a tttt n "Merry *- Christmas ++ 4 IzOI, t'i4 + ♦ Heibcit t. llimllin ♦ + ++ ++ ♦+ ++ *+ * + ++ +1- +4- ++ ++ ++ +* THE train was reported half an hour late W<• > losed »b windows and dropped tin- • ur tain. Marry put Hie hlower ou a quarter of a turn to carry "It the We lighted our pipes. eockc.l our heels on the boiler butt and listened in comfort to the howling blast without. \s 1 sat and puffed on my fragrant old I. erwood my gaze became lis tried oil I lie only thing visible, the steam gauge, 1 l.e a spectral face suspended in the (-.•Liter of the uniform blackness. The soothing hum of the blower, the warmth and sense of cozlness, oouibin ed with the hypnotic effect of my fixed gaze. set ui" to d;earning. I..morrow would be ('litis' ~ and mother was with u> It tier first •v* since my marri, Katie, her pool Uitle bean a flutter at the pros pect of i visit from that dreaded In s,wctor gen nil her i uother-in law, had ►! ; x -.1 1,, ■ • i.. ! > to death. Three ii' irly wrecked his uio'.hei - oiulei .ul I>atience by his j»'i'a,-teni • if.a t- t > 'nder her labor .1 ' h.i ! red" on the runs fin a , to in; <• sure of being hot i>n - lb.- g itest Christmas ih; > - I'or i wonder, Iliad i.ot I a vn n. Everything had exactly a- I had hoped it wo. hi I w uhl get home early enough foi < hri-iuuis 'limit: and late enough li) If the po-sl! Ilty of being Sdlt nut again before the next day. \ ig wreath of Mue smoke float ing ,ii l oss the face of ihe gauge arrest -1 ilie scliish course of my thoughts .1 t!ii cteil them :■> the boy on the other side of t lie cab. Harry Mervln hul been on the road only a couple of u.oi:ths, most of which time he had 1.. »ii tiring for inc. ile was bright, p!t.i.-ant ami willtng It now occurred it. me tlii<t 1 rather liked hltn, but that 1 Know absolutely nothing about him. I w isn't si> very many years ago that I v. - a strange boy on this same road > self, and this was rhristmas eve. 1 i .ie a pretense of getting a light for m> pipe at the gauge lamp and leaned aeft -s the boiler. Where are you going to spend t iii- -Unas, Harry?" 1 shouted above tin- :: ~se of the gale and the slatting of me curtain. The fire glowed brightly lu the bowl it :.i- jti]ie once, twice, before he an swered. He leaned against the boiler on his side so that I could barely dis cern his features In the dim light and replied cheerlessly . "(Mi, in the board'n' house, I guess. Where else'.' They're agoiu' to have roust turkey an' cranberry sauce an' pi' in pudd'n', I hear." 1 tion knew his story—a stepmother 1' • months after iiis own mother's d alii and, I mentally added, a red lico' (I st"psoii. He had picked up a ;• ; il idea •»f tiring while beating his way on here from Wisconsin, and, hap -1 g to arrive at our roundhouse jus; is a man was urgently needed, he caught on. "They're callin' us." he concluded, n't! giving the bellrope a Jerk, he ■ti down to hook up his tire. When I got coupled up and he stepped up in the cab again. I said: "We exped to have a little time at our house tomorrow, Harry, and I should like to have you come up and take dinner with us." "Thank you, Alec." he replied. "I * iii." There was an Inch of snow on the r. Is when I got my orders to"run as an extra, keeping out of the way of all regular trains." Hut Davis. the con ductor. said he had a nice, light run ning train, the cars all loaded with whiskbrnoins and straw hat*. I was glad enough to hear It, for there were 17.1 miles nf iron, slippery with the h avy falling si -nv, between old lH's pilot and home. If I averaged the maximum of freight train speed, twen ty miles per hour. I would arrive home by U o'clock in I in- morning, but it was a bad night, and I should never be able to keep them going at that gait, so I promised myself not to kick if I \ got lit me b . noon, a very liberal al lowance. It was a hard pull out of Tabor's Junction. When the yardniaster hap pened to be feeling just right, he would let one of the switch engines get in be hind a train and give her a shove for half or three-(]uarters of a mile, but Davis was no crony of his, so we didn't get It. It was a fearful night. The gale howled and the snow drove horizontal ly, like a sand blast. The wind was on tiie fireman's side, which made it pos- j sible for me to look out, but all I could ; ceo was an impenetrable white screen. 1 made visible in one small sjw.t by the ' headlight. I had been easing the tlirot- ; tie when she slipped—for I should need ill the sand I had before 1 got home— until she nearly stalled. That wouldn't ; 10, so 1 gave her a bare taste and eaned out to hear the gratifying ' truueh of it under the wheels. Harry gripped my shoulder and ; shouted: "Merry Christinas!" I wished him the same and many of , them and noticed that It was Just 12 t>y the engine «1< • K She hadn't slipped tince I gave her the sand, but was putt .ng along with ■ uspicious freedom, for tve were not up tin grade yet. I told the lira I. email togo back on top of the ■ train and st e if the caboose were com Ing lie went off growling, but he went, which was the main thing From the buck of I lie tender he gave me whut I expected and dreaded a - glial that llie train hud broken lu two. I whistled the flag back to protect the rear and kept on I totik the ears I had to the siding, foil! miles away 1 had two more cars than the siding Would hold 1 backed them all In hard against the stop block Then I cut the two head > ars .iff, pulled them out of the switch and backed down the main track with them