have been of late studied eff
forts to introduce electric headlights
on the Mountain division. But there
are grizzled men in the cab who look
with distrust-silent it Is true, yet dis
trust-on the claims put forth for
them. While Monsoon's headlight does
it's work--as it has done even long be-
fore Monsoon followed 1t to the West
End and will do long after he leaves
the West End-why, they say, and rea-
sonably enough. take on new and the
oretical substitutes?
While the discussion deepens and
even RACES In the Wickiup, Monsoon
himself is silent Brave men are mod
est men. Among ourselves we don't
use adjectives. Where Monsoon is
known it is not necessary to put any
4 1t
once month ON the payroll, when the
crosseyed accountant adds A. or Abe
or Abraham, just as he happens to be
fixed for time Monsoon's name In it.
self stands for a great deal. When his
brother engineers, men who have
grown seamy and weatherbeaten in
the service. put up their voices for
Monsoon's headlight, or when talkative
storekeepers, who servilely jump at
headquarters experiments in order to
court the favor of the high, speak for
electricity, Abe Monsoon himself Is ST.
lent. His light is there; let them take
it or leave 1t, as they will. If the SUI
perintcHdcnt of motive power should
attempt to throw it out for the new
tangled arrangement Monsoon would
doubtless feel that 1t was not the first
time Omaha had gone wrong, and, for
that matter, neither he nor anybody
else had assurance 1t would be the last.
However
The story opens on Bob Duffy. Bob
right from the start was what l call
good LOCKER and, being the Oldest boy,
he had more of the swing anyway.
When Martin came along his mother
hadn't got over thinking about Bob.
Doubtless she thought, too, of Martin,
but he was kind of oyershadowed. Bob
began by clerking in the postoffice and
delivering mail to all the pretty girls.
His sympathy for the girls was so
great that after awhile he began pass
ing out letters to them whether they
were addressed to the girls or to some
body else. This gradually weakened his
influence with the government.
Martin began work in the telegraph
Office He really learned the whole thing
right there at the Bend under Callahan.
Began carrying Western Unions stuck
at his waist under a heavy leather belt.
He wore in those days, when he had
real responsibility, formidable brown
soft hat that appeared bent on swal-
lowing his ears. 1t was about the time
he was rising trousers and eleven. No
body but Snkers ever beat Martin Duff
fy delivering messages, and nobody. bar
Bullhead, McTerza, anybody
ever beat him eating pie. 1t was by
eating pie that he was able to wear the
belt SO long, and you may take that
either way. But l speak gladly of the
pie, because In the usual cour-e of
events there isn't much pie in a dis
patcher's life There is, by very large
odds, more anxiety than pie, and I in
troduce the pie not to give weight to
the incidents that follow, but rather to
tighten them, though as Duffy has more
recently admitted this was not always
the effect of the pie itself.
l do not believe that Martin Duffy
ever had an enemy. A right tight little
chap he was, with always good word
even under no end of pressure on the
single track. There's many strug-
Cling trainman that will look quick and
grateful when any fellow far or near
speaks a word about Martin Duffy.
Fast he climbed. His head never swell
ed. His hats rested. even after he got a
key, same as the original one, right
ON the wings of his ears But his heart
grew right along after his head stopped,
and that's where he laid over some 9th
er railroad men l could mention IL
had to, which | don't-not here.
About the time it looked as If Mar
tin would make a go of it on the road
the postofice inspectors were thinking
Bob would make go of it over the
road. But he was such kid of fell
low that the postmaster convinced the
detectives Bob's way of doing things
was simple foolishness which it prob
ably was, and they merely swore him
out of the service.