The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-07-01
The Freak Of a
Railroad Engineer

| the freak of an old railroad engineer,
! while in condition of somnani oula-
/ ton. The facts were told to. the
writer by person living in the sec
| ton where the incident occurreu'
Jack King is now long since dead, but
MANY of the early travellers by the
road on which he was employed 1or al
least 90 years still remember him. he
was what may be called born ehSl-
neer. He delighted in all kinds OF
machinery and especially locomotive
Its a pretty thing" he used to say,
"a thing of life, indeed. Look at the
wheels and valves-look at every
thing, and see how strong and power
full it is, and yet it all WORKS as
| smoothly as watch
One day, however, Jack was per-
manently disabled by being run over
He was standing on a side-track, When
| a locomotive, in passing, got OH the
| rails and struck him. He tried 10
jump up, as if nothing had happened,
but could not Some spectators picked
him up and it was found that one OF
his legs was badly crushed. Great
was the sorrow of all the railroad
people, and especially of Jack himself
He sobbed like a child when he heard
that an amputation must take place.
Il don't mind my leg" he said, but
I'm done for. A man without a leg,
or with a wooden leg, can't be an en-
gineer. My last trip on the locomo-
tive is made, and now l don't care how
soon | make the one over the river OF
| death"
But old Jack recovered, and was as
good as new, except that he had lost
his right leg The company in his
case had shown that corporation
may have some feeling, for every pro-
vision for his comfort during sickness
had been made. He was also presented
with an artificial leg. When he had
fully recovered he was informed that
he would be retained during life as
one of the frst-class engineers of the
company to act as a superintendent
in one Of the repairing shops. Jack
expressed himself as grateful, but also
remarked, as was reported to the pres
ident:
I'D rather be spinning up and down
the road on my old engine than to be
| t1lO plSoitOII III Liz OillSO. LUZ
must submit to fate. It's kind, any
way, in the company to let me live
and die among the pretty things"
Old Jack from that time lived in a
house near the track and his shop. A
year or two passed, and he began to
fail in health. His former cheerful
ness and love of joke had gone from
him; but he attended faithfully to all
his duties. After while it was re-
ported that he frequently had strange
fits of sleep-walking.
One night a locomotive was stand
ing on the track near the door of
Jacks house waiting to take out a
late train. 1t was in the summer, and
there was bright moonlight. The en-
gineer and fireman were on the track
for 4 moment, when their attention
was attracted by the appearance of
Jack King in his doorway.
why, Jack King is up late to-
! night" said the engineer
Perhaps he's sleep-walking," re-
turned the fireman.
AS they both looked toward Jack
they saw him walk down a little path
, open gate, and come out on the
, track. 1t was only a few steps to
> reach the waiting locomotive, and he
9 directed his way on the side of it op
posite where the men were standing
!, by Jove, he's surely asleep!" cried
> the engineer.
Its almost as strange as to see a
y ghost" said the fireman. Hes in
\ danger of being run down, too"
At this moment the somnambulist
= mounted clumsily upon the locomo
:. tive. In another his hand was on the
. throttle-valve, and the engine shot
!, quickly up the track. AS it started, {
; long whistle was also given
o Heavens and earth." exclaimed the
/ engineer, as he found himself on the
track, with his engine rushing ava,
. from him.
g do you think mans asleep 10 ru,
= off with a locomotive?" asked the as
tonished fireman
:. Jack would not have done it other
- wise. He is not one to play any sucl
:. trick on his old chums. Heaven onl-
knows how it will end
A crowd soon gathered Great wa
luS sui III iSt anu etldt when the trutl
:" of the case became known. Mean
= while, the locomotive directed by tn
= hand of the sleeping engineer, wa
IL driving up the road at the rate of a
least so miles an hour. Fortunate1,
ie just then the track was clear for tn
Se train which was soon to 90 out. lac
~ stood up erect and proud in his al
" place, and not a muscle quivered as h
rushed onward. Sometimes h
le checked up, and then awakins tn
IN echoes of forest and valley with hi
ne shrill, long whistle, he dashed forwar
p at greater speed than ever He ne,
IN stopped entirely, and then starte
a back at great speed. The crowd fina
ly heard him coming. Every prepar;
at ton was made to avoid DANCE
It's Switches were looked to and ever
be thing was placed to give him a cles
ny track On came the locomotive wit
GU the regular signals for breaking up Q
nd approaching a depot. The crowd wei
10, awed into a painful silnece as the
IN thought that all this was being dor
by man asleep. Reaching the depo
the locomotive stopped, and a rus
W, was made for it. On the floor W;
ne found Jack not asleep, but dead. +
GU seemed to have fallen on the instal
in that the locomotive stopped, and h
IN last action was to adjust the machi