until the engine was behind the two head cars in the siding. I had the brakemao tut tle-e two • ,fT and 1 stoked them out >»n the main track ahead of the engine Iran ahead until the two cars behind the engine Were ovoi the switch I backed them in on the sitting leaving the other two out 'in the main track Then I came out with the engine and went back after the rest of the train. I had a four mile back up In the teeth of the blizzard I couldn't see n thing and never knew where I was. I didn't dare go fast, for I expected ev ery minute to hit the train, and I could not force myself togo alow enough to •top without punching ahololna u»wj l-f *+ ft f* ** ** 24 ** 44 <4 ** ** I 1 ' 112 ! By IIIKIttKI I. HAMBIIM ~+ I I ** on alio fclfl it ■ __.J, ++ ❖ + {• 4*+ •{•+ ++ ❖❖ + ** -r •:* v-r +4* *><» I paper. Stum and c. il dust swirled up ; under the f"t>( of the curtain, blinding il-. and tii. boiler might have been an cream l. ■ cz, i a:, of its effect on ti tempt 'at >i: I tried to invent a i.i I lor the yardniaster at 1 ill mi a If. i.ot l • \ i.: n lli e a shove, oil IV !to remember that engineers seldom 1 have ti chance to get si|uare. The crew had tied a red lamp to the brake rod of the head car and gone back to the caboose, l.ong before I got bu. K the lamp was transformed into a miniature iceberg, but 1 didn't happen to hit hard enough to smash anything. We found the drewhead of the other car hanging to this one by the link and plu We got t up in the tender after | awliil > and coupled It. I called the l flag, and L»avis, nearly frozen, climbed aI km I'd. He said there was no Hag out, the tail lights being in plain sight from : the yard, and he commenced to criticise my solution of the recent difficulty, say ing I should have backed the wliolo train down into the yard and demand ed the services of a pusher. There ' may be a time for till things, but that j didn't seem to me to be the time to lis ten to switch shanty railroading, so I shut him and drove him back to his doghouse. Hy the time they got the ; drawhead back into its place in the car and we got away from the siding we had been four hours coming a little over four miles—a magnificent begin ning truly. 1 "Our turkey 'il be cold. Alec," Ilarrv remarked jokingly after we had start | e<l again. "Frozen," I replied slowly. I couldn't get them going over twelve miles an hour, and from that we ran down to about the speed of a slow walk. She didn't steam very freely, which was to l>e expected. The weath er would have chilled a boiler jacketed with a foot of asbestus. She kept call ing for more water, so I was not sur prised when while oiling I discovered her tiues to be leaking badly. After that I never passed a water plug, and the plump vision of my Christmas tur- I key faded In inverse geometrical ratio 1 to my progress. Daylight showed us a white Christ mas with a vengeance. The storm was I gave hhn a J uil.it of fiit. 1 still raging with undiminished fury, the sandlike snow continuing its end ■ less horizontal drive. Seventeen would be due In half aa hour. There wasn't time to get to the next siding ahead of her, but there was a cross over switch a mile ahead where I decided to back over and let Ut-r My hag, the head lirakeman, tiad gone back to the caboose, a trip •ver the top of that train that I would not have taken for a controlling In terest, in tin' road. 1 commenced j whistling for the switch as soon as I got to it. Ten minutes after 17 ; was due Davis emerged from the I whirling snow, seeking information. His faculties seemed to have become benumbed. I had togo into all the I details before he could understand • ihat I wanted to carry the brakeman cut ahead to |-t « i w i.« •» «-r over. I carried the man out half a mile, gave liini a bucket of tire and told him to burn fwnce rails or anything he could get hold of to kc. p himself warm, but under no circumstances to desert his post until called In. After a lot more whistling, fuming end fussing I got the train backed I over, and v.e closed the cab tight and ■ ate our lunches. While gnawing at | the kiln dr'ed boarding house sand -1 wlclies and lnt . ' at II irry'- non j sense about white u: dark meat 17 came puffing along, almost noiseh { like a polar l-ar towing a string of i Iceltergs I had lost le arly a gauge of water , through the leaky flues while lying ! there. A broomstick inspection showed I Its- t lll ii >i\ im In - iii I lie tank, and i the nearest water plug was live miles j away. Again I worked the whistle 1 cord. After awhile I».i\is came ahead. lie w;ih mutlletl up in ail the old tags ! the caboose locker- could furnish and | h :is a perambulating mountain of j Mei\v and ice. He was mad at last, us | mad as I had l>. en all night. < iotdi alinigh'y!" he roared, so loud that I heard him above the noise of the "< ouhln't the lireman get down un' open the switch 'thout . allin' a man all the way up from the hind end ' MiM>. \mi think it's fun to waller round in this snow I told in in to cut the en-.nc otl and hob I everything on the • astbound track t.ll I got buck from Hie Seidell W iter plug \s we pulled ovel the - Hull) shouted "Hey. Mavlv D>t\i> lookt I up. s-iulnt ing coini illy into the teeth ot the storm. Hurry threw iiiiu a i and yelled "Turkey"' ' The i onductoi reply w . inaudible, but we knew what it uas the most common c\ pi. --on in ra iI it .ad 11 —• When ue got back fi ■ in lie water plug. -1. the mail was waiting We followed lie! getting good wheeling until she i_-«»t so fur abend that the snow drifted in behind hoi again We loaded the tender at the Holton coal plat form, piling on top big lumps that couldn't blow aw ii M > watch drop ped out of my pocket on the -hovel. I threw it into the tender, and Harry toSM •I a Ilea v . 