The Jasper news., 1917-06-21

the cight-hour controversy in the fas
cination of his work, THAT we have
clear block between the next two sta
tions." Soon we were upon the green
light, and as we Numbered by the lit
tie station l could see the dispatcher,
at work over his keys, look out
through the window at us.
"He is telling the next station that
Number Eleven has just passed." said
Demmer
In these men along the way, then,
we trusted. If one of them forgot TO
tell the next that we had passed,
shambling string of freight cars might
be let into the block from the other
end. There were thousand 'ifs"
| which might mean death for us, hut
Demmer trusted the silent, isolated men
at the keys. And back in the coaches,
men and women were slunlbering IN
warmth and safety through the same
trust. In the city, the clIief dispatch
was watching our flight, mile by mile.
A flash from him and we could be
stopped almost anywhere along the
route-unless the flash came too late.
Remember that cyclone we had last
summer that caught one of our trains"
Demmer asked. nodded. and he said:
"Well, she struck the train-Number
Five, l think it was-iuSt down the
line way. I'll show YOU the place in
minute
lust then we rourcd across long
| tpnSt1n pNnI door, r.cI wi
"This trestle was picked up by that
storm" Dcmmcr said "and set down
there in the lake Il hundred yards from
hSe. just after the train had crossed.
ARl here's where the train was when
the storm struck. Every window in
the cars was broken; the engineer and
the fireman had to lie fiat on the bot
tom of their. cab, while the wind took
the windows clear out. I'm glad we
don't have many cyclones on the road.
"The officials are very careful about
that" Demmer added, with chuckle.
'In a storm, or when the snow piles
up ahead of you and you've got to get
| through 1t and make your schedule Is
when we catch II. Or when 1t Is poIS'-
ing rain and we can't see two feet
ahead into the mist, we can't tell when
freight train or stalled passenger
train may appear ahead-and we have
to know just where to pick out tho
sidinss, too"
The miles poured by us. An occa-
sional farmhouse loomed up along the
way, and slipped silently into oblivion
again as we lcaped along.
Freight cars, and even strings of
passenger cars stood by the muin line
again, all dark and empty. Green. red
and white lights began to appear in
confusion, and we slowed down little
by little. II was the end of the run.
Demmer became absorbed In his brakes
and levers, and I crossed over to the
fireman's side again.
He sat there, calm and controlled,
bringing the train into the last mile.
Dockery opened the doors ngain and
the yellow-white light of the fire threw
Demmer into relief against the cab
window. / looked back at the trailing
train, the lights of the window MAX
ing pale shadows along the tracks.
Dockery went to n cabinet in the door
of the tender and took out big lug OF
water to drink. He with his water
and Demmer with his pipe-a very hui
man picture, I thought, and what
charge they had.
We parted, l to be taken by the
train, which we met there, back to the
city-to he one of the passengers in
the soft-cushioned, easy-rldlng cars,
trusted in the green star and the watch
ers in the cab.-J. II. Klnsella, in st.
Louis GlObe-Democrat.