The Greeley tribune., 1907-01-24

ls psss''s pi'o' to tsass4' tss9
Our master mechanic. Neighbor, had
an idea, after her terrific collision, that
she could not stand heavy main line
passenger runs, SO he put her on the
Acton cut off. 1t was what railroad
men call a jerk water run, whatever
that may be, little jaunt of ten miles
across the divide connecting the north
ern division with the Denver stem.
1t was Just about like running troll
ley. and the run was given to Dad
Sinclair, for after that lift at Oxford
his back was never strong enough to
shovel COAL and he had to take an en-
gine or quit railroading.
Thus 1t happened that after many
years he took the throttle once more
and ran over, twice day. as he does
yet. from Acton to Willow Greek.
His boy, George Sinclair, the kid
engineer, took the run on the fiier OPP
posite Foley just as soon as he got
well.
Georgie, who was never happy I'M
less he had eight or ten Pullmans be-
hind him and the right of way over
everything between Omaha and Den
YER made great sport of his fathers
little smoking car and day coach be-
hind the big engine.
Foley made sport of the remodeled
engine. He used to stand by while
the old engineer was oiling and ask
him whether he thought she could
catch a jack rabbit. Il mean." Foley
would say, ''if the rabbit was feeling
we'll"
Dad Sinclair took 1t all grimly and
quietly. He had railroaded too long to
care for anybody's char. But one day.
after the skyscraper had got her fiues
pretty well chalked up with alkali, Fo-
ley insisted that she must be renamed.
"I have the only genuine skyscraper
ON the West End myself" declared Fo-
ley. He did have a new Glass H en-
gine, and she was awe inspiring, In
truth. II don't propose" he continued.
ito have her confused with your old
tub any longer. Dad"
Dad, oiling h4 old tub affectionately.
answered never q word.
-She's full OF soda. isn't she, father r
asked George. standing by.
Reckon she 10, SON"
Full of water. suppose?"
TRY to keep her that way. son.
''Sal Soda, isn't 1t, Dadr'
"Now, can't say. AS to that 1 can't
say"
"we'll call her Sal Soda, George, .
suggested Foley.
NO" interposed George. "Stop {
bit. .I have it Not Sal Soda at all
Make it Soda Water Sal"
Then they laughed uproariously, ant
in the teeth of Dad Sinclair's protests
for he objected at once and vigorously
the queer name stuck to the engine
and sticks yet.
To have seen the great hulking ma
chine you would never have suspected
there could be another story left in her
Yet, ,one there was-a story of the wind
As she stood, too when old man Sin
clair took her on the Acton run, sh'
was the best illustration l have eve
seen Of the adage that one can neve
tell from the looks of a frog how fal
1t will jump.
Have you ever felt the wind? Not
I think, unless you have lived on th'
where think the wind blows, but
really blows only on the ocean and OF
the prairies.
The summer that Dad took the Actor
run it blew for month steadiIy-al
OF one August-hot, dry, merciless, tn,
despair of the farmer and the terror O
trainmen.
1t was on an August evening. witt
the gale still sweeping up from tn
southwest, that Dad came lumberin,
into Acton with his little trolley train
He had barely pulled up at the plat
+. form to unload his passengers whel
the station agent, Morris Reynolds
coatless and hatless. rushed up to tn,
engine ahead of the hostler and spran,
into the cab. Reynolds was one O
the quietest fellows In the service. T,
see him without coat or hat didn'
count for much In such weather, bu
to see him sallow with fright and al
most speechless was enough to sti
even old Dad Sinclair.
1t was not Dads habit to ask ques
lions. but he looked at the man in ques
tioning amazement. Reynolds choket
and caught at his breath as he seizet
the engineers arm and pointed dowr
the line.
Dad" he gasped, three cars Of Goa
standing over there on the second spul
blew loose q few minutes agog'
"Where are they?'
where are they? Blown through
the switch and down the line forty
miles an hour"
The old man grasped the frightened
( man by the shoulder. what do yor
mean? How long ago? When is
due? Talk quick. man! What's thu
matter with your"
mot fve minutes ago. No. 1 b dus
hsee in less than thirty minutes. They'll