The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-16
ILLUSTRATIONS
BY ANDRE BoWLES.
CHAPTER !
The Wrscking Boss.

o-4reeeing the making up Of
"-7--,s-l-ful- train. and The yard, usu-
-- o,Iisf at that hour Of the morning,
=. alive with the hurry Of men and
- In the trainmasteT's room Of
~ r-aqther-beateu headquarters build
w ricknamed by railroad men The
1,T3.ti-fD early comers-sleepy-f faced,
-----e,eI trainmeH-loUnged on the
+sblss and ln chairs discussing the re-
us from Point of Rocks, and among
- rrew-caIlers and messengers
,---.a5 In and out. Two minutes after
.tsv had lhair orders and were pulling
and Of the upper yard. with right OF
nav over everything 10 Point Of
Rocks. 49,. 49,,
IN. creek A fast eastbound freight
- dauble-headed. had left the
.-=g- ON the long curve around the
I'm and when the Wrecking train
L--ys5 through Ten Shed cut the sun
'--.1nad over the heaps of damned
WI twisted cars strung all the way
s-.-, tho p0iur of the curve to the foot
80 e--,L.- HTI The crew Of the train
chat law I'm the ditch walked slowly
a., che track To- where the wreckers
la uuIIe5 I'D. and the freight conduct
asi-a7 for Sinclair. Men rigging
,ts derrick pointed TO the hind car.
Tho conductor. swinging up the ca
b7ose steps made his way Inside
suone the men that were passing out
r,,ls The air within was blush
tbirE with tobacco smoke, but
through the haze. the freightman saw
faring him. in the far corner Of the
5es-Iike Interior. a man seated behind
sr old dining car table, finishing his
b.sakfqst- one glimpse was enough 10
Identify she dark beard of Sinclair,
foreman Of the bridges and boss of the
wrecking gang.
Reside him stood a steaming coffee
tank and in his right hard he held an
enormous tin cup that he was about to
rg.se 10 his mouth when he saw the
freight conductor. With laugh, Sin
Clair threw up his left hand and beck
onsd him over. Then he shook his
hair lust a little. tossed back his head,
opened am unusual mouth. drained the
Gun at q guIp. and cursing the freight
man frstenaIlv. exclaimed How
many cars have you ditched this
time2'
The trafnmau. a sober-faced fellow.
answered. dryly. "AH 7 had"
Running too fast. eh?" glared Sin
clair
With the box cars piled forty feet
high on the track, the conductor was
too old a hand to begin a controversy
"Our times fast" was all he said.
Sinclair rose snd exrlafrned; Come
on," And the two. leaving the car,
started I'D the track The wrecking
boss paid no attention to his COM
psnion as they forged ahead. but
where the train had hit the curve he
scanned the track as he would a blue
print They'll have your scalp for
This" he declared. abruptly.
Il reckon they will
what's your name?
stevens"
Looks Ike all day for you. doesn't
Sc? No matter; I guess I can help you
out
Where the merchandise cars lay.
below the switch. the train crew knew
that a tramp had been caught At
intervals they heard groans under the
Wreckage which was piled high there.
Sinclair stopped at the derrick. and
The freight conductor went on to
where his brakeman had enlisted two
of Sinclair's giants to help get out the
tramp. A brake beam had crushed the
mans legs, and the palloT Of his face
but he was conscious and moaned soft
iy. The men had started to carry him
10 the way car when Sinclair came
up asked what they were doing. and
ordered them back TO the wreck. They
hastily laid the tramp down. But he
wants water protested a brakeman
who was walking behind. carrying his
arm il a sling.
Water" bawled Sinclair. Have
my men got nothing to do but carry
d Tramp 90 water Get ahead there
ane help unload those refrigerators,
Hen ind water fast enough Let the
damned hobo crawl down TO the creek
after IT,"
The tramp was 100 far gone for re-
sentiment, he had tainted when they
laid him down, and his half-glazed
eyes. staring at the sky. gave no evil
lenee that he heard anything.
The sun rose hot. for in the Red
DESERT sky there is rarely a cloud
Sinclair took the little hill nearest
me switch to below his orders from,
running down among the men when
ever necessary 10 help carry them out.
Within thirty minutes. though appa-
..li} go Impression had been made on
.'- greet heaps of wrenched and spin
.asa equipment Sinclair had the job
On hand
The frsigbtA conductor. Stevens.
Nla1' of uO man, had come up to
SPEAK To- Sinclair. and Sinclair with
smile. laid a cordial hand on his
shoulders. stevens, it's all right. III
>.l you eut of this Come here He
..- t7a conductor down the track where
-e} had walked i'm the morning. He
ll.nIel t1 faugc marks on the ties
zee t1ere-there's where the first
-sels left the track. and they left on
-N inside of the curve: a thin flauge
t-. me FIRST refrigerator broke. I've
- me wheel itself back there for evil
They can't talk fast running
7--'s' mat Damn a private car line.
Nas- Give me a Cigar-haven't got
. Great suns. man, there's "a case
Nsl Vests open up ahead. go fill
~ pockets and your. grip Don't be
,-s--. you We got friends on the d.
l YOU are Irish. eh2"
,.,'. -'e only I don't smoke" said Ste
& With diplomacy.
wen. you drink. don't YOU? There's
--lti nj brandy open at the switch"
-s. ., brandy cask stood appended near
.s Ns-eT butt. and the men dipped ont
-,-. h with cups. They were working
$50 L naked at the wreck. The SIM
s-JDe -A d cioudless sky. the air was
49, Gnu along the right OF wav huge
bss, S Ures added to the scorching
= A.. leA feet from the water butt Law
sr1I-- ---'7I mass of rags Crusted in
~ ana blood and dirt. crushed nv
wise OF beams and v-bas1- r,-t - -