111 in 11 on top of it. After we had found t and stepped back on the engine he isUed, looking at the clock "Is that all 'tis |n loV" 1 looked at ni> watch 11 37. We had left the ciui i up while coaling, and the »i - ue t lock, le-s than two feet above the b ..lei had i r«./en tip and il stopped 1 luring llit in \t hour we nearly ► stalled in _ ill 11-t Vc< 1 • set llie to tliiukin about 11« n It' She uiii>r be marly tint I looked at my watch j; 11 :;7 It liailn'i tut ne.l a w 1 11 since that lump of coal hit it and now I had k no time on the engine !• Seeing me 1.-okin- at my watch. Hal ry asked me if it was broken. I told !• him it was. '"That's nothing," said he "St. - the record I tried to grin, but Just then she plumped into a cut at the l foot of a slight -fade that was tilled twenty feet deep with "the beautiful." I hail no longei any need to worry about following trains 1 was anchored good ami solid. 1 had a full tank of coal. We wouldn't freeze ami there was water enough for a long siege ex cept for those leaky lines. Engineers when snowbound must keep their engines alive that trains may proceed the moment the road is opened. Otherwise expensive delays will occur from thawing out, watering and lirniu. up dead engines fn most in convenient places. My great problem was how to get water into the boiler. The pumps worked only when the en ( giue ran. I gave her steam. Il the wheels would slip on the rails aud turn, 1 could pump that way. She , might have been u solid, Jointlcss cast ing for all the effect the steam had ! on her, [ ! Something had to be done, and iiuick lv, for the water was leaking out of her every minute, and I had only two gauges iii her w hen 1 stopped. We got ! the spare scoop shovel ami sank a shaft , through the snow on the lee side of her. Then we cleared the snow away from under her and all about the : wheels and machinery. It had drifted , j a natural arch over her by this time, so tlint It was quite warm down there. Harry brought down the hammer, 1 some wrenches and the torch and re , , ported barely one gauge of water in the boiler. It was time indeed to hur ry. It was an awkward place to work. ' ami the smoke from the torch nearly j destroyed it- usefulness. I took down j the side rods that I might have but ! one pair of wheels to turn. I thereby reduced the amount of friction to be ! overcome by the use of steam, which t was water, the article I was interested j in economizing. I pounded my thumb and cut off a joint of my left forefinger us the last end of the last side rod unexpectedly slipped clear. Harry chewed tne a to bacco poultice and tied it on with a piece of rag torn from his jumper. We left the rods ill the snow, gave th» rails and tire- a good oiling and hur j rieil up Into the cab. There was a flut ter of water in the bottom gauge cock, *o 1 slipped and pumped her until she J threw water "tit of the -tack. The water was squirting out of four leaky flues in a way that would soon i let us to shoveling -now into the tank. ! In spite of my -ore linger, its clumsy iresslng and dull tools. I made live ! taper line plugs out of a piece of coal I board. Harry covered the flre with Ine coal and snow and put on the blower to carry off the smoke and ga-. I I threw the coal boards In on the banked flre and crawled in with my ! plugs and n hammer I had forgotten tb ' < was hot atiy j where, but the experience I went through lu that hot firebox, perched ! over a miniature volcano, surrounded 1 Oy boiling water, and, ii spite of the Mower, inhaling smolv. tid fumes, would have be.- . n I , It to Dante when seel> n_ lo il colt: 1 drove the dry plug- tightly They ab eorbed moisture and swelled unt I they Were the tightest fllle- in her ' 1 Was a good job anil well done The per spiration congealed on my face the In stant I stuck it out of the firebox door, and before my feet were out there w*r« '•.ides on my whiskers. It was getting i ie in the afternoon, aml 1 was never -> hungry In my life before. Harry asked me if there wta i "any cold tapioca puddiu' in the cup » board I told him there must be grub > in the caboose or some of them would I have come ahead long auo to see it w« t had any. llu volunteered togo back It was a risky Job climbing over the j i tops of those car- in that weather. If 1 anything happened, lu* would be a goner, with nobody near to help and a I temperature that meant almost instant i death to the partially disabled. " I sot and dozed miserably in the cor ? ner of the cab. As I repeatedly lost consciousness my feet would -lip off i the boiler butt, the h«vl of the left com ing down with a painful bang upon the I Instep of the right. I'lii- occurred at i stated intervals, like pile driving. Tir ing of the monotony, I -ought to change my position and became aware of an animated snowball vainly striving to enter the gangway. I pulled him 1 aboard, and when sufficiently thawed , he reported the caboose deserted and not a trace of anything edible in It. ' lie had sen nothing of train I!', and he snitl that all the engines on the road | coupled togetln i would not be able to j collide with our hind end. t This merry Christmas to which I had so long looked forward was about over. It -oon became dark We shov eled coal again-t the curtain to keep ' the cold air out calked our window sash with waste, ami I pumped her full again, and we shivered and dozed and starved through the longest night 1 ever knew, j The reappearance of the cab wiu- I dow- notified nic of the approaching dawn. What a dismal siuht! Our usu * ally neat cab w.i- thickly begrimed with coal dust. Every bolthead and 112 bit of iron in the cab It-elf, as well as I the windows, was disguised by the P delic.it. tracery of that master silver smith, Jack Frost. To the artistic sense of the well ft d and comfortably clad it I would have been beautiful; to my dull !