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Show 1 Tlie conductor wue Jolin Bolton and i the regular patrons of the C. and A 1 I were glad of it. lor when ihe genial, open countenance and portly form of Conductor Conduc-tor Bolton were seen upon ihe train the puxiengcr knew they were in good liatirl.-,. hie was looking at his watch by he aid of a stray ray Hum the setting sun when a small l-oy hurried quietly : up- "Mr. Boltonr 'Why-hello, my ladl What la ItT i said John. who. even when busy, gave a ( pleasant greeting. "Mr. Boliun. I'm no sneak or tell tale, I but il's only right to let you know that 1 Engineer Daly hasleen talking ugly this i evening There isn't titue to tell you all i about it, sir I heard him and his fireman fire-man talking and they mean mischief this very night. Excuse me for interfering interfer-ing but you ough. to change engineers or else watch Mr. Daly pretty close." "Oh, pshaw 1" said the conductor, with his usual guffaw. "Daly and his man were just talking those fellows alwayB do like to talk considerably. They won't do any harm for, don't you Bee, they ;an't hurt the train without hurting I themselves. I'll keep my eye on them when we stop. Much obliged lo you. my lad, all the same. All aboardl" Thirty seconds later the heavy train was moving out of the depot, but no one noticed on the front platform of the forward for-ward baggage ear, just behind the engine, en-gine, the curled up form of the undersized under-sized boy, Charlie Stock well. When the express left Axleborough she was scheduled to run ninety miles across the prairie without a stop, the time allowed being two hours und fifty minutes. Along this ninety miles there wero no towns and few settlements, and as No. 5 bad the right of way clear through there was no necessity for stopping, stop-ping, or even for slowing up. The train had run perhaps twenty miles, and was well on to the thinly peopled peo-pled prairie, when Stockwell, in his hiding hid-ing place, nolicetl that they were Blowing up. With an effort he climbed on to the tender and cautiously peeped over tho coal and wood into tho cab. The lad took in the situation at a glance, for this ia what he saw: The engineer wasat that instant turning on a full head of steam; the fireman was closing the door of the furnace, which he had just tilled up with coal; both were preparing to desert the engine. Charlie debated In his own mind whether he had better go back and hammer ham-mer on the door of the baggage car to notify the train men or Btay where he was anil be ready to take the engineer's place. He concluded that it would bo safer to Btay where he was, and he had hardly arrived at this decision when the engineer and fireman dropped off, one from each side of the locomotive, leaving No. G with its living freight to dash onward on-ward to destruction, i But quick as a nosh the boy hustled , over tho coal laden tender, down into the cab and took his stand on the plate with the coolness and nerve of a veteran. Yet j though his head was level his young blood I Howed fast and Charlie Stockwell was a proud lad as he regulated the speed of the giant locomotive, lie was sorely tempted to take the train right through to Telterhy Junction, but remembering 1 that he was ignorant of the train orders, j his better judgment carried the day. Bo j when, after a nine mile run, he sighted Boonville telegraph cabin, he pulled up I his snorting, hissing steed and reported ! the whole affair to John Bolton. But the lad w;ls permitted to indulge j his wish, nfter all, for Bolton was so i pleased with the bravo conduct of tlie ; clever young machinist that he insisted '. upon Charlie's acting as engineer clear through to the end of the run, he him- seLf taking the second place in the cabas . Charlie's fireman. Old John Bolton died last year, but he I lived to see his young friend and prime I favorite occupying a high position in the ! mechanical department of a great railroad. rail-road. But if you, reader, desire to know any more about the plucky young ap-I ap-I prentice, just drop a line to Mr. Charles Stockwell, chief engineer of tho Denver I and Duluth Short Lino. He trill doubt-I doubt-I less answer your letter. William H. 3. ; Atkinson iu Philadelphia Times. i TRAIN X0 .r. i i I am an "old railroader," and I think ; In view of the fact that it is almost forty years sinco 1 did my first day's work on i tlie iron horse, my claim to that sobriquet j is a good one. 1 am a "prominent ; official" now, arid am permitted to trans- act most of my business in a pleasantly I furnished otlico overlooking the broad and busy street of a large western city. Quiw frequently old associates, more recent acquaintances and newspaper men drop in to visit me, and, when they see that I am not particularly busy, they are apt to linger long and will sometimes worry me for "a railroad 6tory." Esjie-ciaJly Esjie-ciaJly is this tho case with tho reporters when "things are dull" in their own especial es-pecial line. "Now, Mr. Rennie," one will say, "we all know that you are an old stager, j Your record is public