Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-21

on you. being your first trip. You'll likely get
some seconds to Cincinnati but I'm afraid
the ten Chicago cars won't pay the running
cost over the railroads: that is, unless it turns
cold within few hours.
But there was prospect of its turning cold.
A hurried consultation of the weather bureau
at Corinth showed that three or four more days
OF warm weather were predicted. 1t was warm
all along the road to Cincinnati, to Chicago.
The only cool places in the country seemed to
be in the mountains about Chattanooga. up
the Hudson. and west in the Rockies. Messen-
ger advised him to take the responsibility of
selling the fruit at Cornth for what it would
bring That would save the company its total
loss and nsportation charges
CARL was not ready for that, however. The
- consultation of the weather reports had
already given his quick brain another idea,
daring but entirely feasible. he thought. His
cars would have to wait three hours at Corlnth,
to connect with freight that pulled out di-
rectly behind the through express north. Carl
utilized the first forty minutes OF these three
hours in developing his plan. He went straight
to the Office of the Southern Railway, whose
branch ran from Corinth to Chattanooga and
there connected with the n. o. & I for Gin
cinnati and Chicago
Wish to your over our road?"
asked the division superintendent, after listen
ing to Carl's hurried request. Yes, l reckon
So Wen couple them to the afternoon freight.
which pulls out about dark. The morning
freight leaves in half an hour, and there isn't
time to connect you with that Besides, the
train already has thirty-four cars, much
the engine can carry up grade.
But that's the very train l want to couple
to- urged Carl impetuously. You forget
that have an engine. Why can't we put the
two ahead? They'll pull ffty-four cars all
right, even up grade"
The superintendent nodded thoughtfully.
eyes, that might do he said " In fact, l
think it will do very we'll There's considerable
snow up Chattanooga way, and two engines
can pillow through it better than one. But
we'll have to hustle if we get you connected:
for the train must pull out on time. There's
another follows it in forty minutes later"
They did hustle; and when the train pulled
out for Chattanooga, Carl's twenty cars formed
part of it. Besides having all the ventilators
open, each car had its door rolled back to let
thermometers indicated forty five degrees, at
Stevenson thirty-four. Carl closed all the
doors and partly closed the vent1lators of the
cars destined for Cincinnati He was willing
they should have few more degrees OF heat
now, and believed that he saw the way to get
his fruit to both markets in prime condition.
At Chattanooga the mercury registered twenty
nine, and all the ventilators were closed.
EIGHT days later Carl reported at the Office
on the company's wharf. The man at the
desk listened to his explanation in grim silence,
tapping the ledger with the head of the pencil
occasionally.
It's something very unusual" he said
when Carl finished. very unusual and-er,
reprehensible, running our cars about the coun
try in wild way like that. Ordinarily it
would mean dismissal from our service,-per
manent discharge. But-er,' his face relaxing
somewhat -" under the circumstances, and in
view of the fact that you had the longest run
and are the only messenger who got his fruit
into market in prime condition, we will say no
more about it, except that we have put your
name on our books for regular runs. | hope
your father will be we'll enough to make his
trip when the next boat comes in We do not
like to spare good men And oh, yes" as Carl
was turning away. his eyes shining, the cashier
has little recognition for you from the COM
pany. You ma stop at his windowas yougo by
SAYINGS OF DOUGLAS JERROLD