davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1937-12-05

almighty promise and he meant to keep
it. He had told the superintendent he
was going to bring that train in on
time if it was the last act of his life.
And he intended to do so.
The bell on the engine rang, the
wheels slipped. Charlie let loose the
sand. The wheels caught on, and
the long hill out of Elkton was climbed
as fast as Is coaches permitted
but that old engine has the strength
OF II super-gods. Twelve 395-horse-
power motors are no weaklings.
Up the hill and away. then. with
9 minutes lost to eternity-never to
come back again.
will he make it?" I asked Roop,
the engineers assistant, for I was
there to record this last run of q
lifetime-to see fulfilled the ambition
of great engineer, to bring his last
train home, on time!
"If we make Binges on time, it's
all to the good" Roop said.
Binges? Who had ever heard OF
Binges, save a railroad man? 1t is
no place on the map. 1t is no rail-
road stop.
"Binges," Roop explained, "is a
tower-a signal tower along the line
We're due there at 6:38. If the
chief can make up these lost minutes
and get to Binges on time, or even q
ypip11ta Lotto u,a ,,,iphf m q 10 IL TrOll- =
BILE is, there are restrictions. He can
not go more than As miles an hour
over a stretch of test track along the
line. He might get an approach re-
stricted" signal, in which case he'll
have to slow down to one-haf his
running time.
IN QUICK succession two approach
restricted" signs appeared in elec-
trio lights down the line. Then an
approach clear" Then clear,
meaning that the line was again open
to Charlie Bush-and he could do his
stuff.
He did Bore down on that control
board. Squeezed every ounce Of power
out of a mighty steel beast. And the
beast responded.
Through the night that covered
him, Charlie Bush could hear only
the sonorous sounds Of his whistle a
he pulled at the cord for grade
crossings, or the crunching pound o.
the wheels flying over the rails hum
dreds Of revolutions a minute. With
his eyes on the speedometer and hi
Evening star., 1937-12-05

just 50 many blobs Of electric lights
in the misty night, glowing like fire.
flies past . window pane.
IN A moment, Washington's slippery
streets came into view. New York
avenue was sighted. Then the slow
signal for the entrance to the station
yards. Three minutes more and
Charlie Bush would complete his last
run for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
He brought his train in exactly 30
seconds under the prescribed time.
did he bring her in on time?" =
group Of railroad men asked, as the
train logged to q stop.
Brought her in 30 seconds ahead
of time," Mr.. Wilcox said, proud Of
the accomplishment. He paid Charlie
Bush q compliment. Charlie" he
said, we're sorry to lose you, boy
the best in the business They shook
hands.
Down on the platform group Of
neighbors and railroad men ran to
greet the engineer who had completed
so years Of service on the roadbeds
that link Washington and New York
half century Of service to the public
that ended with record 50 clean it
will be held up as a model for all
young men who enter the railroad
business. In As years running the
big trains Of the system-the fastest
and finest-not a passenger was ever
killed behind Charlie Bush He never
had a wreck while he was in charge of
q passenger train.
Before that? Yes. On freights
Charlie Bush put in five years of the
hardest kind Of railroading-before the
days OF the air brakes So he knows
it all, from the bottom up: Brakeman,
fireman, engineer.
Twas in those days that he had his
wrecks-five in all. And they taught
him the lesson of caution. So that he
could take train down to the doors
Of hell, almost, and bring it back in
tact. In so years on the road he saw
all the developments. The modern
appliances made to save human lives
Even now, the marvellous system
startles him; who knows its every in
tricacy.
AS one who Travelled those millions
Of miles over the New York Washing
ton run, Charlie Bush knows almost
every inch of the lineup and down
E1o ho . q ~ III, 70 y,pv x,o " NJ i,,doipo the
speed Of q train, without looking at
the speedometer. Out the cab window
his eye spots an object-to him, an old
familiar landmark. Down the line, .
mile away, he picks up another.
I'VE just made that last mile in ~
seconds" he says-and q stop watch
proves he is right.
Guest Of Charlie Bush on his fare
well run WAS my boy johnnie an
8-year old would-be engineer. He was
taught the signal system by Charlie
Bush, on the journey to and from
Washington, and knows it so he shouts
in his sleep, "Clear!"
What kind of an engineer do you
want to be?" the boy was asked.
can engineer like Mr.. Bush" he
said, the CLINT OF admiration In his
eyes. hero worship in his voice. THE
best engineer in the world"
And that's what they all say-all
through the Pennsylvania system.
Strange, "the best engineer In the
world" Is going in retirement to q
North Carolina farm where he was
born November IA, 1857, and where
you cannot even hear an engine
whistle.
Copyright, 1879
Evening star., 1937-12-05

