The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-11-28

\ woman's tears and over 80 men
sped the wheels of travel, made train
connections that were nearly impos-
sible, and another deed OF kindness i'm
"a seemingly h%ard-hearted world was
recorded.
f. b. Shepard, a Rock Island con
ductor running on train No. a from
Oklahoma City TO Memphis, related
the story of such an incident which
occurred recently on his run, It fol
lows:
Our train was making good time
about four hours out of Oklahoma City
a short while & and everything
looked fair for a good through SEIZED
ule without breaks of any kind.
AT Holdenville, Okla, a wrink-
led-faced, frail woman, who looked
as though she had gone through years
of real work to get by on the
farm, climbed YEARLY aboard. /
would have given her passing atten-
ton as she boarded the train, had it
not been for the look Of intense sor-
row and appeal in her eyes. She was
suffering; l could readily see that.
II said nothing, however, and after
aiding her in getting a battered grip on
board, / helped her reach a seat. She
heaved a weary sigh when she was
seated, and as the train sped on she
began to glance furtively around and
ask men within a short distance the
time.
| tUtpaIIy Cha uafbapaI na,traan x.hap
she saw me coming down the aisle
and laid u nervous hand on my arm,
and asked:
"T don't like to bother you, Mr..
Conductor, but will this train get into
Memphis in time for me to catch u
train leaving there for Lexington,
Tenn"
without thinking much I knew
she had reference to the y. G.. x st.
H.. out of Memphis. The train was
what is commonly known as the fast
mail and is one Of the fastest trains
in he south, 1t makes an easterly
run through Tennessee, Our train con.
meets at Memphis with several trains
due east, but the train for which her
AI'hNN 80 HtuHh' h'o ~ w VI ."'Il
phis at 545 a. m. and the Rock Island |
was l%iloting did not reach Memphis
until G a. m. ! did not tell her, how,
ever, but waited for her to spea'I as
| saw that she intended to.
"Shc then unfolded her tale before
me. She said that she had received Il
message from relatives in Lexington
Tom, that hor mother could no. live
She explained that her mother was
over 90 years old and that she had not
seen her for many years, having come
west shortly after her marriage. She
%sobbingly related how she had beer
unable to axe her 9-ycar-old daughter
with her and how she had jolted over
"a miles Of country road to catch a
train. Several of the passengers il
the coach, which contained only
through NIemphis) travellers, had gath
cred around, and as the little woman
told the story Of her sorrow, severa'
of the men, as well as the women
I gathered their handkerchiefs to theiI
eyes and wiped away tears.
Even I, who for years have beer
familiar with all sorts of peculiar
situations, was touched by her appeal
and the look in her eyes could not be
mistaken. She wanted to see hel
mother and speak to her before dealt
called!
IL assured the little woman as bes'
I could, without openly telling he
that the connection for which hel
ticket called was impossible without
a twenty.four hour stop, and as
went about my work over the trair
| thought much about her.
FINALLY | hit upon a plan, and a.
| passed her occasionally | assured
her that everything was all right"
The conductor telling the story lef
the train at Bonneville, and was re
lieved by Il. c.. Peel, Of Little Rock
Mr.. Peel was told the circumstance
of the case OF the woman, and i'm
mediately fell in with the plan sug
gested by conductor Shepard. He con
tinued the story as follows.
II wired the stationmaster at Mem
phis while we had Il long stop in Lit
tie Rock, and in 50 words explained
the situation to him. the message end
ing with a personal request to hold III,
fast mail on the y. G. K st. L., fol-
five minutes.
THE engineer and | took the mat
ter up and reach a conclusion shortl,
after we left Little Rock after re
ceiving a message that the fast trair
out OF Memphis could be held FOR fiv,