Putnam patriot., 1914-12-04

et agent. Morristown was the other terminus, 89 miles from Bristol, so the name Knoxville & Bristol was more significant of the hopes and aspira- tions or the little road than of it's achievements.
 The inhabitants along the thinly set tied mountain slopes had three never failing sources of income-chickens tan-bark and summer boarders.
 The K & B. fler headed out of Cory ton each morning. and for several years, in the capacity of postal clerk, shared it's many and varied yicissi- tudes. it's joys and sorrows. failures and triumphs. wash-outs, wrecks and occasionally the thrill of arriving some where on schedule time
 The engineer was a big, raw-boned, goodnatured individual named Bill Al len t Is Bills story, not my own, that am about to tell.
 Ii was late one summer evening, as we were winding our way down the little valley and got laid out for seY- ersl hours while a section gang ahead
 
 sat by the side of his engine and to an attentive audience composed Of the train crew and several of the passen- gers who had walked up ahead from the coach told the following story:
 There is something about this aft ernoon that makes me think of a day of long ago. q day that shall never be able to effaee from my memory It happened number of years ago when was pulling passenger train over in the Birmingham district.
 "On the day l speak of we had on couple Of extra coaches-Sunday school picnic or something of the sort; anyway, the entire train was crowded full of women and children.
 Every time we made a stop could hear the shouts and the merry laughter of those children up to the engine.
 We had pulled into little station. and 1 sat there in the cab watching the children and waiting for the con ductor, who had gone in after orders.
 We were on the main traek-in fact. there was no siding; just a big water tank and a turntable, old and seldom used Straight aSead for half q mile was one Of the steepest grades in the division Just at the top of the grade q branch line turned off for sew eral miles, leading 10 the coal mines.
 Some way in switching the coal cais around up there at the top of the grade that afternoon a big. heavily loaded ear suddenly got loose and headed down the grade straight as an arrow for our train
 "Gentlemen, 1 will confess I turned perfectly weak as 1 saw that black demon of destruction bearing down upon us. gaining speed at every sec ond
 "I thought of the merry laughing children back in the coaches, of the mothers atl-uuconseious of the awful danger and | thought of the fearful and certain result that seemed ineyit- able.
 Faster and faster it came. with roar. and a cloud of black dust hover ing about it! l tried to think of some way to save the train and the helpless women and children. but my brain re- fused to work
 But. gentlemen, there was better man than myself at hand, My iagman. quick, active young fellow named Walker, had taken in the frightful sit uation at a glance. and made a wild dash for the turntahle.
 Great heavens! Will he be in timer gasped
 Now the car was almost upon us, coming like a streak of lightning, swinging and roaring. and the sparks flying from the wheels. Then 1t struck the turntable, on to which the flagman had turned the switeh-and we were sHvcdi
 For the fagman quickly turned the table around and sent the ear flying back up the srade
 slt's fact, gentlemen" said Bill re- proaehfully. as several of his listeners turned sadly away If you don't be- lieye it. you can see the turntable any time, for 1t is still there. I can show you the car, too, on the braLeh to the coal mines