The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-11-28
A Locomotive
Engineers Yarn.
IOriginal.l

are now The nearest | ever came to
being killed was-when l was a young
,ster lust starting in as ali engineer
from running one night into a locomo-
tive standing dead on the main track.
The engineer and fireman of the en-
CINE we butted were so dead tired that
they had gone to sleep there right
where they were sure to obstruct the
passage of trains
But | had an experience once &c
beat that" he continued after biting
off a chew. 1T was when l was run.
ming the night express on the r., d.
and n. UsGally l had al the rest
needed, but at the time of the accident
at TomkinsvilIe everything was disar
ranged, and my sleep was cut consiG
erably short 1t was two days after
the accident hat my old friend Boz,
Williams told me he was ordered .tc
the other END of the line to take the
train that / net in the middle of the
night. He vas to run it regularly
thereafter ard was going down with
me. He stated in the cab with me.
but at the fist stop we made in about
an hour he said he would go back into
the baggage car, rig himself up some
sort of a bunk and go to sleep. / told
Frank Curtis, my stOker, that l wish
ed Bob void offer 70 spell me at the
I fE
sleepy. Fr:nk said he wished some.
body wouldspell him, for he was both
sleepy and ired.
1--WE mad a midnight stop at B.. and
just as we we're pulling out who should
climb into he cab but Williams. With
out a WORD he took the throttle out of
my hand, and l understood that he
proposed take my place for awhile.
The stokel was sitting on the cab seat
pulling tn bell, and, ordering him off,
/ took. hi place, while he went back
into the ender and threw himself on
the coal 1 kept on pulling the. bell.
trying tokeep awake, but 1t was no
use. wnt to sleep, though thought
was awake, for heard the bell and
was coneious of ringing 1t. | suppose
/ was bin asleep and awake, like SOL
diers ar sometimes in battle when
they've cen marching and fighting for
a long yhile without rest. There must
have ben some wakefulness in me or
l could't have kept my narrow seat,
for wewere rafting along at express
speed. nd the road wasn't straight Ell
Their.
''Hov long I was in this condition |
don't how, but a big lurch woke me
I'D, an there on a SemaphOre ahead
was sc red Starting up, 1 looked
over here Williams had been. and
what o you suppose-he wasn't there,
nor az one else. The engine was tear
Ing Ong like mad at its own sweet
will trough stations, over crossings
and ridges, past sidetracked ftrains
and lere was the red staring us i'll
the fee. l jumped for the throttle and
slow1 down, then whistled down the
braks, for you must know that was
befe the day of the air brake. l
gIaned around for Frank and saw
asle. yelled at him and woke him
up.
"Tell, speak Of a mans marrow
FREEING with horror. My whole body
wa frozen with horror. My teeth chat
teri, and l shivered all over. We
wee approaching N, and knew that
sire had given up my place to Bob
whad run eighteen miles How much
ofthat time we had been without an
Hineer l didn't know, but l found
OF that If | hadn't been Weakened up
b the lurch just in time to catch sight
O the red we would have been TEL
ecoped into a passenger standing on
te track at the next station ahead.
"But Bob Williams = what could
ave happened to him? Something. Of
cCrse. or he wouldn't have left his
po:. l could think Of nothing unless
helad become unconscious. fallen to
thefOOr and rolled at a lurch out OF
thtcab. AS soon as got the train tn
q op l told Frank to go back to find
on if any one had seen or heard Of
hi. Frank came back, with blank
aSnishment written all over his face.
an reported that Williams was cud-
dill up on a pile of trunks in the bag
gee car sound asleep.
was obliged to wait till signaled
togo on and, leaving the cab, Went
b:k to the baggage car. Sure enough
tire was Williams sleeping as peace
fly as a newborn babe.
The first idea that came into my
he'd was that | had dreamed he had
coe back and spelled me, but l knew
TIT if l had fallen asleep without
soc one to take my place l would
hse done SO at my post Besides,
tire was Frank. He wouldn't have
gee to sleep and dreamed the same
dam as !. | was all balled up in q
pHle. lost no time in waking VIII
las
Have you been running my en-
gr" l asked.
Your engine? No. How could II
Either you or your ghost came to
N and took the throttle out of my
h:d'
lie sat I'D looking at me in q sort