days Star in connection with the de-
molition Of the Northern Liberty Mar
ket, September S, 1872. At that time
I was living on New York avenue, near
Ninth street and very near to Mount
Vernon Square The demolition was
ordered by Boss Shepherd, chairman
of the Board of Public Works. and was
largely effected during the night. To
avoid the issuance Of an injunction by
the courts, preventing or staying the
demolition, Mr.. Shepherd had invited
the judges to dinner at his country
place the evening before the demoli-
tion, and therefore the demolition was
not interfered with by the courts.
Yours very truly,
HENRY CALVER."
(The removal of this building was
begun on September 3, 1872, and the
removal Of the walls completed the
following day.
HOWEVER. although the razing of
the old market house was an in
cident that created much excitement,
yet the chief historic event of this
neighborhood is known as the North
ern Liberty Market House riot. It oc-
CURED on June l, 1857. during the city
elections held that date. and was
Evening star., 1937-12-05

Charlie Bush Reaches Washington 80 Seconds Ahead
of Schedule After Thrilling Run Against
Obstacles on Trip From New York.

Charlie Roop, the engineers helper,
said.
Charlie Bush shook his head. Looked
at his watch. Eight minutes gone on
a night like this -
KNOCK it of! Steal it!" Roop
pleaded. He, too, wanted that train
to come in on time. All the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad system, from the presi-
dent down, wanted that train in on
time-for word had gone forth to all
hands, hither and yon, that this was
the last and farewell run of the man
who had put In more years than all
others, save one, on the road. They
were pulling for Charlie Bush - all
along the line.
nOWN that road, with Is cars back
~ of him, 16 cars packed with men,
women and children, who did not know
what was going on up in the cab, the
old Constitution sped like rabbit
running from hunter.
I Came the signals. "Clear!"
"Clear!" the engineers assistant re-
peated, after the Old Master had
picked up the signar from the tram
sions ahead and overhead.
Long as the track was clear there
was a chance.
Charlie Roop, the assistant, left his
post and stepped to the side of the
engineer: "How you doin', Chief?" he
called over the roar and rumble of the
rails.
Made up three minutes" the engi-
neer said.
"At that rate, we'll make it-on time
in Washington, the helper said, and
breathed relief.
ANY break Of luck will help" the
master engineer said. Then came a
fateful telegram-from the train dis
patcher:
"stop at Elkton to pick up four pas
sengers"
Charlie Bush read that telegram as
If 1t had come from the very devil him.
self.
That knocks us out" he Said.
To stop at Elkton meant that this
crack passenger express-a limited
would be shunted from the main
tracks and shot over to a. freight track.
1t meant slowing down from the regu-
lar speed of 80 miles an hour to As,
and then at crawl-to negotiate that
little station at Elkton, where so many
| brides and grooms HE themselves to
honeymoons on innumerable nights.
| NTO the Elkton siding went Charlie
Bush, his engine and the 16 coaches
In k/of him. Went with a heavy
heart to pick up four passengers who
stood like silhouettes in the darkness,
crushing the heart out of a man they
did not know; but this was railroading
That long train came to standstill
and the four passengers elected to
get on the last coach. Instead of
boarding the train at the first open
door, they walked-rather haughtily,
and slowly-down the platform to the
very last car. With each step they
took, an engineers heart dropped Just
so many more inches. It takes long
time to walk the length of long
train, especially when two of the walk
ers are old ladies.
Must have been some reason for
that" Charlie Bush unused, as he
watched out Of his cab window and
saw the long delayed boarding of four
passengers at Elkton. He looked at his
watch. It seemed hopeless-to make
Washington on time-but there was
. determined twinkle in his eye, q
keen set to his jaYA He had made one
Evening star., 1937-12-05
By Susan Baker.

TN A LITTLE TOWN in Denmark,
Einar Holboell served his fellow
citizens as postal clerk. He
L watched them come and go, and
often speculated upon their health and
happiness.
Being a postal clerk was all right
as a job, but he felt there was more
than that in life for him, so his mind
began going round and round as
Christmas mail was brought in to be
Evening star., 1937-12-05
By John Jaw Daly.


