The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-12-26

not generally done, you know, among
good fellowship men, when no dam
age follows and nothing was endan-
gered. Hence Dave felt rather badly
over it the rest of that run, and WHEN
he started on his return trip he would
have given a good deal to have called
back his message. He could not get
it cut of his head that he had done a
mean thing, although he argued to
himself that the company's interests
demanded prompt reporting OF those
who failed to do their duty. But his
act seemed odious to him.
George started ont on his return
trip, as usual considerably ahead OF
the passenger train that Dave ran
back. He was not aware of having
left the Hampton switch open, and
he was feeling very happy as he neared
home. for be had planned to see
Maggie as soon as he got there. It
was always a race between George
and Dave to ''get in, as the one first
home was able to reach Maggie's
house before the other, and that meant
blissful evening for the successful
suitor.
Well when George got near the
end'of his trip, he was stopped by a
red signal at tower which, by the
way, was just outside my yard. 1t
was showing hard, and the eager fell
low fastened to find out why he was
detained. He was close on the time
of Dawes passenger train following
behind, and ii he were kept there
many minutes he knew he would have
to back his train in on the siding SO
as to clear the express. And then he
would not see Maggie that happy
New Years evening, for Dave would
be with her.
Once in the tower he found that
the operator had stopped him in order
to deliver the following message from
the superintendent
&C. Bailey, Newville. = Engine
man Harlan reports running through
an open switch at Hampton on No.
2I this A. M, which was left open by
you. Please report particulars at
once. ]. B. Cook, Supt.'
The message was hard blow to
poor George. An ''open switch"
meant a suspension possibly he
would be set back to a brakeman S
position again. The thought of Har-
Ian reporting it, too, was poison to
him. What a mean thing it was,
especially on New Years Day. And
what would Maggie say? He could
imagine Dave telling her all about it.,
winding up with: "You see you can
not trust the man; he is not relia-
ble." And then I suppose he swore
little bit.
After writing careful answer to
the message he looked at his watch.
The passenger train was about due,
and he dashed out toward his train,
which was still standing on the main
track, opposite the tower.
"I'll get in ahead of him tonight,
so help me heaven !" he cried, as he
jumped on the caboose, seized with a
sudden and irresistible impulse, and
he gave the signal to go ahead. He
knew the passenger train with Dave
running it was due. He knew his
own train had no business to be
where it was under those circum-
stances. He knew that he would get
into trouble by the probable delay to
the passenger train. Butt will
see Maggie tonight ahead Of that fel-
low if die for it - he muttered to
himself.
He had the desperate feeling of a
temporary abstainer who has not
touched liquor for some time, and
then, some reverse happening, he
makes mad bulls rush for the stuff,
regardless of everything.
His train had barely gotten under
way when there was bowling whis-
tie, a glare of light, a wild rush
through the fallen snow, and then a
churning of big wheels, and an awful
sickening crash. The passenger train
had run into the local freight.
Reused from hearty New Years s
dinner, l was sent there with the
wreck train but by the time we ar
rived the "pile up" was decked with
beautiful covering of white. 1t was
one of the worst messes / ever looked
at, from a railroad mans point of
view, but an artist would have ad-
mired the picture. Everything was
quiet about the wreck. except the soft
kissing of steam, and under jagged
mass of cars l could see parts of the
engine. My main impression was
the peacefulness of the scene, queer
as it sounds. I think this was due to
the stiffness aud the soft fall of the
large flakes of snow. No one was
stirring around the wreck. The sight
was a weird one, and chilled me to
the bone.
"Where's the engineer ?" I asked.
"Under the wreck" was the re-
ply.
Anybody else ?"
1.-The conductor of the freight"
And so it turned out. After some
hours work we reached their bodies.
George Bailey and Dave Harlan had
taken long trip together on that
New Years Day.
1 often hear the trainmen talking
about this accident, which was a
celebrated one, and they use the
words eff he hadn't" very frequently.
I often think about it myself. If
George and Dave had only been
friends if George had not left that
Hampton switch open if Dave had
not reported the petty thing if
Gracious but it is queer how one
matter leads to another in this world.
You never can tell when you do a
thing just where the end of it will
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