The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-04-06
George True,s Story.

and had taken his facts and figures
and placed them in original arrange,
ment that held the closest of atten.
ton. The story which is well worth
reading. is here given in full.
"A combination freight and passen
ger train, owned by God, for He is
the author and finisher of everything
that creeps and crawls, was wrig
Cling its way through fields and for
ests late one afternoon in the year
1911. There was on the train be.
sides its crew, two men, one mid,
dle-aged gentleman, whose appear
ance was that of a modern business
man. The other was somewhat past
the half century mark, had a full
growth of whiskers whitened by
passing years and much stroking
His eyes and that portion of his face
not obscured by whiskers, expressed
extreme self satisfaction and from
his conversation one learned he was
a retired farmer living in town.
A brakeman was lighting coal oil
lamps in the car provided for pas.
sengers when interrupted by the
business-like passenger with this
question.
Does this train make any good
cities or towns
The question and the commanding
appearance of the questioner startled
the sleepy brakeman and caused him
to forget the lighted match in his
hand until it had burned deep enough
to reach a sensitive nerve and with
the exclamation, prompted more by
pain than a desire to answer the
question, replied, oh! Yes its term
mus Oskaloosa is quite a town but
there amt much doin' there now.
The old gentleman in the next seat
is from the burg, has lived there a
long time and can tell you all about
it,"
The old man needed no other in
vitation and with manly stroke of
his gray whiskers, said, You see
there used to be a number of mines
round and about our town, but they
are all gone and she has never
amounted to much since. You are
stranger in these parts amt you?"
Yes and no." replied the business
like man. Il live in Des Moines, 63
miles west, but we are SO busy talk
ing Des Moines it is seldom that we
have time to discuss any other local.
ity. ] suppose you have been in Des
Moines? No one cannot fully ap-
preciate what a great city Des
Moines. nor can one realize the mag
nitude of the gigantic and colossal
enterprises our citizens are engineer
ing. But | say brakeman what was
that We just ran into?"
Before the stranger had fully re.
covered from the shock the brake
man said, What that amt nothin' |
the engineer just stopped the train.
You see We have several cars of coal
on and the brass collars only put !!
this coach on to accommodate fellers |
who don't know any better than to |
can't stop a train of this size without |
some jolting"
Us this the station?" inquired the
stranger. NO." answered the brake
man, we've got to back this train .
up for several reasons TO the place
people get off at and it is sometimes |
called a depot. One reason is the |
engine. She done time on the main
line until dress and pace got too fast
for her and she came to this cutoff. |
but with all she is too proud to look
the structure called a depot in the
face SO she backs up. Other reasons,
understand, are broken promises
and lack of what We railroad boys
call sand and full head of steam"
BY this time the train has been
slowly backed for quite a distance
and had come to rather reasonable
stop. The old gentleman and the
stranger alighted on the platform of
what even this type of retired farm.
sr apologetically informed the
stranger was the depot.
What are your best hotels?" in
luired the stranger. Let me see"
aid the old man, "the fact is we
lint got a good hotel in the town.
There is few places you can get
! fairly good bed for quarter and
! couple of places a mighty good
'owl of soup can be had for ten
ents. Barring these places, every.
hing is so tarnation high faint no
Fonder they don't get any trade, and
ust between you and me they say
be service isn't worth it, but I'll
how 'em to you when you get up
OWL"
What street is this, it is beauti.
lily lighted"
They call this West High, Light. 4
d. ! should say so; but never /
build see why they wanted these !
ghts. Everything closes here /
racticalIy at 500 o'clock and why /
lese merchants pay for these lights Z
I'd keep 'em burning is more than I
can see and have lived more than
years myself" I
why you have street cars. Shall c
? take one up town." n
We'll Eve been here ever since 4
ey started, first the horse car and i
w electricity and have never d
en- on one of their cars yet and Ct
int goin' to start now, I'll walk, 1 ii