The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-12-09

haired fellow that went Into
~ the cab OF No. ZAP" asked
the engine driver. That's Joe Esan.
low old should you say he was nov:
Fnty-fivc? Joe's seventy-two. come
next July. friend. and In spite OF his
age, there isn't man that can han
die HIS engine better than Joe, or
that's more looked up 70 b. the men
! and better thought Of b. the COM
pany. And il mrst be nigh on thirty
YER since what I'm going 20 tell
you Happened t. jos.
! Thirty years ago the company
WASH S particular as what they are
now. nowadays. II 4 man wants a
Grop core going on duty he's got
! 20 80 the bottle out OF his pocket
when nobody is watching him. and
cat n cough drop afterwards. or else.
likely as not. he'll be hunting JOB
next morning. But In the times I'M
/ Speaking Of the COMPANY didn't care
whether n man drank or not. NJ long
a he looked sober. and spoke sober.
and brought his train IN on time.
And. drunk or soberI Joe never made
any mistakes with Bs engine,
still. there wasr't many nights
when he didn't Conn. into Tapham
!it;le soaked. ami E-sot TO the super
ntcndeut's ears.
: ice lived by the line, about half n
...r this side OF Tapham in little
brick house slit lied just where the
t.estls across the Mahegan begins 20
, rise uUt OF the swamp lands.
One night Joe was behind time.
( II wasn't Is fault, ] guess: anyway.
just ~ he approached the trestle ne
heard the whistle OF the 8:0T. You
know traffic was inconsiderabie in
those days. and. whereas they'd have
held Der now. at thar time one just
took chances. II wasn't much OF n
risk. Joe saw that he could make
! the trestle, with n half minute %
spare-only just as he opened up. he
! saw his little girl on the line: Just a
! speck OF white in the night. We I.
you can guess the rest 1t was one
life against d hundred. and Joe pait:.
| The company buried her and voted
him i've hundred dollars: and that's
why the superintendent didn't look
/ too close into Joe's drinking habits.
! | didn't mention that the shock drove
the mother crazy. did !? She recov-
cred in time-after what I am going
! 10 tell you had happened and
I they're living in Tapham now. al
! though they never had another child.
1t must have been two years
after the accident. Joe had boen go
ing from bad tn worse. He was
drunk nearly every night.
One night Joe was taking his en-
gine. IS usual. into Tapham. There
were only three cars that night, but
they held the president Of the road
and his wife and daughters, and
party OF guests.
He was in an ugly mood that
night and swore at ME The more
tried to put reason into his head the
ugiier he grew. lie didn't care II the
train went TO smash and the presi-
dent and directors. TOO. he said.
We made the run on good time.
Joe WAS good driver, however
much no had been drinking, and I
had seen him taking more than few
swigs at thai bottle he carried.
Then. all at once, he staggered
back into the cab AMI q second later
the brakes were down and the train
scrcechei. and whined as il came to
n halt fifty feet from where the tres
tie begins.
joel yelled. but his face was
winter than paper. Bill Jones he
said slowly. turning his eyes on
mine, as I'm a man saw Nellie on
the line again.
Il looked out I couldn't See meth
ing
"'Nou're dreaming Joe said.
a minute later ths president was
climbing along the footboard. with
some OF his guests. wanted 20 save
Joe told them he had seen some
thing on the line. They looked. the
whole party OF them, but they
couldn't find nothing When they
come back / couldn't keep them frou
seeing him no longer. and one look
was enough. Joe was blind dru1k-
AID in charge o; 1.-The presidents
train.
Can YOU take her into TaphaInc
he asked me. ! could. hut at the
words Joe was at me like a madman.
1t would have been AZ much ~ my
life was worth to try: And nobody
wanted 20 tackle drunken giant
like Joe. 20, as it was only half Q
mile. and the line would be clear for
an hour to come. the whole party
started TO foot II into town.
Well. friend. the trestle vas down.
There was pi.ce twenty yards long
nipped clean out OF tho middle by
the rreShets. That's all. II Joe had
run that train onto the trCstle the
whole party would have gone sheer
into Kingdom Como. No. I'm not
drawing any conclusions - only.
that's how it come that Joe quit
drinking. and still drives his engine"