TIRST time in so years. no Sunday
T train leaves Washington for
L New York under the guidance
of Charles Richard Bush, dean
of railroad engineers.
Charlie Bush retired last Sunday.
Finished his farewell trip in glory.
Most thrilling ride of his career, he did
the impossible. Brought crack train
to Washington against what seemed
to be insurmountable obstacles: Fog.
rain, slippery tracks, and the biggest
holiday travel rush in recent years.
Though Charlie Bush had driven
trains 3,650,000 miles over the New
York to Washington roadbed-a dis
tance comparable to 146 times around
the earth and Is times to the moon
his last trip will always remain his
record-breaker.
Determined to bring that train-the
Constitutional-in on time, if it was
the last act of his life, the 70-year-old
engineer got away to a poor start
in New York City They sent him out
of the Pennsy Station there one min
ute late-one minute late on a trip
where there were five scheduled stops
and only eight minutes in which to
make them.
With the Thanksgiving Day holi-
days over, 16 cars were loaded to
Charles engine. Sixteen cars packed
with 1900 passengers. That load,
even though he had an engine capable
Of developing 4,740 horsepower, with
IL motors, called for all the skill Of
half a century's railroading. It
meant perfect approach to each sta
ton en- route and a fast getaway.
A T TRENTON, the first stop out
of New York, Charlie Bush not
only had made up the minute lost in
New York, but he was one minute
ahead of schedule. Because every
man connected with the train was for
him-from George Bryde, the conduc-
tor, to Charles L: Roop, engineers
helper-Mr. Bush knew that not one
false move would be made, inten-
tionally.
This meant speed in all depart
ments. When the train came 10 q
standstill, car doors flew openAas if
by magic. Porters had their steps
down. Conductors and their assist
ants shooed the passengers out, helped
others in, got the doors closed, gave
the signal to go ahead. "Give it to
her, Charlie" his helper yelled, and
1000 volts of electricity took up the
load. The huge train slid into action,
Is, IS, 35, SO, and 80 miles out on a
clear track-gone to glory and the
record run of Charlie Bush.
At North Philadelphia, second stop
a minute was lost in the getaway
Two more minutes at the Thirtieth
street station. It began to look bad
The hour was getting late. The Con-
stitutional had left New York at $3.50
in bright sunshine after downpoul
of rain, had picked up fog belt along
the line, had come out into beautiful
twilight, and was now running into q
drizzle and darkness. It was pitch
dark when the huge engine, weighing
close to half million pounds, hove
into Wilmington-late six minutes.
Seven and half minutes had gone
the way OF the world, only, half I
minute less than the eight minute.
allowance for stopping and starting
when the Old Master looked out hi
cab window and caught the Go-Gt
signal.
We'll make it Up, CHIEF" younl
Evening star., 1937-12-05
to Halt Achievement Which Is Watched by
Rail System as He Speeds.

