Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-05-28
Was 1t a Miracle?

cleSi' looked up from my newspaper
the columns Of which 1 had been list
lessIy scanning and encountered the
gaze Of the speaker. l saw before me
a MAJ about 40 years Of age. lie had
q bluff, open face and his hair was
streaked with gray. he wore he reg
ulation uniform Of the railway, II /
recognized in him the ticket agent.
telegraph operator, ct cetera, or the
station in which ] was waiting for my
train.
bad finished my business in the
town some two miles away, and, as l
had nothing to do until the train ar
rived. | was not ut all averse to chat
ting with him.
THAT depends entirely upon what
you consider a miracle replied,
throwing aside my paper.
II don't know that I can exactly
explain what l mean, but l believe
that the event l an thinking of might
be called one"
OF course | expressed a desire to
know what he referred to, imagining
that he had n story to relate to me.
NeiI, lie EeIl1IhSu ny way vi III
Introduction, ut isn't often l tell this
story, but tonight l feel just like it.
Perhaps the fact that the events oc-
CURED exactly seven years ago may
account for the inclination.
at was just such a day as this the
air was cold enough to make n fire
seem comfortable. while at the same
t(~,o t. not n + oil Jtcp DYnnnbln ant
of doors.
AT that time I was employed at the
same job l am now. There was of
course less work to do in those days
this region has rapidly increased IN
population during the last few years.
But this does not interest you; so
1 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.
ut was exactly this time of day,
half past five, when my sounder com
menced clicking away at my call. For
some reason l did not respond at nee
When l did, l received the following
startling message:
"'Wild engine headed your way-Old
Tartar. Ditch her.
1.-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 off without any n on board, and
.-1o ooJoT e, <1,{, ~ ll-1
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 its side. or course
the engine is badly smashed If not com
pletely ruined, but 1t 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 a hundred yards down the track
To- the direction Of Bartson.
at 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 Ill III III " I'LL Oul luN
Instructions.
Il will mention one more fact; an
accommodation train was due from the
East inside Of half an hour.
"You may believe I did not lose much
time in leaving the depot and heading
for the switch. I had not taken half
e dozen steps when I 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.
81 can get over the ground at n fair
nate Of speed when necessary, and
considered that one Of the occasions
/ had Travelled considerably more than
half of the distance when, CHANGING up
I saw the Old Tartar shoot around the
curve at the top Of the grade which
ends at this station. 1t was n race
between myself and tina engine, Will
the switch as the objective point.
apparently l was sure Of winning
but | realized that l had no time tc
spare.
II had nearly reached the switch
when ] stumbled and fell. Not more
than five seconds We're lost, yet I fail
cd. was In the act Of scrambling t.
my feet when the Old Tartar rushed
past me like a whirlwind. I realized
that l had missed her, but 1 did no
emoan my luck. There was not tim,
for that, as the operator at Dawson
must be warned Immediately.
~ rushed back to the station AM
called him up. lie responded immedi
ately. and 1 forwarded 60 him the mes
sage I had received but a moment he
fore. Back came the reply:
Too late; the accommodation lef
FIVE minutes ago.
Perhaps you can imagine what my