> ed mind it was emblematic only of the , bi' r: cold thai laged without. Harry. tied in a hard knot wa-snoring sound- I ly in his ei.rnci I had liini -pread the t tire, aiid 1 pump 1 her lull again We inu-t ha\i foml at any cost ( I knew of but one house in that locality, an ordinary story and a halt lannhmi-e ou a t'lti -road about half a mile from wi.' : • v. It was invi-ible through the -torn but we knew it- npproxi mate d!t c| itu I. We left everything in tile l.e-t order pos- !>le lllltl -tutted the wind at our backs. Marry in the lead. I sli.i I vt l foi g. t that trip llolin dering a iii:t -ly through the drifts like t a;; iir ot l .liud I • . if 1 v.to be a hundred I'hre. minute" after leaving the engine we could not have found , our way bat k to it no matter what , the net c - -*it y 11 ai» v being younger and I .lit it ill . n 1 I hail I •ou Id do tl> kf • p hi 111 111 s . We fe into mi , ab intlo!,. • w. I "i'in.ait v ir wn» r all'tady lie. ' \ I'll ot sIioW, so, l»H ri illg a few bruises, we reeeived MO injuries. I We would sur< m have died here, for the vve|| wa- smoothly lin< '1 with brick, ami we were too dei pin It to get out, had not the overhanging crest of the drift fall< u from top heavim --, burying us at the same time Ihat It raised our level sutlii H'litly to enable u- lo crawl t out. Shortly ;i■ r this (hat Provldeuce which -H often inleiveiw# on behalf of the helpless led us Mumbling mit<i half i i a In the luii k ili Kir of (h>' house. ir'ai'tiu Belknap Inn! essayed a trip , to tin- liarn t" !"nk alter It - Muck, find hi-; fjiMMl lady li.nl lain down lor her | II .HI.II after dinti* ii l 11. leaving the t'leai ilif; up In het liiixulil daughter, ■ Husie Ihe Hill lull* had lust dozed oft lon tho sitting room lounge when, like Incarnate spirits of (ho storm, we two derelicts fVil into tin entry The last of mir strength left lis theiu. and It yy •- inerel\ two heaps of in<4ice and snow that confronted the frightened women when tin -y opi ned the inuer lino! S lisie was the li rst to identify US as human beings. hii«l together tliey dcaused it- inside I'lie next thinn 1 saw was In-own eyed Sti*ie bustling about the table, j where Hairy yvas manfully attacking j a stack of buck yv heat cakes which Mrs Belknap was straining every nerve to keep replenished. I \y.i-. soon seated opposite liurr.y Susie double banked her 1110 her at I lie griddle, and : ; yye sent the level 01 the buckwheat flour barrel down as though the but- ; torn had fallen out of it. The famine 1 relieved, yy e cleaned up a bit, and the j old ueutleinaii came in and indorsed the heart\ welcome we hud already re ceived from hi* women folks. He told us the well we fell into wus forty feet deep and had been abandoned when he was a boy because the water "tfot sp'iled somehow." As non»> but his own folks ever went there and nobody ; j had ever fallen into It before, he hadn't j bothered to cover it tip. We knew now i that the avalanche that enabled us to i Kct out was not the first that had fallen ; into it.and we thanked our lucky stars that we didn't start the day before. 1 Mrs. Belknap and Susio soaked out my : wounded linger and dressed it with some of the soothing salve homemade j for fathet when he cut his foot with j the ax. The warmth, light and comfort of the cozy parlor, not to mention the con- , genial company, contrasted so strongly j with the bitter gal# and the dirty, cheerless cab that we found it impossi ble to combat the urgent invitation of , iiitr kind friends to remain with them. t That liinht we slept 011 feathers be tween blankets, and as I drowsed off I remember Harry droning a lot of rap turous twaddle in my enr about vweet Susie Belknap. In the morning the storm had mod prated somewhat, and I began to wor ry about the engine. Should anything j happen to her in my absence the cold, ! fishy eye of the master mechanic would fail to discern extenuating circum stances. Wc each took 011 another big tank of homemade sausage and pan cak- sand felt lit for the deed of our lives. I had t.i sp. ak twice, a little sharply the last time, to Harry, who yvas bid ding Susie goodb\ in the kitchen. I thought I heard a suspicious smack, but 1 won't swear to that Still, these redheaded fellows hang him, became away and forgot the curtVc! Mr liclknap told us a better mad than the way we came, so we got back without much trouble The curtain had caught lire from the furnace door and broken cy 1 v pane of glass in the cab. rendering it uninhabitable. The clock had thawed out. run seven min utes and frozen up again. I'.ut there were both tire and water in her, so I ! didn't much care. The storm was about over. I had kept my engine n 1 i\• .mv stomach was _ jjgr ~ j ' ' s «■- J i Hurry wit* liiililhij i/iiodby. comfortably filled, and my mind waa easy. | in ni.y pipe and was dozing off to the endless hum of Harry's eulogies of Susie Belknap when I was rudely recalled to railroad realities by the voice of I'avis shouting. The snow plow with a gang of shovelers was half way through the cut, and Davis, chockful of business, was calling me. "Where the deuce have you been all summer'.'"' 