property. You j have traveled east and west, north and 1 south, probably half a million miles. Tell us a 'rip snorting' yarn, for The Bangtown Trumpet." j Whereupon I will occasionally humor i them and resurrect an old dead and buried reminiscence, but more often I will reply In this wise: "It is very true, gentlemen; I am indeed in-deed an old timer, I hare fired up, bossed the throttle, graded roadbeds, dispatched dis-patched trains and managed two or three thousand miles of railroad property, prop-erty, and yet. 1 venture to say, that I cannot relate a true story that will be wonderful enough for The Bangtown Trumpet," There is, however, one incident which camo under my especial notice sorao years ago, that 1 have never yet related to tho reporters or to my moro private friends an incident which, to the best of my knowledge and belief, did not find its way into tho newspapers at tho time of its occurrence.- In tho year 1870 I was the superintendent superintend-ent of motive power ou tho third division of tho Chicago and Arizona railroad. My duties consistetl of supervising the movements of some forty locomotives and their crews. 1 was also in charge of the shops nt Axleborough, although they and the great round house were under tho moro immediate caro of the master mechanic. One day I stood on the huge turn table in the yard, just outside the round house, talking to ray friend John Bolton, one of our best passenger conductors. I While wo were chatting together, u small I boy trotted up. I recollected having seen him once or twice about the yard and in town, but 1 knew nothing about Mm, not even bis name. Bolton, who was a whole souled, genial fellow, passed tho tiulo of day to the boy, though he knew no more of him than I did. Tho littlo fellow was as bright as a new dollar and looked as smart as a j whip, but he was exceedingly Binall and I judged him to be about 13 years old. I "If you please, sir," he Baid, looking I me full in tho face, "are you the chief I of tho locomotive department?" "Well," I replied (with a grim smile. I suspect), "that is not what they call me, although on litis division of theC. and A. I am in charge of the shops ant) locomotives. Why':" "Because, sir, I want a job. I mean to bo a railroad man, anyhow, and want to bo an engineer if possible. Con 1 go to work iu tho shops?'' I laughed, but John Bolton patted the boy good humored ly on the back as he said: "Good for you, my 6on." "Indeed, sir," continued the boy, who was evidently very much in earnest, "1 know a good deal about machinery and locomotives just try me." I did ask him a fow questions about tho construction of an engine, and the boy actually gave me wonderfully Intelligent Intel-ligent answers, "You go to school for another year or two, and grow up a few moro inches, my boy. Then if you coma to mo I will put you lo work in the shops." His ftico clouded as I spoke, and lie offered of-fered a last word in hts own bohalf : "1 know I'm small sir, but I'm older than 1 look. I'll soon bo 15, and I'm quite strom;'." "Oh. give tho boy a show, Ronnie, said Holloa, in his Blow, good natured drawl. "He'll pan out ull right." "Well," 1 said, lelenting, "what is : your name?" 1 "Charles KlK:Uwell, sir." j "Then, Stockwell, I will glvo you tho first vacant apprentice job." j The lad thanked mo joyously enough, i but 1 noticed that ho grasped burly John Bolton's hand and thanked lum twice over. Three weeks later I put young Stock-well Stock-well lo work in the locouiotivo repair shop. Six months passed away, and in tho uutumn u bitter quarrel was in progress lietwuon tho Chicago and Ari- j zona Railroad company and its employes, j chiefly the engineers. At the sumo time ! tlie engineers being for the most part a j highly intelligent and sensible .body of I men, no serious trouble, had thus far i been experienced, nor was any looked j for by tlie company and itsollicials. All ! freight traflic was suspended, but the engineers detailed certain of their num- her to run the mail and passenger trains. Hut llieiv were just a couple of men of whom the oliieials were somewhat afraid, ' and who tiie engineers themselves were fearful would involve them iu serious trouble and so damage tin cause of the strikers. These were Michael Daly, an i ! engineer, and his lireman men fearless j and thoroughly capable at their work. ; I but who would stop at nothing to nc- cotnplish u mean revenge when they I considered tlieinselves ill jlllOil. ' Oihi evening express train No. 5 stood I in tlie big barn like depot nt Axlebor-ougli, Axlebor-ougli, aUut to start lir Iho west, A locomotive lo-comotive had just pulled out of the round house and was "backing up" to the waiting train; it was engine No. 400 and was manned by tlie very men who wero so much disliked by both officers and employes. Nothing much, however, was thought of this. They were closely watched alout tho 6hois and yards; when they were in tho cab it was toler ; ably certain they could do no mischief, I because any peril to which they might j exix-se tho train and passengers must of necessity include themselves. |