Loyola University Maryland - Evergreen / Green and Gray Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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18 THE LOYOLA ANNUAL ©iiF Mun ®iti| (§nt T T was in the station at Ogden on a Saturday night, that I first saw him. He was oiling the wheels and machin- of bis charge, whDe number 2001 steamed sullenly and cast a greenish glare on the rails ahead. In admiring the massive proportions of the big passenger locomotive, I thought how small and puny he looked by its side. No. 2001 as if to express its contempt for the creature at its wheels gave a louder hiss than usual, and I was astonished to see the man recoil a few inches. For an engineer v hose nerves are expected to be of iron amid the horrors of a head-on collision, such a motion was indeed unusual. Fie saw my surprise, and turning to me said apologetically: “You don’t know this engine, sir, she’s a bad one.” I was half inclined to laugh, but the engineer relieved my embarrassment by climbing dnto the cab and putting in motion the huge driving-wheels of No. 2001. Although I had been amused by the grave words of the man, I began fancying, as the long train of Pullmans rolled out of the station, that the machine at their head really had a malignant appearnce. When the green lights of the rear car were gone in the distance, I turned away with the thought that the brains of all railroad men from the very nature of their calling must be haunted v ith strange images. A few weeks later I was travelling on the same road, since my business of a drummer kept me in that territory, when the train stopped in the open country because of a freight v reck on the track, and not being ready to sleep yet, I went to the head of the train where I found 2001 looming up in the darkness with the same man by the cab. I had not

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THE LOYOLA ANNUAL 17 daily press without the scandalous doings of every day life, the misrepresentations of cable despatches, giving false, dis- torted or manufactured news of questions of religion, morals, education, the Catholic Chuch, etc. It would publish general news, cable news, financial, political, social news, the same as in other papers. The grindings of the divorce court, all the minute details of the latest scandal, murder or catastrophe v ould be omitted. The result would be an ideal safe home paper ; a paper of which Catholics could well be proud. All this and more is possible if Catholics will only co-op- erate. The evil effects of the ordinary press are manifold; most of them are anti-Catholic, a few, though not harmful, weaken the faith, none of them benefit it. The advantages and benefits to be derived from Catholic newspapers are evident. It only remains for Catholics themselves to support their press, to subscribe to the Catholic magazines and existing newspapers and to do all in their power to increase their num- ber and influence. Charles J. Neuner, ’ll. ‘T am hard pressed for cash Pa, please send me an order.” Came the answer “ — ” “You are hard pressed for cash? Come home and whitewash For the new summer boarder : If you’re hard pressed for cash How’s that for an order?

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THE LOYOLA ANNUAL 19 expected him to recognize me, but he came forward to speak at once and seemed anxious to explain his slight tremor at Odgen. “You were surprised,” he said, “to see me jump away from the engine. I would have been mightly surprised myself, if anyone had told me three months ago I would ever do such a thing. But that was before I started running 2001.” Ke paused and looked at me pitifully. “You seemed somewhat nervous,” I said. “Tm a nervous wreck,” he replied; “and I’m getting worse every day. I’ve seen a doctor, but he only told me there was something preying on my mdnd and there is. It’s right here” —and he pointed to the big steel monster beside him. “Is 2001 an outlaw engine?” I asked: “has it killed many people?” “It has never killed a man,” he replied solemnJ} . “It’s a new engine and I was the first man to take it cut. I have never had an accident with it, but the very first day I climbed in the cab I had an idea there v as something wron c That idea has been getting stronger ever since, and 3. ou see what I am now — my work is one long niglitmiare. I have seen human devils, but it seems to me that engine is more devil- ish than any person I ever knew.” “Do you mean that you expect the locomotive to drag the train into a terrible smashup?” “No,” he said, “No. 2001 is not fated to kill a trainload. Let me tell you, sir, that engine has intelligence”— here he lowered his voice and spoke slowly to impress me with his words — “and it wants to mangle me alone!” Then he turned away in a tremble and to hide his emotion climbed back in the cab, although I could see it took an affort for him to mount the steps of 2001. As I stopped to wonder at this monomania, this strange self-delusion, and reflected