The Washington times., 1908-04-24
WRECK AVERTED
BY RABBITS FOOT
Mascot Left Cab, Engineer
Stopped, Train, Finding
Broken Rail.

a good, clever rabbits foot. left
hind" said the fat engineer, 'one that
is always on the job. is A great boon.
Now 1 have one that 1 always carry
I'm my inside jumper pocket. l ran
over a rabbit one day N in the chop
pin process its left hind leg was tossed
through the cabin window into my lap.
OF course. IL would be too much Ike
temptin fate 10 let good thing like
that get by, n I've carried Il with me
on my runs ever since.
The other day / stopped at the
junction for water with the daylight
express The boys at the rOundhOuSe
down thers got TO THROWN a josh into
me about my rabbits foot protector.
Some Of them didn't believe II was true
that l put so much faith into IL.
WE'LL ! says. YOU can josh me as
much as you like, but I'm frank 70 ad-
nit that 1 wouldn't Ike 10 go cut on
the road for a trip without my huncn
In my pocket
Then they all had to have look at
It. After they had passed II around IL
carelessly stuffed it in the outside
pocket Of my jumper, l was IN such a
hurry.
II had a heavy train, but We were
right on time, so / didn't mind much, as
the 1877 was wOrkin' her dandieSt n we
plOwed along just like an ice yacht be-
fore a fOrty-mile gale. Coin round the
Ten Degree curve the 1877 slipped n
hObbleu for a second Ike a rat man
steppin' on a banana peel / edSed her
of with the throttle a bit. stickin' my
head out of the cab window to see what
caused the unSteadiness on the part OF
1877 AS L did the locomotive gave a
little lurCh n l felt my rabbits foot
sldln' out OF my jumper pocket /
made a grab at it but 1 didn't come
within a foot OF II. 1t landed on little
ledge of the runnin' board just outside
the cab. 1 leaned out Of the window 10
rraT nv 81 teri FTn q
seemed TO be WOTlIin against my reach
IN that rabbits foot. In another sec
Und Il bounced of to the ballast 10 one
side OF the track
well. j was in a Quaudary for a sec
Ond. However. 1 firmly made up my
mind 1 wasn't goin' 10 lose my raU-
bits foot guardian angel in that fash
ion So 1 put on the air. As the train
min board n busted back after my
good luck piece. As soon as the train
stopped a natural curiosity rose IN the
minds OF the passengers n the train
crew as 70 what was the matter. jim
Spratt. the conductor, asked me what
was up. n j just told him that
dropped something of considerable val
ne n had stopped 70 pick II up \
fresh guy In one Of the PullWanS over
heard my answer n butted in as FOL
say. old sport. l dropped a quill
toOthplck from the dining car back Ut
the road a piece. Would you mind
backln' up there N getJin' IL FOR me-
| OF course we are IN no hurry TO get IN
| This near railrOadin' fatigueS me-
7 didn't make any reply 10 him
though / would have liked TO give him
slam in the Stats In less time than
| Il takes TO tell Il / had the train start
| ed again. 1 just got EN- moving about
eight miles an hour when l heard a
Crashin' OF the ties n the 1927 listed
| over TO one side. or course we were
goin' 50 slow that We could almost stoI
I in a space the size OF a ten-cent piece
/ I dropped down to the ground again n
! on insTectin' the track ! found a broker
| rail. Now. wasn't that nice work fOl
| that rabbits foot 2''-New York sun.