r
wi flM ifcwr " to4) y - 4.44
nr
.'V
!."' JANUARY 18, 1907
The Commoner.
13
wj-n'
1 -
r
"Ju.
K ,
n
r
w, t y
f tOhw J
The Cost
The gleam of the headlight was
dulled hy the flying snow and sleet,
and although the engineer opened the
little window every few minutes and
wiped the outside with a bit of waste,
he could see but a few yards ahead.
The heavy engine rocked and rolled,
and the tense muscles of the arm that
grasped the throttle were aching like
mad. Suddenly a whistling post
flashed into the little circle of light
thrown by the flying engine, and the
whistle sounded. By instinct, more
than by sight, the train stopped at
the little station and the engineer
stepped down from the footboard to
get his orders.
"How long you goin' to hold us?"
he queried.
"Gettin' your orders now,"- said the
operator. "Wires workin' bad. How
long you been out?"
"Twenty-three hours. Got in and
got turned around again right away.
Hurry 'em .up. I'm so blamed tired
and sleepy I can hardly stand up."
' Tick, tick, tick, went the instrument,
and the operator hurried ..his stylus
over the manifolding sheets.
"Here you are, old man."
The engineer took his orders, and
in the dim light read the faint writing
.on the thin tissue paper:
"Train No. twenty-eight (28), en
gine No. "eight seventy-seven (877),
will meet train No. fifteen (15), en
gine No. nine sixty-five (965), at
Curzon's Switch.''
Copies were handed to the fireman,
conductor ,jwd brakeman, and after
the conductor had given the "high
sign" the long train, laden with hun
dreds of human lives, rolled out again
Into the storm and darkness.
- On and on, thrusting her pilot into
the sleet and snow, the old engine
rocked and rolled. The fireman toiled
and sweat as he threw the coal into
the greedy firebox. No time for him
to grow sleepy. The only thing that
can stop him is to fall to the floor of
the cab in utter exhaustion.
Over on the right side of the cab
a nodding figure holds on to the
throttle. Twenty-three hours of nerve
racki'ng strain. Thousands of dollars
and hundreds of precious lives com
mitted to his care, and then worked
piled upon him till body and brain
balk at the load.
On and on the engine rocks and
rolls and the hand on the throttle
relaxes. The sleet clings to the win-
Mr. Metcalfe's Book
"OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM"
And Other Stories from
LIFE
NOW READY FOR DELIVERY
"To those who havo road thorn, thoso
Btorlos nood no praise; to thoso who
havo not road thorn, I commend thorn
as soothing, strengthening und Inspiring.
Tho articles are really heart talks and
explain tho soorotof Mr. Motcalfo's suc
cess as a journalist. Ho knows human
nuturo and Is universal In his sympath
ies." W. J. BUYAN.
Cloth bound, printed from clear
typo on heavy pap or, gilt sldo and back
stamps, 200 pages. Sent postage prepaid
on receipt of 11.00. Address
Richard L. Metcalfe
Care The Commoner
LINCOLN, - - - NEBRASKA.
dow until sight is cut off. Lower and
lower nods the engineer's head. Na
ture refuses to stand the strain any
longer, and the engineer is asleep.
A red light flashes by and the fire
ma.u yells with horror.
"Curzon's, old man. Remember
your orders!"
But the hand on the throttle is
numb. The airbrake is untouched.
Crash, bang! And the heavy engine
has crossed the switch and is dashing
straight into the one pulling train
No. 15. The fireman sees that there
is no chance and with one last de
spairing shout at his companion
jumps from the gangway.
And then comes the final crash
the crash that awakens the engineer,
not in this world, but in eternity.
For a day the world shudders with
horror at the awful accident. The
papers are full of it. Everybody de
mands that the one to blame be pun
ished. Then comes tho simple an
nouncement that "the engineer was
asleep and disregarded orders."
That is all. And the men who
forced him to work until human na
turo refused to stand it longer dis
miss from their minds all thought of
the lives lost, but keep on complain
ing that such accidents reduce divi
dends. But the dead engineer sleeps
through it all. Only the wife and
babies in the dosolated cottage think
of him. .
The engines keep rocking and roll
ing along the steel rails, with other
sleepy and exhausted engineers at
the throttle, and the huge drivers, as
they strike the rail joints, keep sing
ing the lulling refrain:
"Dividends, dividends, dividends,
dividends."
spokesman of the committee. "We
merely want enough wages to enable
us to live between the hour of quit
ting work and the hour of beginning
work again. Just give us a fair wage
and we can provide our own recrea
tion and reading matter."