1 asked petulantly, for lie had been comfortably housed and fed; was shaved, even. "Over here to the house."he an swered cheerily. "Where was you?" "What house?" "Why. uiy mother in law's; Jest back of them trees." "Well, it's a wonder you wouldn't Hsk us over. How'd you s'pose we was agoin' to stun' itV' "I expected you over every minute, an' when you didn't come 1 thought mebbe you'd rut her stay by the engine. Where'd you go?" "I)own to Belknap's." "Belknap's? Gosh! Wh.t'd you go way (low ii there fur? Why, it's four times as fur as 'tis up to mother's." "Oh, it is? Well, I'm mighty glad I've found that out anyway. ' They dug us out, and 1 .lammed It to old 18 for dear life. 1 kt.ew passenger train Iti was somewhere behind me. and I wanted to get by the only switch there was net ween me and home with out siiletiai king for her. I got b\ it .ill right, and while bucking it little pile of snow that had fallen on the track since the plow pa-scd sh. • me up and coupled to mil caboose. We went in the rest of the way liv ing. It was thirty hour- alter t'lirist mas dinner time when wc stepped off her at the ash track, but I told Harry to come on up to the house and we d pit k the bones any w a \ When yv • turned the corner, tin re wa the house ;l It up and as we stumped the snow off our feet in tlie entry the dining room doot licyy open and mothci ami Katie, who had be come as thick us thieves, and little Bob shouted u chorus of merry < 'hristinases i at lis The tabic, WHOM snowy linen con trasted sadly yyiih our begiiuied over- | clothe- \\ . s pulled out full length ill the middle ol the tlool 111 lis center, ti - drumsticks held deii inil.y aloft, lay the glial bro a u turkey, yyilh not a brack Hi his ghe-y skin lie was sup- i purled on oin side I,y a 11. -sive dome ■ inaslicd pot 11 oi . whose generous white expanse \\.:- mottled here and tie re b.y litll- dabs ol delicious golden butt * i In i' ,iie. feathel.y fronds of c,|i \ i,. nlded i'iy 111 y to the fat • dish of ciunberiy sauce, while delicious odors of coffee and plum pudding were wafted through tin open door from tho kitchen. What a sight for tired and hungry railroaders! "We waited foi you |i I'a, we waited for you!" shouted boisterous Bob and so the y li.fd Kal a- had yvorn a path through the snow to the switch J tower and had tin d our irri\al home to the minute 1 noticed after that, during the yvln ter. Ilarr.v had a way of hanging out of the gangway as yye approached Bel knap's, so l made it mv business to blow a crossing signal there, and as I peered slyly from iimb-i the peak of my CJI]I I would see a girlish figure wave a white cloth from the back plaz/.H Harry yy.is promoted the fol lowing spring, and th* next Christmas Katie and I and Bob stt-e'elu-d out our toes tinder the hosp 11 »!<• maliogHiiy of | Mr. mid Mr. liar- Mi i y in. Yes :: s 1 |,„,k li-i- at it tloW I tilltlk, take it all in all, it yyas the very merri est Christmas I ever sp. Nt, and 1 know Kite and Harry do. ENGINE TRANCE. 4 Sort of Oinpornrv I'jirulysln Tliut So in«'f i ia«\ IS •i * I rack Mf n, '•The nuti criius fatal accidents report- ' ed in the m-yvspapers to rail layers that occur every year on tl.e various rail road sysiems throiiL'liout the country ! arc n : in e-.-eiy idue, as is geti orally supposed by the public, to neg- ! j llgciice or carelessue.s-i on the part of S the \y I : : < themselves." said a Ne yv York pit • an and surgeon employed j by the \ >v York Central railroad. | •'The fu t is. the leasing of these ! ' men -i lime li.e.inic- affected owing | I to the constant stooping position which j I tiny are obliged to assume in laying the r is. putting the bolls in. etc.. and I tha renders then «• 1-• -ii oblivious to j approaching trains, notwithstanding , | the fact that they work in gangs and : have lookout men near at hand. An other fact which is accountable in j many Instances for fatal accidents to rail layers is what is known among the men themselves j.s 'engine trance.' | This I might describe more clearly an ' a temporary sort of paralysis which nf j feets simultaneously bo h the mind i and body. The 'stroke - lasts only a few seconds, but those few seconds mean life or death when a fast train Is approaching. "A rail layer who may be in perfect physical condition is ti"t proof against : the powerful fascination as he gazes . along the rails and sees an engine j with its row of cars coming toward ! him at express speed. Although he has been warned by the lookout and the i shouts of his fellows of the approach ing danger, he will pay no heed, but stand spellbound for an instant And that instant's delay is generally fatal, or. If not. It result* in the amputation Of U leg, "There are few rail layers who have not, they will tell you experienced this peculiar trance at on> time or another during their careers on tlie track Ani nulls are also subject lo 'engine trance,' particularly dogs and cats, and that no doubt accounts to some extent for the large number of them us yvell as other animals ihat are killed on the ruilroad." New Yorl; Tlm'»- I nkiaoM nl»lr Hun*ln. Those w ho arc permitted to speak the open truth in Russia may be counted on the lingers of one hand, and then half of them will be left unused. Why these people are