The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-11-24

manager became aware that his friend
had resumed his seat and, with his
gaze still on the audience. remarked :
Il lose half the pleasure Of the play
because of an innate dread Of fire. !
wish somebody would Invent some.
thing that would .p,.t out FIRE without
drowning people"
~ cnn do It," said the man at the
manager's elbow"
"How Az
% How do you put out candlGP 4.
"Well, would blow II out"
h. "Exhetlys ssFlrst / would lay sys,
TEN ofSairppes under the building"
r The hlhiiager felt q chill creeping
1 slowly otet him. Somewhere he had
heard that voice before He began
slowly TO turn his head. but his neigh
Dor put hand upon his shoulder and
bade him listen. you tremble when
your own life is in danger" said the
man. "but you do not tremble for the
hundreds of lives that are constantly
Endangered by your carelessness, mar.
rowncss and stinglness. On yonder
mountain side tonight people play at
the opca door Of death as
"Ahem!" said the managers friend.
returning 10 the box. The wind crank.
seeing that ho hold the oantlarr" ~
seat, arose, smiled, bowed and walked
away.
b Always after that the manager car.
ried about with him haunting dread
OF the vino crank. He would turn n
corner In crowded street nnd meet
him face to face, and for the brlefest
moment the man would search the
soul of the manager Once IN the city
| that was headquarters for the compa,
NY they held great exhibition. and
tho general manager was chosen to
welcome the president OF the United
States. The moment he came to the
edge of the platform and faced tho
waiting multitude. waiting not To hear
the railroad man, but the president lie
became embarrassed. Ladies' and gen.
tlemen," he began, II see before me-
Here the speaker paused awkward.
ly. like o schoolboy who has forgotten
his lines Before him rose the gaunt
face OF the wind crank. who stood In
the front row. towering above his
noighbors.
P6illng himself together, the rail
road man went on. His friends began
to tremble for him What he said had
nothing to do with the exhibition. the
president or the people there assem-
blcd. THE company has always en-
deavored TO keep abreast of the times
We have adopted every safety appll
ance that has been invented. but SO
long as human hands. guided by the
brain Of man
At that point man who was intelli.
gent when lie was sober broke I'm on
the orator. "Oh, come often tn perch
nm lst som'on' talk at can talk sense!'
I Blushing to the very roots of his
hair, this local orator. the man, who
had been called 1.-The Demosthenes of
the west" stumbled from the stage
Al last the long winter came to an
end. and the inventor went away with
the snow. At all events, the manager
had been rid Of him for long while
when one, day bis special stood upon a
short spur near the mountain top wait
Ing for the eastbound overland ex-
press. Presently the party were made
aware OF the approach OF the opposing
train, but instead of the low singing
of the rail, for which they had been
listening, they heard suddenly the roar
of runaway train and the frantic cry
OF locomotive for brakes. The flag.
man who had opened the switch to let
the special back I'm on the spur stood
there waiting to let them ont again
wien the express should pass. All the
people had climbed down from the
waiting train to stretch themselves.
The engineer was oillng his engine, The
fireman had climbed up bank to gath.
or some wild flowers that grew where
little stream of clear cold water CUR
Gled from the rocks. Seeing the flag.
man still holding to the switch. the
general manager ran toward him, call
ing to him TO let go and stand back.
y What might have happened II the
manager had renained quiet no man
Enoweth, but when the ,hagman saw
lHln coming NHu hedtu lllHl tsHOullnB
without understa ndiug what he was
saying he glanced neryousiy In the al.
rection Of the approaching train, The
Wild engine at that moment rounded n
curve and headed down a short tan
gent straight for the switch, The flag
man was seen to glance back again at
his own train, which stood well IN the
clear, then throw his weight on the
switch lever. over went the rail for
the spur and across it went the dying
train
An air hose had blown off just as
they tipped over the top OF the hill
QhIs was before the days OF the self
acting, self adjusting automatic air
hrake. and the few hand brakes al