However, as tills was an interfer
ence with "vested rights" tho Benevo
lent Employer refused to deal with
his employes, except as individuals.
Similar
"Hello, Binks! Did you give up
your railroad passes the first of tho
year?"
"Yes, just like I gave up my ap
pendix vermiformls."
The Retort
. Preparing Him
The young gentleman who had just
been engaged as editorial writer on
the newly established daily paper in
the metropolis was about to begin his
labors. Naturally he sought informa
tion as to policy.
"What is to be the policy of this
newspaper?" he asked.
"-This paper is to attack all forms
of wrong," replied the owner. "It will
defend the interests of the people.
It's mottp is liew to the line, let
the chips 'fall where they may.' How
ever, in writing articles on financial
topics it would be well to avoid re
ferring to or attacking the following
business enterprises."
So saying the owner of the paper
laid before the new editor a list of
business ventures in which the owner
was interested.
Gazing thereon for an hour or two
the new editor proceeded to write stir
ing editorials on "spelling refdrm,"
"how to increase the potato yield,"
"the great American hen," 'the
psychology of love," and other topics
of grave moment.
One Thing Lacking
The Benevolent Employer received
the committee from the employes in
his palatial office.
"I do not understand thepurpose of
this visit," he exclaimed. "I can not
believe that you are dissatisfied. I
have provided you. with a gymnasium,
"a reading room, a bath room, and
lockers for yourclothing. In short,
T have done everything I could think
of to make your employment here
pleasant. "What .is It that you want
now?"
"O, not very much " replied the
One day I said to Dorothy,
"Great pleasure I would take
If you would bake a batch of bread
Like mother used to make."
"All right," the little wifo replied
With fond and loving gazo,
"I will when you can raise the 'dough'
Like father used to raise."
A Prophet
"Times will be very hard for many
of tho peoplo in this section," re
marked the philanthropist, banker and
prominent citizen.
"Why do you think so?" was asked
"I am going to need the money I
have loaned in this community, as I
have determined to subsidi I mean
endow a university in another state."
Thus by careful preparation a man
may be able to bring his prophecies
to pass.
DON'T RUST FENCE
w unrbon Bprlrm HuJ, Kitro
JlP?' & V'nwd. No Au,u:
w ";n inj irini, 71 rm nml
KM ?incot at'1SW No. HO.
Also iii Htylci Lawn, Fonco, Oata
logno O. Ontaloffuo Fruo. Writo
for one or both.
THE WARD, FENE CO.
MAKJ.ON, UiUL&SJi
liox 110
4 H jTyyfy
TT7T"lT7'r7T "I
'FENGEWPS&
on-tic Jit. Sold to tho Fanner at nholr.
salal'rirm. Knlly HtrrmUd. f'atnlogfrcn
VViMiM Ul'lUWU FENOE QO.JT
Ux2JI Winchester, Indiana.
CREAM SEPARATOR
This Is a pcnulno offer
mndo to introduce tho
Brain Leaks
Trouble will double when worried
about.
Kind words aro legal tender where
even gold coin Is counterfeit.
It takes a real sleety day to make a
man realize his advancing years.
When a man does his best he is
pretty safe in depending upon God
to do the rest.
When a young man begins calling
it "salary" it is a sign that ho is of
the opinion that he is too good for
his job.
This is the time when the prudent
housewife begins to hoard her canned
fruit with jealous care In order It)
make it "last."
The easiest part of a good law is
the proposing thereof. Enacting it
,is harder, and enforcing it is usually
a gigantic task.
Just about the time we get ready
to do some big thing we are com
pelled to postpone it in order to at
tend to a lot of little things.
Just about the time we aro con
vinced that capital punishment is
wrong we run across some man who
is reaping riches by enslaving little
children.
If ever we find a man in public
office who thinks he is getting enough
salary we are going to make a des
perate effort to engage him for the
museum circuit.
It is said that Opportunity knocks
but once at every man's door. The
trouble seems to be that the man in
side Is so busy "knocking" that he
fails to hear Opportunity.
We-would be very glad if we could
again meet the good old lady who
never mended a garment without
saying, "Patch by patch is neighborly,
but patch upon patch is beggarly."
Doesn't it make you mad to pay
$20 for a suit of clothes one day and
then see it in the window the next
day marked down to $14.98 under the
announcement, "Grand January Clear
ing Sale?"
