Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-04-21

days and in wandering through the
corridors Of the imposing yellow brick
structure standing among the oaks
bordering Lake Michigan, twenty
three miles north of Chicago, he en-
countered many members CT the
wheelchair brigade and talked with
crippled and disfigured men who, in
years gone by, had served the rail-
roads Of the country in noteworthy
fashion.
Standing at an open door leading
to a porch, the diminutive figure of a
man was noticed. Twenty feet away,
he locked more elf and gnome than
human being. He was gazing into
the sunlight and one could almost see
a wistful, yearning expression in his
eyes. Approaching nearer it was not
iced that the man had been fright
fully burned. One ear was almost
gone and his face was mass of redd-
ish-blue scars, his eyes, however,
sparkled clearly. He had no hands,
but instead, pendant from the wrists
were small cat-like claws, scant rem
nants of his bread-gaining equipment
He was Harry J. Ryan, engineer
employed by the Grand Trunk Rail-
road in the late sos. On June 20,
1889, near Emmett, Mich, Engineer
Ryan, running a fast mail sixty miles
an hour, ran into siding because of
mistake by a switchman. His fire.
man jumped from the cab and escaped
with little injury, but the diminutive
Ryan shut off the throttle, put on the
emergency brake and stayed with his
engine.
1T was a day like this" remarked
Ryan. ut was clear and balmy and
we we're hitting her up at over a mile
minute. We had no reason to sus-
pect that the switch was thrown until
we were fairly onto the siding. Then
my fireman shrieked at me and began
to climb over the coal. 1 had fast
mail behind me with number of
passenger cars. I did everything l
could to stop the rush of the engine.
"She left the rails, bumped over
the ties, broke loose from the coach
es, went down the bank, leaped over
a culvert and struck another culvert,
springing into the air about twenty
feet and falling over on her side."
where were you, Mr.. Ryan,"
II was still in the cab," he answer
ed simply. LUCKILY, only one steam
valve broke off but the vapor from it
struck me fairly between the eyes.
don't know how managed to, but fin
ally I crawled out from under the C.
connective and was taken to hospit-
al"
"You were almost scalded to death,
were you not?"
"Yes, sir. I was in the hospital for
long time.'
"You were rewarded, of course, by
the railroad company"
II never got a cent from them.'
Nothing? Nothing as a reward for
sticking to your duty?"
The little old man looked up shyly
and there was light of Joy in his
eyes. He said he had something. It
was a medal, he explained.
"You do not wear your medal?"
"1 always have it with me-" Ryan
rejoined. "Unbutton my vest he re-
quested. This being done he pointed
to an inside pocket in which was a
Morocco leather wallet. His visitor
took this from its resting place and
opened it. There shone a gold medal
with pendant, decorated with dia-
monds. A miniature locomotive was
represented on the upper portion and
engraved on a circular pendant were
words of appreciation of Ryan's hero
ism. It was indicated that this medal
lion had been presented by the pas
sengers whom he had saved.
Other railway men whose stories
were just as interesting were encount-
cred, among them f1ne-featured fel-
low who had been an engineer and
who had lost his legs at the hips. He
got about in a wheeled chair and his
chief diversion was embroidery work
at which he had become skillful. He
displayed his wares with manifest
pride, although he modestly disclaim-
ed any special ability.
On Tuesday the board of trustees
of the Home Society met with Grand
Chief Stone of the engineers brother