The herald., 1917-07-05

thr "iEht-hour controversy in the fas
cination of his work, that we have :
clear block between the next two sta
tons" Soon We were upon the greer
! light. and as we Numbered by the lit
/ tie station / could see the dispatcher
at work over his keys. look gu,
| through the window ut 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 10
tell the next That we had passed. a
stumbling string of freight cars might
De let into the block from the other
end. There were q thousand IFS"
which might mean death for US. but
DeTnmer trusted the silent, isolated men
AT the keys. And back in the coaches,
men and. women were slumbering in
warmth and safety through the same
trust. In the city, the chief dispatcher
was watching our flight, mile by mile.
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:
We'll, she struck the train-Number
Five, | think it was-iuSt down the
line way. I'll show you the place in
a minute"
Just then we roared across a long
trestle over deep, marshy ravine.
This trestle was picked up by that
storm" Demmer said, land set down
there In the lake hundred yards from
here, just after the train had crossed
And 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
lont have many cyclones on the road.
The officials are very careful about
that Demmer added. with a chuckle.
In q storm, or when the snow piles |
~ ahead Of you and you've got to get |
through 1t and make your schedule Is |
when we catch II. Or when II is pour-
ng rain and we can't see two feet
mead into the mist, we can't tell when
freight train or a stalled passenger
rain may appear ahead-and we have
o Know just where TO pick out the
idings, too"
The miles poured by us. An occa.
lonal farmhouse doomed up along the
ray, and slipped silently into oblivion
gain as we leaped along.
Freight cars, and even strings ~
assenger cars stood by the main line
gain all dark and empty. Green. red
nd white lights began to appear in
Dniusion, and we slowed down little
little. 1t was the end of the run.
emmer became absorbed In his brakes
nd levers, and l crossed over TO the
remains side again.
lie sat there, calm and controlled
the train into the last mile
ockery opened the doors again and
lie yeilow-white light Of the fire threw
emmer into relief against the cab
lnuow. looked back at the trailing
ain, the lights of the window mak-
6 pale shadows along the tracks.
OcKery went TO a cabinet In the door
the tender and took out big jug Of
lter TO drink. He with his water
"a Demmer with his pipe-a very I'm.
an picture. ! thought, and what n
arge they had.
we parted, l to be taken by the
ill., which we met there, back to the o
y-to be one of the passengers In b
e soft-cushioned, easy-riding cars. f,
listed In the green star and the watch II
In the cab. II. Kinsella, in ST. 4,
uis GlObe-Democrat. G,