The sight of one child crying in
the streets will excite all beholders
. to sympathy. The knowledge that
thousands of children are crying, freez
ing and starving In the tenements,
excites only a passing thought.
ft
FREE
PEOPLES CflEAM SEPARATOR In cverv
neighborhood. It is tho best and sim
plest in tho world. Wo ask that you
show it to your neighbors who hnvo
cows. Send your name nnd tho namo
of tho nearest freight ofilco. Address
PEOPLES SUPPLY CO.
Dopt. 177 Kansas City, Mo.
OOOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOCXXXXXXXX)
ASSETS OF $1,327,179.94
is tho Statement of
THE 0L0 LINE BANKERS LIFE
of Lincoln.
"Salary and commission will bo paid to an
old lino llfo man of oxptrlenco. Address.
jjua him, jjiui-uui, ntiuruHKn.
f 84 Days' I
( E Free Trial, I
A irrrljtHPrpM -
Let Me Qaetc Yow a Price ea
Chatham Incubator
Die Ioeabttor Dok fm. Duo'l think
'.boTbc a IneoWor until rro heii
tram b Munnon (JamnbelL.
I'rti. Huiun CnpbllCoM iU.,
tiurretn Af DtrxtU,Ultk.
Ifjmillt. mtilt th MbtluJuc! IUr,
A&n$t tUl (J , TsjxU, Kwnt.
W
B JsbsMa I
rp lti.l
40, 60 er 90 Days' Trial on
Old Trusty
99
Try chicken raisin ron tho John
n Dion. Mr neonle are an on.
tmiBloKtlc lot. wo get tho results
Freight
M. H. JOHNSON CO.,
2.year guarantee. Low price. Old
Trusty Cataloguo tells the whole
story It's FKKE write for It today.
CLAY CENTER, fyEB.
40 DIIEKDS Finn piiro brod chickens,
dncks, kccso a' d turkoyn. Northern
raised, hnrdy and very hrautlful. Larg
est poultry farm In tho N.W. Fowls, okks
nnd Incubators at low prlcus. Bond 4c for
Jno7G-puK poultry book and catalog.
It. v. .NKUHKUT. KOX828, Mankato, Minn.
EALTHY TREES H0HEST ,H UAun
uraitouanpiotcmiudodpcacb'fc, budded
chorry 15c. Concord Tropes $2 per 101
Black Locust $1 por 1000. Oomploto colored
eat. t rco. Qalbraith Nurteriaa, Box 84 , fan-bury, Neb.
Apples ic, Teach 6c, Plums lie, .-A
Cherries Wc. Best quality yr aK
Brooa Dcarcrs, (rnutea y -v?
stock, not seedlings, yr Mjt i
Concord Cranes 2c. r.fK!y'
line ttl.OO TVr -
1,W0UI). WXA
SrhtvXlFci
vV
"vtw:
Vo
hare
a com-
nlcte lino
of Vegetable,
lower and
Farm Reeds. Our
anro Illustrated cat
alog free.
V GERMAN mmBEHIEB.
CVSnx 85. BEATRICE. Neb.
AVfl
WTaV
W
1 l(tin1a rv aif TsTnnA 1flf i4-
Thoroughbred nnd fire dried. Write
for our biK .illustrated Catalog, free
tjuurtneea
ctwntt I
K?gll
lmlliiiivin(r. A nrrntnl hrivicraif-
" "iJvtviW4.s.ssrsi "iz'izsrm'x-.
IKiVAtirvJuvo octou nuvw
Shenandoah, Iowa-
rjrest Of cd corn growers in worlii
OUR SEEDS, PUNTS,
Roses, Bulbs, Vines, Shrubs,
FnOIT AND ORNAMENT.
AL TKEK8 havo ben tho
standard of excellence for
ovor half a century. Yon
tako no chances In buying of
us, as no fairer prlcen aro
quoted oa high quality goods.
ThO host aro always most sat
isfactory la roBultu. We
mall pdfltpatd, Seeds, liases,
l'laMts, Jlulbs, Vines, Etc..
and guarantee safe arrival
sad satlafactioH, largor by
exnrosa or frelcht. Yon will
bo interested in oar extraordinary cheap otters of
over half a hundred cholco collections of Heeds.
IManU, Xtosea, Etc. Yonr address on u postal will
briug yon our elegant lC8-pago Catalogue- FltKE.
Bond for it today and boo what values wo givo for a
Uttlo money. 63 years. 41 greenhouses, 1200 oerou.
THE STORKS & HARRISON CO.,
B0X4QSt PAINESVILLE, 9Hip.
f' i
XStf.if&
Jtr- -
