The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-08-04
TheVanished
Freight
n
BY e. FLORENCE


ground. They had both been fired |
from the same freight, and were
drawn to each other-or, more correct |
~ speaking. fired at each other, for
they came near collIding In the process
Of ejectment.
"Nlust take us for blooming can
ron-balls," grunted the loose-jointed
one.
"Yes: those fellows are certainly
on the frlng-line. all right" replied the
watery-eyed one. "Reminds me Of
the way I've often fioated through
space In Kansas. riding bareback on
cyclone"
$50 you've been In Kansas, too?"
queried the loose -joInted one. "Now,
there's state that can boast some
about nearly everything And. talking
Of cyclones, did you ever hear how
they are formed.
Houses. trees and cattle are gath
cred In It's loving embrace. and the
whole blooming outfit forms sort of
relief expedition to the afflicted place.
The world moves. but Kansas Is
whole moving picture show.
ut may leave path of devastation
tehlnd II. hut think OF what would
because of that airless void II the
c. Q. u. was ignored.
"Thnt's So" replied the watery-eyed
one Mature has got railroads skinned
| alive when II comes to delivering the
| goods. Then, again, n cyclone Is
| Uraot faatar in t,rnnntIpu qnrtal fntar.
course. There are lots OF people out
there who would never see each other
were II not for the fact that they
are thrown together by the thoughtful
cyclone. know of couple OF fell
lows who had not seen each other for
years, who met In the air, both Joy
riding aboard the same cyclone.
"'Hallo, BILL shouted one: Il
haven't seen you for a good while
NO yelled the other fellow; I don't
often get up this way
speaking of railroading." said the
loose jointed Individual, I'D like TO
relate to you some of my experiences
In the railroad business. Back In the
seventies | did Responding down in
Kansas, on the p. ID. Q. road. held
down 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
siue-'rack sos 10 iet "ho'her tram
pass. The old r. u. q. was "A single
truck road, with shanties and sldings
ut regular intervals, at which num-
per OF other Jays IKE myseir uiu the
ornlhwork Tor tne system'
WIS noioihg uo"h ms Jop III
onat queen anne co''"se' WIN no sre"'
Mnte WY nearer 'h"h ohe 'n'ihy
oa'urlc Oh ,ne SKIES anu 'he oh'y
s,ars ! couiu n'r, WIN wye 'nose
w,hNlns ut me across l''l''ohs OF ''i''es
!" space nut l was no, "s'ronoi,-
''ahy 'heu7gas'roho"y mas "'-
why's oeeh my 'oiis SUIT
Weil' this particular ihciueh' nave
Nv nninu nuppeheu Oh one VI 'nose uass
"hen hature seems 10 pe resung anu
Rruing rehuy ior grhhu'sthhu ueinoh'
s'rn'ioh'
seemed 10 sense something was
going to hnppen' ana feit ms tussy as a
H'asheuHeu hhteh' ihere was sou,h-
bound tram que nj my vlila ut '5o
p. IN. hnd orders 10 hoid u on the
s'ding uhtil the north-pound passeh-
ger due NJ ';4o' had passed.
IL set my signals and busied my
self doing nothing until the south
bound should arrive. felt mighty
glad of the chance for human compan'
ionship which the side-tracked freight
would supply.
'The sky had assumed a dlrtygray
color. ! felt certain that there was a
cyclone sashaying around somewhere
in my vicinity.
II was wondering II my villa was In
the path Of the whirllng dervlsh, when
the stiffness was suddenly fractured
by the shrieking OF the south bounds
whistle.
II got ready to do the reception act