Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-11-01
A RAILROADS.
YARN
BY EDITH BARNARD DELANO.

Mike s. runs No. -- on the
B. & o. An oId-timer is Mike, and
proud of it. Could have had a big
job with the brotherhood any time for
years past, but doesn't think he'd en-
joy life unless he could see it from a
cab window. Might have been G. NJ
if he'd had more book-learning but
Mike doesn't miss that-plenty of
man-sense to make up for it. And
he's friends with everybody: calls four
railroad presidents by their first
names, and they say the Old Man him
self asks Mixes advice at times.
There's been a good deal of talk
lately among the men about these
Liberty bonds, and Mixes friend of
EN-. He was leaning out of his cab
window in Camden Station the other
day, and another engineer who is
known among the boys as something
of a tight-Wad was leaning out of his
a couple of tracks over.
Going to buy one Of these new
Liberty bonds, Bill?" Mike asked.
II am NOT" said Bill, SOS you
couldn't mistake what he meant. Il
keep my money in q savings bank
That's good enough for me. How d l
know this cOuntry'u win the war:
Who d YOU reckon will give me back
the money on a Liberty Loan bond, if
Germany wins, hey? No, sir, | guess
the savings bank II carry me along for
a while longer :"
Mike scratched his ear and grinned
he has a catching sort Of grin, has
Mike. bill Edson," said he, you re-
mind me of something that once came
to my notice, because I was in it,
Must be a matter Of thirty years ago,
now. | was on my first passenger
engine, and q beauty was she, a thun
derer for those days, just out Of the
shops, and | was prouder of her than
[ was of the twins.
at was along in the spring some
time, and the crews coming east all
reported worst flood conditions ever
known. | brought my train down over
Harper's Ferry when the yellow mud
was boiling down underneath like as
if all Niagara was let loose. Got as
far as Cumberland, and received or
ders to leave the train there and take
my engine back, and run her out or
the Harper's Ferry bridge and leave
her there. Yes sir LEAVE HER
THERE. / didn't believe those orders
were straight until | found out that
every other big engine anywhere with
in reach Of the bridge had gotten the
same Well, we did it; the bridge
was crammed full Of engines, all the
tracks would hold, by nightfall.
st wasn't until I got back to Balti
more, some days later, after the flood
had gone down, that | got wind O
the way it happened. John NJ. King
was V. p. in those days, and better
railrOader never lived, bar none. He
happened to be in charge at the Cen
tral Building right then, and reports
of floods kept coming in and coming
in, and everybody got more and more
worried. One bridge after another
went down, one mile of track after
another was washed out. Finally some
fellers from the maintenance of way
rushed in and said the Harper's Ferry
bridge would sure be the next to go.
King thought minute, and then gave
orders that every heavy engine the
bridge would hold should be run out
on her and left They thought King
was crazy, but they didn't know him.
why, Mr.. King, there's no use sending
all that new rolling stock down with
the bridge said one man. King just
gave him a look. If the Harper's
Ferry bridge goes down, son. said he,
we won't need the rolling stock.
And say, Bill Edson" Mixes hand
was on the throttle and he'd got his
signal to pull out, the HarpeF's Ferry
bridge is still standing. | guess she'll
carry you and me along for a while
longer, hey?'
And the point Of the story IS That
Bill Edison bought Liberty bond the
next morning.