Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1914-11-14
THE DYNAMITE CAR
Not Explosive, 1t Was at Least
Valuable Freight, to Be Han
died With Care.
BY HARRY LILLY.


running and swearing, Ikey Lantern
swung aboard the caboose of No. %
local west, as she pulled out of
Snaektown. Family troubles were hard
enough on a man without any add.
ton.
lie had an alteration with his
daughter the night before over the
eternal Hazenfritz question, and now.
mere, next to the caboose, was this
car-W1th as many placards as we'd
ding trunk-Dynamitel High Explo-
slVes! Handle Carefully! Keep All
Lights Away!
keys passion welled up and up
until 1t reached the acme of anger.
he was too angry to swear. For If
there was one thing of which he was
more afraid than of snakes it was
dynamite. key usually waved his
hand scornfully at the agent as his
train ran by the station, but today he
was too angry to administer the Gus
tomary insult to his daughters sutton
FOR three years George Hazenfritz
mad been trying to gain keys con-
sent to the match; and for two years
key had watched the morning pas
senger train, and after, as his local
freight rumbled by, had given mock
ing salute to Hazenfritz, the agent.
Ihere are but two passenger trains
uay-one east and one west-over
the branch of which Shacktown is one
terminal, while Slowtown, the county
seat, is the other. So when key, hav-
ing watched the morning train. pulled
out with his way train, he knew that
there was no possible chance for an
elopement that day.
On the next morning when key was
working east again, the conductor on
the opposite run would watch the pas
senger even more zealously than Ikey
himself. He was keys choice for a
son-in-law.
key turned over his bundle Of way
bllls. There were bills for three cars
whose contents were to be distributed
at the various stations along the way.
Tnere were bills for two cars of kegs
FOR the brewery, car of sand for the
FOUNDRY, car of scrap from the Jew
at Shacktown to the Jew at Showdown.
car with little Jag of company's
stuff, but not scrap of paper that
said word about dynamite or any
thing more dangerous than whisky.
When the train stopped to unload
freight at the first station out of
Shacktown, key made an inspection
OF the car. 1t was sealed and side
carded from Shacktown to Showdown,
contents dynamite. Some one had
sketched a deaths head, In red ink,
on the card
THAT cursed Hazenfritz," muttered
Ikey, as he signaled to go ahead.
The long day wore on with it's mo-
notonous dropping of a car here.
picking up another somewhere else,
stopping at every fence corner to pick
up, or unload, freight; and ever on
keys mind was the dynamite car.
Once, at a station half way up
the run, he caught fool brakey strik-
ing a match to light his pipe on the
door of the dynamite car.
Another time, when making a shift,
the engineer struck her SO hard that
Ikey held himself down with both
hands, expecting to go up any minute.
Then he went forward and cursed the
engineer but this made things worse,
for after that he hit her bump when
ever he could.
1t was dark when, at last, No. %
pulled into Showdown.
You're late, old man." remarked the
agent, as key entered the office and
threw down his bills.
Lucky to get in at ALL" snarled
Ikey. Lucky we didn't take the sky
route" t'
why? What's the matter? Had
any trouble?" asked, the agent.
mo, only some wooden.headed fool
shipped up car of explosives, dyna-
mite, on our train; and every time
that fool engineer struck her he
struck her harder than the last. Lucky.
as said, we didn't take the sky
route
"A shipment Of dynamite?" repeat
ed the agent, taking up message
which he kept beyond the range OF
keys vision. I'VE don't get any dy-
Mantle up this end. Where's the way
biils?" he asked, as he turned over