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

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? "A u p"1y. my rr,nc,.
was n very old conductor. but old man
Snnkey was veteran when Pat Fran
els began braking. Saniey ran pas
senger train when Jimmie Brady was
running. and Jimmie afterward enlist
ed and was killed in the Custer fight.
There was an odd tradition about
Sankey's name He was II tall,
swarthy fellow and carried the blood
of Il Sioux chief in his veins. 1t was
in the time of the Black Hills excite.
ment. when railroad men, struck by
the gold fever, We're abandoning their
trains. even ut way stations, and strk-
ing across the divide for Clarks Cross
ing. Men to run the trains were hard
to get. and Tom Porter, trainmaster,
was putting in every man lie could
pick up without reference to age or
color.
Porter-he died at Julesburg after
ward-was Il great jOllier, and he was
not afraid of anybody on earth.
one day war party of Sioux clat-
tered into town. They tore around
like storm and threatened to scalp
everything. even to the local tickets.
The head braves dashed in on Tom
Porter, sitting in the dispatcher's Of
flee upstairs. The dispatcher was hid
ing under ii loose plank in the baggage
room floor. Tom. being bald rs sand
hill. considered himself exempt from
scalping parties. He was working
game of solitaire when they bore down
on him and interested them at once.
That led to Il parley, which ended in
Porters hiring the whole band TO
brake on freight trains. Old man San
key is said to have been one of that
original war party.
Now. this is merely Il cabooSe story,
told on winter nights when trainmen
get stalled in the snow drifting down
from the Sioux country. But what fol-
lows is better attested
Sankey. 10 start with. had a peculiar
name an unpronolnceable, unspcll-
able, unnanageable name. ] never
heard 1t, so | can't give 1t. 1t was rs
hard to catch as an Indian cur, and
that name made more trouble on tlle
together Nobody at headquarters
could handle it. 1t was never turned
in twice alike, and they were always
writing Tom Porter about the thing.
Tom explained several times that it
was Sitting Bulls ambassador who
J,.ax iy,ar 1,nt MI hp
usually signed the payroll with Il toma-
hawk. But nobody at Omaha ever
knew how TO take Il joke.
The first time Tom went down he
was called in very solemniy 10 ex-
plain again about the name. and. be-
ing in u hurry and very tired of the
whole business. Tom spluttered:
Hang it, don't bother me any more
about that name. II you can't read 1t,
make it Sankey and be done with it,"
They took Tom ut his word. They
actually did make ii Sankey. and that's
how our oldest conductor came to bear
the name of the famous singer. and
more may say-good name Ms it was
and is, the Sioux never disgraced it.
Probably every old traveller on the
system knew Sankey. He was not
pnIy always ready TO answer questions,
but, wnat is much more, always ready
20 answer the same question twice. 1t
is that which makes conductors gray
headed and spOlls their chances for
the same questions
over and over again. Children We're
apt 10 be bit startled at first sight
of Sankey. he was Sc dark, but lie
had very quiet smile dat always
made them friends after ths second
trip through the sleepers. and they
sometimes ran about asking for hin
after he had left the train.
or late years-and it is this thai
hurts-these very same children, growB
ever sc much bigger and riding again
30 or from California or Japan or Aus
iraiia. WIZ ask when they reach the
Nest End about the Indian conductor.
But The conductors who now run the
overland trains pause Ut the question,
checking over the date limits on the
margins OF the coupon tickets, and,
the envelopes back. viii look
ut the children ana say slowly, "IIe
isp't running any more"
II you have ever gone over our tine
30 the mounlnius or to the coast you
may remember at McCloud, where they
change engines and set The diner in o..
out. The pretty little green park to the
east OF the depot. with row of catalpa
trees along the platform line, 1t looks
like glass OF spring water.
If II happened 10 be Sankey's run
and regular West End dag, sunny and
you would be sure 10 see
standing under the catalpas shy.
dafk skinned girl of fourteen or fifteen
wears silently watching the prepara-
tons FOR Tie departure OF the over
iand
Ana after the new engine had been
backed champiug. down and harnessed
10 its long string OF yestibuled sleep
eIs: after the air hose bad been con-
nscted and the air valves examined;
after the engineer had swung out 0r
his cab filled his cups and swung IA
ngain: after the fireman and his helper
had disposed of their slice bar and
shovel and given the tender final
sprinkle aud the conductor had walk
ed leisurely forward. compared lime
with the engineer and cried. IAN
abo-0 O-ard!' then as your coaeh moY.
ed slcwly ahead you might notice un-
der th, receding eatalpas the little girl
waxing parasol or handkerchief at
The outgoing tralntha is, az COB-