Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1912-04-18

the western end of the X. and
L. road had not risen from the
ranks. If he had he would
have been more popular with the force
under him. He had obtained his place
through Influence" and nineteen times
out of twenty such men are cordially
hated.
The K. and l.. had DO use for women
telegraphers 1t had long been the rule
of the road to turn ell such applicants
down in the curtest manner. In some
way that seemed mysterious to the
other operators on the division young
lady had taken charge of the office ut
Stapleton. The place was only ham
let, and there was not much freight or
passenger traffic, but there was the
great bridge over the Big Blue river
just to the west of it, and there was
the deep cut extending for half mile
in which several landslides had oc-
Cured so in way the post was an
important one.
The agent and operator in question
was Miss Carrie Williams and she had
been crowded in, so to speak, by one
of the big stockholders who had helped
the president out of hole She had
learned telegraphy at a school, and this
was her first place. A hundred miles
down the line lived her widowed moth
er. and the girl was working for the
support of both.
1T was a bit strange that Charles
Morton, the new division superintend-
ent, had been in power six months be-
| fore he saw there was a woman on the
line. Even his private operator had
| sheltered her. Then an accident to his
| train at her station brought the two
| face to face. The man was brusque
and pompous in his authority, and he
was provoked and impatient at his de-
lay.
She was told plainly that his division
had no use for her. He was not run
ming a kindergarten. At the end Of
twenty days she would be replaced.
Within an hour it was known the
length of the division that Miss Will
liams had got the sack because she
was mere woman.
"For inefficiency" was the report
made at headquarters, and that went
in each case. The president of a rail
road never sees reports of such trifling
affairs and would not read them If
they were placed under his eyes 1t
therefore followed that the president
of the Is. and l.. knew nothing of what
had happened.
Fifteen of the twenty days allowed
her to finish her month had passed. It
was early spring, and there were con
slant rains The track gang was
watching the big bridge and deep cut.
The X and T.. Office at Marion, the
next one east, was run on the same
schedule, At 6 o'clock in the evening
of the fifteenth day the track gang
came in and reported all safe. At
the passenger train whizzed by with
out stopping, and ten minutes later the
girl was ready to go home. AS she
stepped out into the rain and darkness
an affrighted hobo appeared and called
out:
Say, now, me pardner is buried I'M
der about 100000 tons of dirt back
dere in de cut"
"Do you mean that one Of the banks
has caved in?' was asked
"More'n an acre of 1t. It'll take
whole week to dig me pardner out.
Better git de telegraph workin'. If
train runs into dat heap you won't find
nuttin' but splinters left"
The girl turned and ran back to the
Office, and as soon as she could light
lamp she began calling for Marion.
The through freight was due soon aft
er 8. 1t must be notified and held. Her
calls were not answered. The opera
tor was of duty, as he had right to-
be. There was no telephone service