tolerated Is one of the secrets of stat. outside of these only those who write vyorks of fiction, which the majority of the people cannot and do not read, are permitted to speak of things as they are. When they exceed the limits of Russian decency and speak too openly, they are given a trip to Siberia at the expense of the gov ernment. Siberia Is the place where the boldest, the most courageous and most talented products of Russia are put on cold storage It Is the coldest part of the country, and honest people are sent there when the country becomes too hot for them. When the innocent tourist asks, "Where are your h-incf i pie?" Siberia is pointed out to him. If lie asks more questions, he is himself sent there. The government objects to questions on gen eral principle- Russia refuses to be lnt»rvicv\ -d B O Richards in Reader Magazine AH I ll dt*ri?round C'oiifrniilon. Women n- growing quite embar rassingly frank about the basis and the crown of their charms. On Saturday afternoon a pretty voting married wom an, yvitli her five-year-old son- so much w" ■ ould infer jumped into a tlrst class carriage on the underground. Aft er her came three friends, two girls and a man "Yes, I'd never be without my wig." said the pretty woman "It isn't as if I hadn't enough hair of IDV own. Celia can vouch for that." Celia nod ded -we all looked for (Vila's nod. "Why, the other Sunday we were lunching at Wimbledon, om- of those damp, muggy days Margaret was there with her fringe all over her eyes. Mine was all right, and yet Margaret has a maid and 1 haven't. I've worn a yvig for three years, and I don't care who knows it " The rest of us stran gers-held our breath till the tale was fold -London Chronicle I'erll In flu* ll«i ml L r»•IiI «* 112. It Is in fact a grave sanitary ques tion whether the handkerchief does not do more harm than good as it is or dinarily used. When wt assume that the healthy nose doc- not need lo be wiped we face a t a-ouably broad I proposition as to the danger of the I handkerchief as a disi a-e propagator. I Most of nasal catarrhs are of an in- I fectious character, notably those of I grip origin Contrary to a g- i -ai im of asepsis. I the handkerchief saturated yvitli dis ease germs, instead of being promptly washed, is stowed for hours in the pocket, with a result that can lie easily Imagined I- it any yvon.lcr tien that catarrhs are constantly fostered b.y a frystcin of auto-infection? Medical Rec ord. I-V. <h I Krror. Tess —So their engagement is broken off? Jes;*- Yes, they quarreled and she was In the wrong Tess And she yvouldn't admit It? jess No. that yviis the whole trou ble. She did admit it.and after thnt he simply became unbearable Phila delphia Press l-'f «li liooL n. Prac tlctilly all the li«*st ! the world and nearly so of all qiialt i ties lire made at Redditcli. Kngland i The iinnual output Is probably *►«»(>. KXi hooks, about 10,000,000 per week, ranging In size from enormous nud ferocious looking shark hooks to the tiniest hooks for very small trout flies, yyiih a "bend diameter of about one siiti cuth of an inch, a thousand of wlih h will not more than fill u good sized thimble Ihe price varies as much as the si.'e, ranging from H ! few pence to two or three pounds p«r [ thousauu. BATHING AT OSTEND. Ilii- ( out rti Ml lletn een HI-IK inn and \in •-r len II llrin |> I us lt> in* iloyy differentl.y from ourselves Eu ropeans do some tlr.'ig- is -hoyvn by the marked contrast between the bath ing customs and method- at the typical Ainer. an beach and those at a leading s'a-idc resort abroad such, for In stance, at <»st<*n<l. B on TheAiner- I ni c y .s too ,'nmi to our readers in te ed description \ t Ostend bath ing. which is t e - sinking thing about the city, is : r.ed on in ac cordance yvitli continental ideas of pro priefj 11. s- shocking to tl.e average American Instead of the ordinary dres-lng ■ • .iii(istend yvas the first place to use the little individual houses ■>n wheei., into which the intending : bather goc- to disrobe and don his or | her bathing suit. The house is then yy : -i-lcd out in the water by a horse ; ilny en by a mat employed for that purpose The steps are let down from tie- little house, and the bather enters the yvater without having to prome nade over the sand. At llie end of the bath the bather mounts the steps into his little house and, calling the driver l again, has bis dressing room hauled up , high and dry on the shore, where, hav i lng dressed at hi- leisure, he leaves i the key yvitli an attendant and goes on his way Ihe bathing costumes seen ' ut * istenil are noted for their scant! I ness. the striking peculiarity of which, however, lies in the fact that the suits worn by tie- yvoinen rarely, if ever, have any skirts attached to them, ev erybody men. women and children alike yvearing tight tilting suits, the suits furnished by most of the public bath houses being identically the same ' for both men and women. The scene on the beach is one of great animation, and when the bathers i engage, as 'he.y frequently do. in a 1 game resembling basket ball, played with a large inflated rubber ball, the mingling of varicolored bathing suits and tin- dating hither and thither of the bathers t plav. now on the beach : and again n the yvater. is a sight nev ' or to be forgotten. Leslie's Weeklv. CnttliiK It "lniri. "How long can yoii stay?" ask«>d a hostess yy ho had received an unexpect <'d visitor coolly. "No longer than I can help." yvas the crisp reply "I have telephoned to have I my trunk stay at the depot and to | notify me of the first train I can take j home So sorry I can't stay longer."