The Meeker herald., 1908-08-22

~ idea that be was
superstitious-and yet-weil, there
must be something in all those stories
told by lifelong friends and comrades
Of the rail.
Never heard Of the phantom locomo-
tive? More than likely. Men do not
lay bare to the casdai acquaintance
these vague yet tenacious beliefs.
But In the cool shadows OF the round
house. the snug seclusion Of the ca
boose. among old and sympathetic
railroad cronies. the mysterious ap-
pearances Of this apparition Of good
omen. are soberly discussed.
Old Michael Flaherty believes In It.
-. indeed. why should he not. since
Quinn Of the r. 9. 4 P.-who was rum
ming old number $40 long before there
was such type ~ the big mogul-
told Flaherty. who was firing for him.
all about. the affair at Platte junction.
That was years ago. Quinn 10 dead
now. and Flaherty has had his day 1t
the throttle--lost his nerve-and, =
railroad man stills reduced to the
post Of watchman Of the new round
house at visitacion. But he has not
forgotten Quinn's story. nor the evi-
dence Of his own eyes-for he, too,
has seen the phantom locomotive.
Quinn had the night run from Reno
west over the Sierras-300 miles Of
heavy grades. sharp curves and creak-
ing trestles, with deep and rocky
gorges upon the one hAAd and frown-
ing crAgs upon tho other. He was .
bluff. two-dsted man with . sort Of
calm. sood-humorsd independence.
which was the bane Of train dispatch
ers and division superintendent. He
was afraid Of nothing. not even Of au-
thority. but be was = good engineer
and he usually pulled No. into the
station At Oakland mole 70 nearly on
time that his little nurries Of indepsn.
dent retort were overlooked.
There had been q freight wreck 1t
Gold Run. and the overland was held
for two hours while the wrccking crew
cleared the rails. When she pulled
slowly between the piled-up tansls Of
splintsfs and scrap iron which had
besn fast freight No. -. Quinn was n
. mood to force the big compound ~
gins to the limit. aignal llghts were
but = quick blur in the darkness-
Quinn was running ON his nerve and
the chance that all was well ahead.
Az No. neared Auburn she rounded
= sharp curve in q deep cut, and into
Quinn's startled eyes there flashed the
cleaning headlight Of . locomotive
ON the same track.
There was little time to think. The
cab rocked and swayed with the tre-
mendous speed. the wheels screamed
with the sudden setting Of the brakes;
tho great yellow headlight, like an
evil eye bore down upon him. He
clutched the sill Of the cab window.
whispered word Of prayer and-the
headli0hts met. There was 4 sensa-
tion Of rushing air and the phantom
locomotive passed through or over No.
Z. which came to . grinding stop with
. shock which threw the frightened
passengers pell-mell out OF their
berths. and sent the conductor rush
ing, with his twinkling lantern, to SEQ
what had gone wrong.
There's something wrong ahead" !"
said Quinn. seixing the lantern from
tho conductors hand. "No, I don't
know what It IL. Just sensed It,
guess. You come with me and ri
show you"
Together they walked some hundred
yards or more around the curve. The
trestle over Hog gulch was gone
washed out BY q cloudburst higher up
the sierras. aud which had shown NO
sign below. Quinn was complimented
by the d. 8. on his keen sight and
quick nerve. He said nothing about
the phantom locomotive. but the fire-
man, who had seen 1t, too, was not 20
reticent Quinn always laughed at
the idea. except when he knew his
man. It was Quinn himself who told
the story to F1aherty.-F. J. Cagy, In
San Francisco Chronicle.