At Baltimore the big boss of the
engineers .world-Claude G. Wilcox,
road foreman of engines-came
aboard. With him was Charles Rich
ard Bush, jr., namesake and eldest
son Of the engineer.
How you maxim it, Charlie?" Mr..
Wilcox asked.
Charlie Bush looked at his watch
while the conductor and his assistants
chased passengers out into the night
and hustled more aboard the train.
mot so good" Charlie Bush said.
Behind time"
That stop in Baltimore was the
last straw It killed his chances to
bring the Constitutional into WASH
ington on time.
How many minutes late?" Mr..
Wilcox asked.
Charlie Bush hesitated. He did not
want to teu-for there is an old rule
on the road that trains must adhere
to: Seven minutes from the Union
Station in Baltimore to Fulton juno
ton, just outside the tunnel; 81 min
utes from Fulton Junction to New
York avenue, in Washington;
minutes from there into the station
That makes a scheduled running time
of Al minutes on 40-mile stretch o1
track.
However. when the big boss comes
aboard there ought to be leeway-and
there usually is; especially in case
like this, when the oldest, beloved en-
gineer Of the system makes his fare
well run.
'I'll give you two minutes, Charlie,
the generous-hearted boss said, mean
ing that two minutes could be cut
of if possible. With that came tn.
signal to depart-and Charlie Bush
was on the last leg of the last trip hi
would ever make as engineer in charge
OF q fast-fying train.
COME magic hand guided the sigma
tower operators. All Charlie Bush
got from Baltimore to Washington
were clear" signals. He had the
road to himself. Along the line HI
slid like somebody pursued. HI
pleaded to be let alone. Asked thai
the big boss get over on the othel
side of the cab. He did, and Charlie
went to work in earnest.
Young Roop looked at his watch.
If we make Laurel in four minutes
we'll be in Washington on time," Mr.
Wilcox said, as he consulted his watch
Laurel on time" Roop shouted.
That engine burned up the rails
and 1900 holiday passengers in II
coaches that housed them never knew
the romance and adventure that me-
IN heart to-heart throb up there in ths
cab.
Laurel on time! That's good,
Charlie Bush breathed. The light ol
Joy crept into his eyes-a bright burn.
ing blaze that told the world here wa.
one man who set out to do something
and was about to perform-"bring hel
in on time"
He'll do it, too," Mr.. Wilcox said
when the train roared past Bowie OF
schedule.
We can walk in on time, if we wall
fast enough" young Roop said.
Say, Dad" the engineers soE
asked, Suppose you were driving AZ
old-fashioned locomotive at this speed
It would Jump the rails. Wouldn'
it?"
Charlie Bush, his eyes on the track
the goalline within easy distance
chuckled:
1T would ny to pieces" he said
and bent again to his task.
Bowie was now 6 miles hehtnq
All the Intervening little towns wer'
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-06-17
"God Bless You" Sneeze
Started in Middle Ages

1t is surprising to find how many
people superstitiously say "God
bless you'll" when they hear you
sneeze. This custom is believed to
have originated in the Middle ages
when plaques and epidemics were
rife, relates a writer in Pearson S
London Weekly.
Sneezing at such time often in
dictated to the superstitious that
the victim had caught the plague
and so they said sympathetically,
"God bless you," meaning "God
help you'll" At that time it was
usual to accompany the words with
the sign of the Cross.
Another old belief was that ii
was lucky to sneeze on the right
and unlucky or the left. If bride
groom sneezed on his wedding
morning, his friends regarded it as
a lucky omen. and strangely
enough, this superstition persists in
parts of Britain.
The Greeks considered it fortu-
nate to sneeze in the afternoon, but
foretold ill-luck for those who
sneezed between midnight and mid
day.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-06-17
Named Lions for Kings

During the time of King George
II of England it was customary to
name the lions in the tower menag-
erie after the reigning kings, and
the fate of the royal beast was
thought to be bound up with that
of human majesty. Two years be-
fore the death of King George II,
he suffered a serious illness, and
was near death; but he rallied, and
regained good health. A curious
circumstance, illustrative of popu-
lar superstition, is mentioned in
connection with this illness by Lord
Chesterfield, and quoted by Earl
Stanhope in his History of Eng
land: 'It was generally thought
his majesty would have died, and
for a very good reason-for the
oldest lion in the tower, much about
the kings age, died a fortnight
ago."
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-06-17
CHAPTER VIII

An hour later, Jack Hammond
searched the crowded dance hall in
vain. All in a moment, he had lost
Mckenzie Joe, and this was bad
time to lose him.
Evidences of McKenzie's activi-
ties, however, were glaringly pres
ent. A window stood gaping at the
grazing dusk; darkness did not
come now until after midnight. A
bottle had broken the pane and Joe
had thrown it, as grand finale for
the fireworks exhibit. There also
were broken chairs, crushed to bits
by McKenzie'S tremendously strong
hands, to the cheers. of the mob.
Joe had not joined in the enthusi-
asm-even that of Around the World
Annie, who was charging 100 per
cent profit on all breakage. True,
he had lost some of his funereal air
and his lips bore hint of a smile,
like polar bear.
That is, the smile had been there
when Jack last had seen him, with
his hat on sideways, his electric
blue suit badly disheveled, and his
course in life vague, wandering
one, in which he sometimes walked
fat into wall without realizing it
until he bumped his nose. Then,
solen1nly, he would turn, blankly
survey his surroundings, and be-
gin another aimless excursion.
It had been during one of these
sorties that Jack had lost his part
ner. One moment Joe had been
steering straight for the middle of
the dance floor, only suddenly to dis
appear as a surging mass of Leg
f1inging miners and their girls cut
him off from the pursuing HAM
nond. By the time Jack had fought
his way through the tangled mob,
Mckenzie Joe was gone. Now the
younger partner sought him in vain,
at last going to the gambling hall.
Here the crowd was even thicker.
Throngs were jammed around the
rails of the crap games; the clatter
of the dice was continuous with the
drone of the keeper.
Spaced at intervals were the in
tent intricacies of faro, each game
with its dealer, laconically finger
ing the cards from their wooden
box, its frozen faced lookout, high
on his long-legged stool, his green
eye shade and his dead cigar each
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-06-17

