Crittenden record=press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1907-1909, 1907-02-28

W 'ANs 'lt III tllidAl just bLt->NtA I'll
with the company; thar was Dad Ham
iltou.
YES" growlcd Dad. combating the
protests of the strikers committee u
know IT, | brIou- 10 your lodge. But
I'll tell you uoW-an' I've told Nod
afore-f amt goin' To strike on the
company 80 long aS Neighbor is master
mechanic on this division; amt a-goin
10 DO it. an you might as well quit
II you jaw here from now till Christ
mas. 'twou't change my mind mar Il
bit"
And they didn't change it, Through
the calm and through the storm. and
it stormed hard for awhile. Dad Ham
ilton whenever we could supply him
with an engineer, fired religiously.
No other man In the service coul!
have done 1t without getting killed
but Dad was old enough to father any
man among the strikers Moreover
he was giant physically and eccen
tric enough to move along through the
heat of the crisis Indifferent to the
abuse of the other men. His gray
hairs and his tremendous physical
strength saved him from personal vic
lence.
Our master mechanic. Neighbor
was another biz man. six feet an inch
In his stockings, and strong as a draw
bar Between Neighbor and the old
fireman there existed some sort of Il
honda liking. an affinity. Dad Ham
ilton had fired on our division ten
years There was no promotion for
Dad; he could never be an engineer
though only Neighbor knew why But
his job of firing on the river division
was sure AZ long as Neighbor signed
the payrolls at the roundhOuse
Hence there was no surprise when
the superintendent offered him an eli
CINE. just after the strike. that Dad
refused TO take il.
Tin a fireman, and Neighbor know
ii. | amt no engineer I'll make
steam for any man You put in the cab
with me. but | won't touch throttle
FOR no man | laid il down. and I'll
never pinch it again-an' no offenSe
I you. Neighbor. neither"
HNtN tllu'b tu' h'sDlldllOnS WIKI
Dad Oh that subject; threats and on
treaties We're useless. Then. too In
spite of his profeSsed willingness to
throw coal for any man we put on his
engine. he was continually rowing
abont the green runners we gave him
From the standpoint of a railroad man
they We're Il tough assortment; for
l4n "a int
handy man with jack plane or az
expert machinest even and yet a fail.
ure aS an engine runner.
After we got hold of Foley, Neighbor
put him on awhile with Dad. and the
griz2Ied fireman quickly declared that
Foley was the only man on the pay
roll who knew how To move a train.
The little chap proved such O re
s,fl.', ole nud ihat tried hard TO get
>,:Ic "f -. eastern chums 10 come
on ana Join him. After a good bit
If Lustlins we did get half a dozen
more Reading boys for our new corps
of engine men. but the East End of
nc!ai> kept all but one of them on their
OWL divisions That one we got be
cause nobody on the East Emo wanted
him
They've Urimped the whole bunch,
Foley said |. answering his inquiries.
There's just one fellow reported here
he came in on > this morning.
Neighbours had little talk with him.
but he doesn't think much Of him.
guess we're out the transportation OH
that fellow"
whats his nameT' asked Foley.
rs he off the Reading"
claims he Is his name is McNeal'-
"McNeal?" echoed Foley, surprised.
Not George McNeal|'
81 don't know what his first name is.
He's nothing but boy
Ozark complexioned fellow
Perhaps you'd call him that; sort of
soft spoken"
George McNeal, sure's you're born
II you've got him you've got bird.
lie ran opposite me between New York
and Philadelphia on the limited.
want TO see him right off. II it's Geor-
gle, you're all right"
Foley's talk went good way with
me any time. When l told Neighbor
about it he pricked up his ears. While
we were debating in rushed Foley
with the kid, as he called him.
As luck would have 1t, Neighbor put
the boy on the pa with Dad Hamil
ton, and Dad proceeded at once TO
make what Foley termed "a great
roar"
whats the matter" demanded
Neighbor roughly when the old fire
man complained.
IF you're goin' to pull these trains
with boys, guess it's time for me to
quit. I'm gettn' pretty old, anyhow"
whats the matter?" growled Neigh
Dor, still surlier. knowing full well that
If the old fellow had a good reason he
would have blurted it out at the start.
"Nothin's the matter, only Ia like
my time"
.You won't get It," said Neighbor