The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1907-01-10

with Sankcy Sankey. though he was
hard TO start. was full OF early day
stories. Gcorgie. it 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 tinc-ti was Il hobby with
Sankcy. Foley said he was so careful
of it that when he was off duty he let
his watch stop just to save time.
Sanlicy loved to breast the winds
and the floods and the SHOWS. and If
he could get home pretty near on
schedule with everybody else late, he
was happy, and in respect of that, us
Sankey used To say. George Sinclair
could come nearer gratifying Sankey's
ambition than amy runner we had.
Even the firemen used to observe
that the young engineer always neat
looked still nclter the days that he
took out Sankey's trai;L BY and by
there was un Introduction under the
catalpas. After that it was noticed
that George began wearing gloves on
the engine-not kid gloves, but yellow
dogskn-and black silk shirts. He
bought them In Denver.
Then AN odd way engineers have of
paying compliments - when George
pulled into town OH No. .. if it was
Sankey's train. the big skyscraper
would give short. hoarse scream, II
most peculiar note, just MS they drew
past Sankey's house. which stood on
the brow of the hill west of the yards.
| Then Neeta would know that No. 2
and her father and naturally Mr.. Sin
clair were in again and all safe and
sound.
When the railway trainmcn held
their division fair at McCloud. there
was IL lantern to he voted to the most
popular conductor-a gold plated Ian
tern. with a green curtain in the globe.
Cal Stewart and Ben Doton who We're
very swell conductors and great rivals.
were the favorites 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 Doton's friends and Stewnrt's
laughed at first, but Sankey's votes
kept pouring in amazingly. The fa-
y0rites grew frightened. They pooled
their issues by throwing Stewards vote
to Doton, but it wouldn't do. George
Sinclair, with a crowd of engineers
Cameron. Moore, Foley, Bat Mullen
and Burns-came back at them with
such n swing that in the final round
up they fairly swamped Dotop. San
key took the lantern by thousand
votes but | understood ii cost GeoFgie
and his friends pot Of money.
Saukey said all the time lie didn't
want the lantern; but just the same,
he always carried that particular lam
tern. with his full name, Sylvester San
key, ground into the glass just below
the green mantle. Pretty soon, Neeta
being then eighteen, it was rumOred
thar 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 ip the BlackwOod
gorge. the time of the big snow.
1t goes yet by just that name on the
West End, for never was such win
plains and in the mountains. one train
on the northern division was stalled
six weeks that winter and one whole
coacl, was chopped up for kindling
wood.
But the great aud desperate effort of
the company was to hold open the
main line. the artery which connected
l..t .tl a l..lp nj ftat tAI,
on trainmen Week after week the
snow kept falling and blowing. The
trick was not To- clear the line; 1t was
10 keep it clear. Every day we sent
out trains with the fear we should not
see them again for Il week.
Freight we didn't pretend to move.
Local passenger business had to be
abandoned. coal, to keep our engines
and our towns supplied, we were oblig-
ed 10 carry, and after that all the
braips apd the muscle and the motive
power wers centered on keeping Nos.
and 2. oHr through passenger trains,
running.
our trainmen worked like Americans.
There were no towards Oh our rolls.
come exhausted, benumbed, Indifferent,
reckless even. The nerves give out.
and will power seems TO halt on indie
csiom, but decision IL the life of the
fast train
None of our conductors stood the
hopeless fight like Sankey Sankey
was patient tuclturn, untiring and, in
a pnuHipt with the nlptuantS fprnpInus
All the fighting blood Of his ancestors
seemed TO course again In that struggle
with the winter king. / can see him
yet on bitter days standing alongside
the track In heavy pea jacket and
Napoleon boots. Ii sealskln cap drawn
snuggly over his straight black hair.
watching, ordering, signaling, while
No. !, With Its frost bitten sleepers be-
hind FotaFy, struggled TO buck
through the ten aud twenty foot cuts
which lay bankful Of snow west of
McCloud
Not until April did 1t begin to look
as II we should win out. dozen
times the line was all but choked on
us. And then. when snowplows were
disabled and train crews desperate.
there came a storm that discounted the
worst blizzard of the winter As the
reports rolled IN on the morning of
the 9th. growing worse as they grew
thicker, Neighbor. dragged out played
out. mentally ana physically. threw up
his hands. The 9Th IL showed all day,
and IN 80 fftrdav ptorntuo fha eacfIau