— : Chicago Record Herald <ii 11 I'or Si nifintliy. First Bachelor I yy Nh | could yvrite a decent letter of condolence. Second Bachelor Some one you know dead ? First Bachelor No engaged. —De troit Free I'ress Knaily Kx|llmlneit. "Strange that after reaching the top of the ladder he shim Id fall so sudden ly." * "There yyas a yvoinan at the bottom of It."- Life Alert. "A farmer ought to read a great deal, just the same as any other busl m ss man." • Vcs." ansyvered Farmer Corntossel. "it keeps me so busv posting up on railroad rates and tin laiii! that 1 m Bonn-!inn - afraid 1 won t have time to raise he -lull to send to market."— \\ ash ngtuii Star. A Bad Breath A bad breath means a bad stomach, a bad digestion, a bad liver. Ayer's Pills arc liver pills. They cure con stipation, biliousness, dys pepsia, sick headache. 2.V. A'l druggets. ' >\ant yutir mou,t cli™'"»r i>- . • .j heautii:i!' | | hrttyk n »»r rich l»' i« k J BUCKINGHAM'S DYE Whiskers j • •■ I _| One Customer (after beating the price down from • to sL'_'.~ii —\\'hat right have you to call this a "one pi ice store?" Dealer Why not? Customer Why. you ask all kinds of prices. Dealer— Hut. my dear sir. the price of a tiling ;s not what is asked, but what is accepted for it.—Philadelphia Press asa ' /S&vrv CATARRH In all its staszes Here °'o(Q\ gMbt elioiilil be cleanliness. Ely's Cream Balm cleaniiei, soothes and iiiuls t the ilisra-eil nieiulirane. I V [t ires catarrh and dt eg jf ayvay a cold iu the head quickly. Cream Balm is placed Into the nostrils, spreads over the membrane aiul is a isnrbed. lie.;cf i» iiu mediate and a cure 112" not produce L:irge Si. s'> cents at Dr le gists or by mail; Trial Si.", 10 rents by mai . " ELY BKOTHEHS. 5.; \\ arreu Street, New York. Trial •• I F«rr«»| ( bepptr," Vtf mm A U nt. for cook book Ij MX OT C T oilman sad food « bopp*r *o It. It ?ourd»al»r • 60«. 7an lor tiprta* 1 ia. Youi 91UNKV BACK 1 112 sol ■•lufaotorj, hULI Ek* 911 y. CO., 140 r«u A««.. Moast Nothing has ever equalled it. Nothing can ever surpass it. Dr. King's New Discovery i J?__ AOWMPTIO.\ p r i c . or C::: " ,1 s«cAif.o« A Perfect For All Throat and ('tire: I,ting Troubles. Money back if it fails. Trial Bottleifrea. J. J. BROWN, THE EVE A SPECIALTY Eves tested, treated, fitted y\ith cfl.i-s --es mil artificial eyes supplied. Market Street, lllooinslililj;. Pa 11 iiiir.i—lo a into ,"i p. in THE LABOR AGITATOR. dome of tbr «| IIH Ii I if* 111- Vlukl l'<>»- | Id lie • 111. Stills' -• •• 1 mI•• i>ul slightly to ttie ?<iuli»in«'iit i.f the sue.«~>fnl labor agi tator 'lho axilatoi inii-t he thorough ly ;i- ■ 11 i .ii111<-< 1 \\ tli lh' hl-story of the labor tnov > iiH'iit an«l be capable of pre ti its aims iinl aspirations in an attractive and conviii< injj manner. He tnu«t possess the ability to think rapid l,\ and lo i-xprt'ss hi- views and opin ions [early and for> ilily But. withal, lie inii-t inspire those whom h<* would lead wlih absolute faith in his honesty. I'he agitator Isn't always an advocate of -Hikes ||. has sometimes to exert bis influence TO PREVENT a -Hike which MS JUDGMENT t- ' him would BE un WISE It may S ,iind like mixing terms to SAY -o. but it a truth that the MOST <!ITLI< ult TASKS performed by the labor agitators ire their "agitations" 111 the interest ~T peace, their efforts to prevent strikes The man who Is UL ways IN favor OF a -trike as soon as one is SUGGESTED •»r who is constantly nil the search tor a CASUS belli SOON finds his Influence AS a leader gone. - "The Story «»f a Labor Agitator," by Joseph I: I'.iichanan rtot let. 'They re saying you're just like all the othei MEMBERS OF the house," re marked the newly elected legislator's close FRIEND. They -ty you have \ ..it price." 1 hat s;i He, declared ill- ]!•".* nteui ber. "I thought SO." "Ves | haven't got it yet. but I have hopes" Philadelphia '.'atholie Stand it'll lid Times PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAf TIME TABLE In Effect Nov. 2l>th, L'.TO:;. A. M. A.M..P. M. Seranton( DFCLL) vT I ; Y 4: i 12:4 2X Pittston •' •• 7 nr> I!' tilf 2I" 3 5:; v. M A.M P.M. P.M Wiikcsimrre, IvJT ; §lO ;I5 2 4500 Plym'th Ferry " 7 ;:J 11« 42 1258 te 117 Nanticoke " 7 4'.' IN 50 BOt 0 17 Alocanaiiu» ..." H <>l II N; II 637 VVapwallopcn. . S LA 11 h; (I « 47 NEW ■ peck ar *l* 11 jkJ 3427 0U \ .VI. A.M. P \|. I'ot.sville Iv .5 MI sll V> '" Haxleton ■ 7 115 15 ■;! 45 Tom hick en.... " 722 305 ■' 05: Fern 'Slen " 721 315 :T 151. Kuck lilen ... . I 22 3 22. Nescojiei'k . ar *H2 j <"a taw is-ii 1 (K) 4 0" \ M /L. M P.M. H M ~ Nescopeck... . lvU * »• ■> 42 -.7 an ... C'reasv -3' 11 3 .12 7 «.• Ksjiy Kerry... 'l-4. II 4i, t 4 112 72" K liloijiiisl.uri S<7 II Mi 4 Ofi 725 Cataw IV >< ,6 11.'.; 4 1:; 7 3_> snutli Danville • >4 12 I • 431 7 R>l Sunbury at 3.5 12 4O 4 .V> Hl3 A. M. P. M. P. M km, Sunbury Iv A 4" sl2 IS $5 I* » 53, Lewisburg.... ar 10 I:: I 4"' 04* Milton LU NS 1 54110 N Williauisport.. " '1 ON 141 t> It) 10 no LOCK Haven... *• 11 Sl' 22" 7 :I7 ! Henovo • A.M. no R> .30 Kane " SA 1 ~~ I'.M. P.M.! I.nek Haven..lv 12 la 4"> Bellefonte ....ar I «."» I II Tyrone " 210 600 t'llilipslinrg " 1 10 : S IRJ 1 'learfleld •• 654S 845 Pittsfonrg •' ti .Vi HI 45 A.M. P. M P. M. P M ~ Sunhurv Iv 960 S 1 "'I I •"> lO'll.H 31 HarrlPhurj? ar II 30 jj 3 I,"> ti 50 10 10 P. M. F. M. P. M. A M Philadelphia. . ar A3 17 «23| »J- 4 2.S Baltimore 311 TOO 4 ■ 220 WASHINGTON ..."