Oxford Democrat., 1921-07-12
TheVaniished
Freight
-
(copyrisht)
BY & FLoRRNcs

The loose-jo jointed individual and the
watsrSsyed one met on common
round They had both been hred
from the same freight. and were
drawn to each othsr-or, more correct
H speaking, fred at each other, FOR
they came near eolliding in the process
of eJsctmsnt.
Must take US for blooming can
.non-ballS" grunted the loose-joipted
one.
"Yss; those fellows are certainly
on the fring-lins. all right" replied the
watery-sysd one. Reminds me OF
the way I've often fioated through
Dpaee In Kansas, riding bareback on
, cyclone"
so you've been IN KansaA toor'
ausrisd the loose -jointed one. Nov,
there's O state that can boast some
about nearly everything. And, talking
pf cyclones. did you ever hear how
they are formed.
Houses. trees and cattle are gath
cred In its loving embrace. and the
xhole blooming outfit forms q sort OF
relief expedition to the atnictsd place.
Ths world moves. but Kansas is q
whole moving picture show.
IT may leave a path Of devastation
esAind Il bat think Of what would
because Of that alriess void II the
d q. d. was ignored.
sThatS So replied the watery-eyed
npA Mature has got railroads skinned
etavs whsn Il comes 10 delivering the
hoods. Thsn. again, cyclone Is q
krsat factor In promoting social inter
Eparse. There are lots Of people out
NSre who would never sec each other
wsre Il not for the fact that they
sSs thrown together by the thoughtful
eyeiona know Of q couple Of fel-
lovs who had not seen each other for
Ssara who met IN the air, both JOY
ftdinS aboard the same cyclone.
SAsllo. BnlP shouted onei 7
haven't seen you for good while
NO yelled the other fellowi ] don't
often Get up this way.
speaking Of railroading,' said the
sooss-jointed individual I'D Ike TO
relate TO you some Of my experiences
IN the railroad business. Back In the
seventies I did key-poundins down In
KansaA on the p. d. Q. road. held
down o shanty up along the line,
forty miles from the nearest refectory.
did nothing much but give the
trains clear track or hold them up TO
sds-track SOS TO let another train
pasA The old P. d. q. was q single
track road. with shantiss and sidings
at regular intervals, at which Q num-
Der Of other jays Ike myself did the
brsinwork for the system
Il was holding down this Job In
that Queen Anne cottage, with no great
white way nearer than the milky
taltrie Of the skies and the only
stars I could flrt with wEe those
winkins NJ me across millions OF miles
OF spacs. But I was not astronom-
ieany incllned-gastronomy has al
ways been my long SuI
well. this particular incident have
In mind happened on one Of those days
when nature seems TO ho resting and
SsttfnS ready Tor xrand-stand demon
kration.
Il seemed to sense something was
going to happen. and felt as fussy as a
msgnetiKsd kitten. There was south
bound train due at my villa at 1880
.. m. had orders to hold 10 on the
siding until the north-bound passen-
gsr. dus at Is. had passed.
Il set my signals and busted my
self doing nothing until the south
bound should arrive. I felt mighty
glad Of the chance for human oompan-
ionship which the side-tracked freight
wo4d supply.
sfhs sky had assumed Q dirty-gray
color. fslt certain that there was
cyclone sashaying around somewhere
in my Vicinity.
Twas wondering II my villa was In
the path Of the whirling dervish. when
the stiffness was suddenly fractured
By ths shrisking Of the south bounds
whistle.
Il got ready to do the reception oct,
and wondered why Jim Bludsos kept
his whistle blowing.
In Q few seconds tie big engine
lcomsdfin sight. Along she came, like
q ssee-horss on the homs-strstch. and
suddenly realized that the big galoot
% the throttle was going to give Us
the so-by.
Z grabbed my red dag aud got busy
with the wigwag performance. but old
iron horse swlshsd past wseh his long.
brown tail Of empty frslyhts strung
cot behind like the appsndags of q
comet.
swnst the Sam Hills the matter
with that giddy chsfferY thinks L
Thao k struck me al Of Q sudden that
IN shoot seven and a half minutes
there IVES going TO be trouble, likewise
4 lot Of scrap-iron scattered over the
seeusry Of the Sunhowsr state.
The north-bound train had already
entered ths same block. and the two
trains would meet about halfway be-
tween my bungalow sod the next one
sonth. on the curve around q grove
thsrsabouts. In my mind pictured
ths horror Of the scene.
NY mind was full Of the possiblli-
siss Of ne situation. and I was stand
tns there, paralyzsd. as II were. when
ruddsnly the& was q roar. and the
topography Of Kansas began doing the
wilbur Wright act.
IL was picked up bodily and hurled
against that shanty Of mine with suf-
neient force TO knock the sense ouI Of
me. When I came to saw q train
standing on the siding. The crew were
emptying the contents Of q water-paIl
on me and searching my anatomy for
injuries.
"As my gray matter resumed opera
tIons. realized that II was the north
bound passenger train that stood upon
the siding. How the Sam Hill did
you set herer I asked the engineer.
"why. came In my engine he re-
piled. Where's No. 23--isn't she In
yeti ! had orders to run through to
and axDasfad N zao Ma % aida-