tating, then rolling on again be-
fore it should finally sink into its
final socket, withheld him. He
turned away, while from behind him
the call of the croupier blended
with the queer, racking voice of
Kenning, proclaiming his joy as he
clawed for his chips. Jack went
on, at last to corner the wandering
Florine.
"Listenl" he commanded. "Have
you seen that partner of miner"
Baby" she exclaimed. 81 amt
stolen him"
81 didn't say you stole him. !
asked if you'd seen him. You helped
him out with some liquor, didn't
your"
"Only five crooks" said Florine
innocently.
"Only fvel" asked Jack, with his
hand to his forehead. (Which way
did he go?"
Florine pointed to the entire
North. Hammond hurried out the
door, mumbling to himself:
mo need trying to find him. He's
caching it somewhere-for later.
And he always remembers where he
puts it."
After a time, he returned to the
pavilion. There was nothing to do
but wait and watch. The dance hall
had become steamy, the clatter
from the bar louder, the music of
the orchestra more raucous. Jack
Hammond wandered ceaselessly,
watching every entrance. An hour
passed. Then the younger partner
shot forward. Mckenzie Joe had
appeared in a doorway, his hat
crosswise on his head, his sleeves
rolled back, and his electric blue
suit griny from contact with the
forest. Jack knew the story, a
wandering course to some point,
deep in the bush, where Mckenzie
Joe had buried that iquor-again
Jack reminded himself that no mat
ter how much more LIQUID might
flow down this beaverlike man S
throat, Joe would be able to go
W tIldt supply lihc q LOOiid Jug W
flock of quail. Nevertheless, Jack
went forward in a desperate at
tempt at ruse.
"Well, Joe," he announced with
simulated gusto, give been wait
ing for you. Where have you been?"
Mckenzie Joe looked at him with
mackerel eyes.
go lay an egg" he said sue
cinctly, but still with that inscruta-
BILE smile. There was no thickness
to the voice, no sliminess to the
tongue-only a suggestion of mo-
notonous indifference. Then, dis
regarding his partner entirely, he
attempted to walk through him to
the next room.
Jack stepped aside. At this point
in Joe's progress of inebriation, it
was best to hurnor him. Hammond
even allowed him to plod to the
bar, where methodically he ordered
drinks for the house.
Solemnly, but still with that polar
bear smile, Mckenzie Joe watched
his guests imbibe. Then he sig
nailed the bartender to let the
glasses remain on the bar, while, to
the whooping encouragement of his
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-06-17

dropping at a similar angle, its
never restful case-keeper, with his
counting board, recording the cards
as they came forth.
Here too was the glitter of the
"big wheels" glazing with maze
Of electric lamps, charged by the
pride of Around the World Armies
establishment - gasoline motor
light plant, which had formed an
entire load for Jimmy Moons
plane. The stud games also were
busy, slot machines, the blackjack
games and the enthralling click OF
the ivory ball as it rounded the
roulette wheel. Hammond turned
in that direction. He had sighted
Bruce Kenning.
He was coatless, his collar loos-
ened. Slightly drunk, he stood
sweating at the board, his left hand
necessarily riffiing the pile of chips
before him, his right stabbing out
ward, to place his bets, a four-way
wager here, a straight bet there, a
hedge on the Double o. A look of
surprise came into Hammond
eyes as he neared the man; there
was terrific concentration about
him, an air of obliviousness to ev-
erything save the lay-down board
and the dizzy spin of the multi
colored wheel.
Jack was tempted to ask him if
he had seen Mckenzie Joe. But the
very detachment of the man, the
look of exquisite agony with which
he watched the trepidation of the
little ivory ball, clicking against
the interstices, bounding out, hest