•» 4 r.*o J 7 15 10 55 3 30 ~ A.M. P. M. sunhury Iv jjio no 5 2 L > ! Lewistown ,LE. ar 11 45 105 Pittsburg •' K 5.5 $lO 45 A.M. P, M P. M. P M ~~ Ilarrlphurif H 11 45 62"|| 720 ;110-I P. M. A M. A. M A M Httshurg ar ti 55 ;| 15" :| 1 50, 5 :to P. M.I P M A M A.M' L'lttjburtc Iv 7 I" I' 00 I 0" >S 00 ,a.m a ai ,pm, HarriJl'UrkC ar 20" 42> IT 25; 31" P.M A M PittebUlK Iv U 10 ; 8 00 A.M. PM JJ. " 7 't. 3 Oil Sunbury ar 9 2" ; 4 60 P. M, A M A >1 A M Washington. . Iv 10 40 7J" 10 jo lialtlmore •• 11 0" 4 10 4" 11 45 Philadelphia... " 11 I" 42S S .{ll 11 40 A. M A M A. M. P M Harrifthurg Iv 335 755 :1I 4U i, 325 Sunhury at ■OO « Ill* ;5 1 P.M. A M A M Pittsburg I\ .12 45 3 S ON Clearfield.... " > 3 I" 02" PHIITPSBURG.. " 425 10 10 Tyrone " 70: S1" 12 25 Bellefonte.. " S IN ... . !' 32 125 "" Look Haven ar IT 15 10 30 2ln P.M. A M A M PM' Krie Iv 535 ... Kane 8 45! J ti no 1' Kenovn " IT 5N ; ti 4N 10 3" J 1 13 Haven " 12 38 730 11 25 250 A.M P M Williamsport . " 244 525 il2 In 3 50' Milton •• 22: A I;; 12' 4 .;•! Leivishurg " 905 I 15 422 ' " Sunhury ar 3 9 45, 16! 6 05: .... A. M. A M P M P M i Sunbury Iv ; ti |."»;| 955 ? 200 t 5 2.51 .... South Dftnvllle " 7 11 io 17 221 5 301".... I,'atawissa " 7 321 10 85 2 3»> 6 081 .... EBloomsbnrg.. " 7 '.7 I" 43 2 4;; FL 15 Espy Kerry " 742 11" 47 16 19 CREASY " 752 1" 56 2 ,>5 tj 30 '\\\[ Nescopeck " SO2 11 05 T 305 84" AM A JVI P. M. P M < 'atawiewa 1 V TO Nescopeck Iv 523 ?505; 705 Knck (Hen ar II 22 7 28 h ern (Hen " Ssl 11 > 532 734 Tomhicken " S ">S 11 38 538 ?42 Ilazleton " !T I'.' 1157 5 5!", 805 '[[ [ Pottsville " 1" 15 150 ti ■>> AM AMP M P M ~ Nescopeck Iv 5H 02 11 "5 S 305 810 Wapwallopen. .ar S1" II 20 320 TI 62 Mocanaqua " 831 1132 330 701 Nanticoke " H I IT 54 3 4!' 719 P MI Plym'th Kerry" 112 902 12 Wilksharre ..." 9IN 12 1" 4 "■> 735 A M P M P M P M Pittston I'.VH) :IR . A J>T 229 : 4 ftti 804 Seranton •• " 10 18 108 ft 21 ;8 29 ; Weekdays. Ua iv 112 Klag station. Pullman Parlor ar«l Sleeplne Cars run NN thrnuifh trains lietween S,;?bury. Williamsport NUT Kric. between Sunbury NN-! Philadelphia ami V ishington ami TlT" ween tlarrisbur;C. Pitts, luirsi ami the WVSI K' ' urtloT iilnrma NN 11• P 13" to Ticket Agents W.w VI rtsup.T T:V .1 K. wool*, tienl' Manager Pass. Traffic Mgr. GKO. W. ItoV L», Gen'L Passenger Agent. JOHTST W. FARNSWOETH INSURANCE Li Fire iccifleM and Steam Boiler t OWc*: M*nteom«<r| Sutidln<, Mill street, j Danville, - - Penn'a | | At K A WANNA RAILROAD. U BLOOMSBURG DIVISION W JSST. A. M. A. M. A. M. P. ft" New Vork iv 20" 10 00 !40 P. M. He run ton ~ar ti 17 15d e ;;o P. ,\I Hutlalo ... . iv Jt 30 245 * >1 Sent ri ton ... , ar 558 10 05 ... A. M. A. M. p. M. P. V Serant.in 1 v 10 36 *lO 10 tl 65 *6 j". He lie vue Tttyft" ti 44 ill 17 iO3 "Vi 4 Liu kHwaunu ■ X) 10 24 2JO 860 I'uryea ti 63 102b 2 J.t # r,; Pittston 1. •> J033 217 ti .7 KuNquelianna Ave 701 )u.;7 219 859 West PlttfltuU.. 7"5 1041 £23 702 Wjoming 710 10 40 227 707 Forty l'ort "SI Bennett 71. in r,2 234 7~i4 Kingston str 724 10 it> 240 720 Wilkew-Btirre ar 74n 11 10 260 7(0 Wllkes-Barre iv 7hi into 280 710 Kingston Iv 724 10 56 2 411 720 Plymouth .Itine Plymouth 755 1105 24« ; Nanticoke 7-U 11 JiH 258 7 .".7 H unlock s 7 4<| 11 iy ; (JI 74« BhickKhlnny 801 11 31 320 7! Hicks Kerry . Mi 111 4:: 330 Iti 03 Beach Haven 8 lit JI 48 337 8"9 Berwick 827 1J 64 344 1 Brtarcreek fM2 ~ Tt 5o Willow Grove fV 36 Ti 54 It 24 Mine Hidge 84" T12119 358 ft 2* Espy 8 4t; 12 15 4 Ct> BH4 Bloomsburg 853 1222 412 f4O Kapert 857 12 26 415 845 CatawKsa . y(l2 12 32 422 H.O Danville Hls 12 44 tffi 905 Cameron »24 rt2 67 it Northumber d. .ar 936 110 455 9<o KAST. A. M. A. M. P. M. P M Northuml<erl *8 15 tl"00 1150*!. 2t Cameron t, 57 . . r2<il tot* Danville 701 10 19 21J 4< CatnwisKa 721 111 32 223 556 Huitert 728 10 37 22#8 01 BiotililPburg ~ , 10 41 233 6Uf Espy 7 I" 48 240 WIS 1. line Bulge 744 110 54 f2 4ti 112« 20 U <iw Urtn ... f7 Krlarereek... " .12 ... KM 1827 Berwick 757 11 05 25s 6K4 Beech Haven . Mfll 12 303 B4! Hicks Ki-rry t> II ni(7 3 W 847 Shlckshinny 822 II it 320 112« 6« Huniock'H 8 3.. 331 f7 on Nanticoke ... 888 1144 338 711 Avoudale 841 342 722 Plymouu 545 1152 347 lit Plymouth June 817 ',52 . Kingston ar 855 1159 400 738 Wi'.kes-Barre . ...ar 910 12 1" 410 760 Wilkes Barre Iv *4" 11 411 350 7 :«J Kingston iv 856 1159 400 7SS Luzerne .. 8.68 al2 02 403 742 Forty Kort f9 00 ... 417 Wyoming 905 1208 412 74t West Pittston 9ii,' 417 7c§ Susquehanna Ave . 913 12 14 420 758 Pittston 919 12 17 424 sOl Duryea 923 429 8 Ofl Lackawanna 926 432 81 0 Taylor .... 932 4to 817 BelJevue .... Scranton ar 942 123") 4aJ 526 A M P. M. p. M Scranton Jv 1025 JI 55 .... 1110 A. te Buffalo .... ar .... 750 7 0 A. M. P. M P.M A.M Scrauton Iv 10.10 12.40 J3 35 *2 10 P. M. P. M P.M A M New York ar 330 500 7 :t5 150 "Dally, fDaily except Sunday. fStops on signal or on notice to conductor, a stops on signal to take on passengers ior New Vork. Binghainton and points west. T. E. CLARKE T. W. LKK, (ien. Superintendent. Gen. Past- Shoes Shoes St3rlisH ! Clieap ! iESelia'ble l Bicycle, Cymnasium and Tennis Shoes. THE CELEBRATED Carlisle Slmm's AND THE Snag Proof Knhhpr liotils A SPECIALTY. A. SCH ATX, soraie nv! A Reliable TO SHOP For all kind of Tin Roofing, Spoutlne and Cenoral Job Work. Stoves, Heaters, Ran«es, Furnaces, etc. PRIME LOU EST! QIILITV TUE BEST! :ot JOHN HIXSON NO. 116 E. FRONT ST, PEGO The Coal Dealer SELLS WOOD AND COAL - AT— -344 Ferry Street
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers