Arizona republican., 1916-11-27

 LIFE JAMES
 |. DRUMCOLD

Arizona Charlie. that picturesque character who has been placed in the asylum here had quite a past. lt is explained in the following from q late Issue of the Tombstone Prospectpr.
 In the superior court yesterday there appeared before Judge Lockwood and the lunacy commission. an old man. unshavcn. bent and dressed as the or- dlnary tramp of the southwest He had his trunk Ca gunny sack with him. as had been his custom for many years, and after due examination he was ad- judged insane by the commission and was taken to Phoenix today by Sheriff Harry Wheeler.
 Twenty years ago James (. Drum geld was considered one of the best locomotive engineers of the Southern Pacific system. and was well liked ry all Of his fellow employees for hts good disposition. always ready to help the needy and always had q good word for his fCliowmen. and was a compan- lonable associate with all
 l. was while Mir. Drumgold was on his regular daily run one day, many years ago. that he returned one night Co learn that his wife and daughter had met death that day in sa passenger train wreck between Bowie and Lords burg from q broken rail. and not long time afterward. hearthrukcn by the loss of his family. his mind having become unbalanced. he lost his joh. and in his harmless state of mind he began tramping the rails out of Bowie. both east and west for several hundred miles. looking from Yuma to Fl Paso for broken rails that might cause an other accident such as the one in which ne lost his loved ones
 In his travels from one end of the division to the other. the employees soon came Co know him by the nickname of Arizona Charlie" which he has carried all these long years until his true name was brought out at the hearing Not a railroad employe on the main line does not know Arizona Charlie and he has been the recipient of food. money and assistance from them Tor years. who always looked out for "Ari- zona Charlie"
 On his hikes, year in and year out, Arizona Charlie" would never accept a ride proffered from the cons of the fastest express or the slowest old freight. but always preferred to walk ard look for the broken rail still lin- gefing in his mind. He carried with him q sack for his clothes two frying pans, two or three small lard buckets for his food and a coat. if he was lucky enough to get one He camped whcr- ever night might overtake him always managing to make water tank by nightfall, and the next morning would resume his hike regardless of an offer of a ride to the next station or tho end of the division, whichever the case might be.
 Contented to walk the ties with his head bent low, and eyes to the rails, no ono has ever been able to calculate now many miles of track Arizona Charlie" has inspected. but it is known .hey are many. And a peculiar thing regarding his inspection trips was that whenever he did find an irregularity in the track, be it the ties, the rails, or a bridge, he would walk to the nearest section boss and report his find.
 Many times the company offered to l provide for the keep of Arizona Char 1 lie" as did brother fin California, but
 the offers were steadfastly refused. just as often as they were made, while Arizona Charlie" unassisted. contin-
 ued his walking career year after year,
 over the division in search of the | broken rail.
 | Of late. however, it has often been lnoticed that the old man. now bent with age, was becoming weak and | feeble from exposure, and he was brought to Tombstone from Bowie, and committed to the state hospital at | Phoenix, where he will no doubt spend the remainder of his days, well provided | for
 | The closing chapter of the life of Arizona Charlie" probably will never | pc known to many of the railroad men
 along the road, and it will be regretted by those who may learn of his feeble | condition.
 | He has taken his last railroad ride
 and many will be the engineer, fire
 man, conductor and brakie who vii
 miss the sight of the familiar form ol
 Arizona Charlie" walking the mair line, with bent head. searching for tho
 broken rail.
 He has finished his career and on'
 Of the saddest incidents in the life O
 railroad man has been closed, fol
 never again will there be another "Ari zona Charlie who, through misfortun'