The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-07-31

DON try TO hop ON the cars.
= DON'T crawl under the cars. .
- KEEP AWAY .
. From the tracks and cars.
. . 80 . - 80 . - .
The other pages have the following
brief story as to
HOW LOUISE LEARNED A LESSON
/.
The place that I am telling You
about was only q small village. Some
OF YOU, who dwell in cities, might
think that living in q village would
be quite dull. but boys and girls in
country towns find plenty to amuse
them.
When little town has q railroad
running through it. that is quite a
help. The village of our story had q
railroad called the BLACK River
Line" This was not so big system
as the Burlington and some others
you know about; all the same, the
boys said they guessed the Black
,River engines could run faster and
haul more cars than almost any 9TH
or engines.
am sorry to say that because the
boys were so fond Of engines and cars
they sometimes hung around the
tracks and railroad yards. Yes, and
sometimes they walked the tracks
when they went fishing or swimming.
Now. some Of you may, say. ."Oh,
live walked the track lots OF times
and never got hurt!" You might
also say that you are not afraid Of
fire because your house never has
burned down, but you know that
every year lots of people lose their
homes by fire.
One bright morning party OF III
teen boys and girls started for
Birch Ridge" picnic grove about
two miles from town. The shortest
way to walk there was on the railroad
track. AS they did not wish to have
the station agent see them, they went
along the village street to the first
crossing north OF town. Then they
took to the track. The boys politely
carried the lunch baskets and all of
them, boys and girls alike, looked for
ward to happy day.
~.
The day was as fine as anyone
could wish for. Bright sunshine, air
fresh and balmy-not too hot nor too
WI. WIN 1OSSSs ud1SlCS anu WulJeT-
cups everywhere in the fields. Robin,
bobolink and meadowlark joined
merry songs to shouts Of happy chill
dren.
After going some distance, they no
ticed handcar loaded with section
men coming from the north The fore
man set the brake before reaching
the little group. "Tis the dangerous
thing you're doing, a-walkin' the
track" said he. The youngsters
made no answer, but stood back while
the car passed them. Then the fore
man shouted q last warning, "ThereIl
be freight going north soon!"
ALI were glad to know that train
would pass, and everybody except
Louis, one Of the larger boys, thought
what fun it would be to climb onto
the fence and watch 1t go by. Louis
had plan OF his own, as you will
quickly learn.
He remembered that little farther
north the track was on a steep grade,
going slowly there. Then" said he
to himself, 'I1l show 'em how the
brakeman hops the train!'
vi.
Well they kept on going ahead,
merry as CrlCkelS. Alter a Wnllo,
whistle in the rear let them know
the train was coming. Long before
Tie train reached them, most of the
children were safely perched on the
fence. But not so with Louis. He
waited till the engine was quite close
before he left the track. Then he
waved his hand to the others, and pre-
pared to show Off" AS one of the
big coal cars went by, he ran along
its side and caught one Of the grab
irons. AT the same time he pulled
himself up and tried to put his foot
On the stirrup-but alas, his foot slid
through And now the weight was
too much for his arms, SO he had to
let go, and the next instant hung
head downward, his poor head bump
ing against the gravel and ties.
Soon he lay perfectly still. When all
the cars had passed by, some OF the
boys and girls ran to him. His face
was badly cut and bruised; both OF
legs were broken and the wheels
had passed over one Of his arms
VII.
The conductor, noticing the excited
children, saw that an accident had
happened. He stopped the train, the
train men came running back and