Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-05-21
Was 1t a Miracle?


the columns of which l had been list
lessly scanning and encountered the
gaze of h speaker. l saw before me
a man about 10 years Of age. lie had
a bluff. open face and his hair was
streaked with gray. He wore the reg
ulation uniform Of the railway, and l
recognized in him the ticket agent,
telegraph operator, ct cetern, of the
station in which ! was waiting for my
train.
l bad finished my business in the
town some two miles away, and, as l
had nothing 10 do until the train ar
rived, [ was not at all averse to chat
ting with him.
That depends entirety upon what
You consider a miracle | replied,
throwing aside my paper.
Il don't know that l can exactly
explain What l mean, but I believe
that the event am thinking Of might
BE called one"
OF course | expressed Il desire to
know what he referred to, imagining
that he had a story to relate to me.
"Well,' he remarked by way Of an
Introduction, "it isn't often l tell this
story. but tonight l feel just like 1t.
Perhaps he fact that the events -oc-
Cured exactly seven years ago may
account for the inclination.
ut was just such n day as this the
air was cold enough to make Il fire
seem comfortable, while at the same
time it was not at all disagreeable out
of doors.
stt tI,,+ xJr,n .-,, ~~~,o1 - a.,
same job I am now. There was of
course less work to do in those days g.;
this region has rapidly increased IL
population during the last few years.
But this does not interest you; 50
l will fire up and start on my run
with a full head Of steam.
six miles west Of here lies the town
Of Bartson ten miles to the east, Daw-
son.|This is the only station between
the two.
1T was exactly this time of day,
half past five, when my sounder COM
menced clicking away ut my call. For
some reason l did not respond at once ;
when l did, l received the following
startling message:
"'Wild engine headed your way-Old
Tartar. Ditch her.
The. message was from the operator
at Bartson, and in plain English meant
that the engine known as the Old Tar
tar had by some means or other start
ed or without my one on board, and
was headed in this direction. To ditch
an engine is to open a switch, thus
allowing 1t to run on to a siding where
It at last leaves the track and prob
ably goes over on it's side. or course
the engine IS badly smashed If not COM
! pletely ruined, but it is the only safe
course to adopt.
""There was but one siding suitable
for the purpose. the others having more
or less cars on them. The switch was
about q hundred yards down the track
To- the direction Of Bartson.
ut was evident to me that the Old
Tartar must have passed Bartson when
they commenced calling me, and as
wild engines generally travel pretty
fast, ! foresaw that I had not any too
much time in which to carry out nv
instructions.
Il will mention one more fact: an
accommodation train was due from the
East inside Of half an hour.
"You may believe l did not lose much
time in leaving the depot and heading
for the switch. I had not taken half
e dozen steps when l heard a dull roar
| Of but mOmentary duration. That told
me as well as words could that the Old
Tartar had crossed Mud River bridge,
| less than quarter of a mile away.
Il can get over the ground at n fair
rate Of speed when necessary, n l
considered that one of the occasions.
l had travelled considerably more than
half OF the distance when, glancing up,
l saw the Old Tartar shoot around the
curve at the top of the grade which
ends at this station. 1t was a race
between myself and that engine, with
the switch as the objective point.
apparently was sure of winning.
but l realized that I had no time to
spare.
Il had nearly reached the switch
when I stumbled and fell. Not more
than five seconds were lost. yet | fail
cd. l was in the act Of scrambling to
my feet when the Old Tartar rushed
past me like q whirlwlnd. I realized
that | had missed her, but I did not
bemoan my luck. There was not time
for that, as the operator at Dawson
must be warned Immediately.
81 rushed back to the station and
called him up. He responded imnedi-
| ately. and | forwarded 20 him the mes
sage | had received but n moment be-
fore. Back came the reply:
"'Too late; the accommodation left
| five minutes AgO.'
"Perhaps you can imagine what my