Newman Township High School - Talisman Yearbook (Newman, IL)

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THE TALISIVIAN I3 WHY THIRTY WAS LATE. The C. I. 8: X. tracks paralleled those of the R. H. QQ D. thru nearly a hundred miles of picturesque mountain scenery. The reason for this was entirely physicalg the engineer of each road, finding the route chosen to be the best available without great expense for cuts, fills, etc. Besides passing thru a very lucrative grazing and mining country, making con- siderable freight business, the roads were the favorites with the crowds of tourists passing thru the country each year, and hence each road bid heavily for its share of the traffic. A To bear out the glowing statements of the traffic departments in their advertise- ments, the transportation departments of both roads provided unusually modern and luxurious passenger equipment. The boast of the C. I. QQ X. was the Meteor, which surely bore out its name when handled by the unerring engineers, Davis and Hawley. The crack train of the mountain division of the R. ll. Q D. was the Sierra Limited, known to the railroaders as the 30. Now it happened that each road was very desirous of getting the mail contract from the government. Since all things were so nearly equal on the two roads, Uncle Sam decided to give the contract to the road that had the best passenger record for one month. The month was up on the day of which we are writing. The records of the roads were nearly equal but very slightly in favor of the R. H. 85 D. Much that day depended on the behavior of the two trains, the Meteor and the Sierra Limited. As Engineer Hawley slowly brought engine 736 up to the head of the waiting Meteor she looked like some mighty steed anxious to be up and off down the two hundred and ten miles that was her day's run. Presently the conductor strolled up with the orders, went back to his train and waved his hand. The bell began to ring, the seven-foot drivers began to roll and the Meteor was on its way. The first stop, thirty miles distant, was made on time. So was the second and the third. The last stop before the division end was reached they were five minutes late, but Engineer Hawley know how to get all the speed possible out of the big Pacific and they made the last forty miles of the division in record time. They rolled into the terminal ex- actly on the minute. The superintendent, trainmaster and the general manager of the road were all on the station platform with watches in their hands. They complimented the train crew and again for the liundredth time hoped that the Sierra Limited would be late. If she was on time the contract would go to the R. H. Q D. The 30 was due to leave the eastern terminal just one hour after the Meteor, but on this occasion the train pulled in from the prairie division fifteen minutes lateg no time was lost in changing engines and in less than five minutes the 30 was ready to go wth engine 3003 at its head and Engineer Dawes, the best on the road, at the throttle. Engineer and fireman coaxed and petted in every known way the 3003, so that the train would go thru on time. In places where the track was good Dawes opened the throttle wide and hooped up the lever until by the time the third stop was reached, one hundred ten miles down the line, they were 1'eported exactly on time. Division and general officers at the terminal took heart. There was only one bad grade on the whole mountain division but the 3003 took it cheerfully and at good speed. However, by the time they were nearly to the top of the hill they were not going more than twenty miles per hour. Just at this time the engineer noticed a man suspended in midair not far from the right-of-way. Dawes did some quick thinking. The man might be a criminal and deserve death, precious minutes would be lost and the mail contract go to the other road. But he argued that a mants life is worth more than any old mail contract on earth. Decidedly he

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I2 TI-IE. TALISMAN himself, all his friends, and his alma mater, to go with the girls some, at least. At last gaining a reluctant consent Billy ran away to put his plan into operation, before Jess backed out. Bill was not very heavy with the girls, so he went to an upper classman and stated the situation clearly. The upper classlnan was for a moment inclined to refuse, but suddenly his brow cleared and he assured Billy that he would be delighted to assist, that he knew a girl who was crazy over Jess, that .less would like her, etc. It was arranged that the upper classman have the girl on the southeast corner of the campus at 8 o'clock Friday night. Joyously, Billy returned to tell Jess of his success. As he opened the door before he could speak, Jess spoke. I won't do itf' Billy explained that it was too late to refuseg that he had the date. Jess became white as a sheet and flatly refused to be a fool, as he put it. Bill argued, begged, threatened, prayed, tried to bribe, and at last Jess was won over. Billy then went to bed wondering how long before Jess would break out again. Three days 'til Friday. Jess lost his appetite, refused to study anything but arche- ology' and oratory. Billy had told him, in answer to a question of what to say, to launch forth in a discussion of some interesting topic with a grandiloquence that would put Arthur Parr so far in the shade that he would henceforth and forever use slang. Accordingly Jess studied until upon Friday morning he could recite archeology better than Miss Rutger could English History and with more eloquence than Prof. Trinkle could command when speaking about Indiana. ' Att 5 o'clock Friday afternoon Billy and Jess began to get ready. Supper was forgotten in their interest of the big event. Jess lost his confidence in remembering his speech so he wrote out notes and pasted them on his watch face. Then he happened to think that maybe she would want to know the time and so a new set of notes had to be made. This and a number of other things delayed them so that it was 7:-15 before Jess was ready. Then for the last and seventh time Jess sat down and refused to go. Here Billy almost lost his temper. But, submitting to the stronger will, Jess allowed Billy to lead him forth. Billy was to go as far as he dared, then hide in the shrubbery and await results. As they advanced upon the campus they discerned two shadowy figures on the opposite side and with a last word of advice Billy faded away into the bushes. Jess watched a moment to see if Billy wouldn't return and then drawing a full breath started onward. His mouth was dry and his body wet with perspiration, Wliat was the matter with him? He had never felt that way on a football field. He did not have breath enough to run or voice enough to clear his throat, let alone call for Billy, so he continued toward the pair in the shadows, each step slower, shorter and less firm than the preceeding one. l1Vould he never reach them? Forty feet-thirty feet-twenty feet-ten-- 'fHello, Jess, are you drunk?i' 'Been to a firemen's ball, Jess, or going to jail? Thus he was hailed by the two figures in the shadows. The voice belonged to two classmates and Jess had mistaken the raincoat of one for a dress. He staggeredand leaned weakly against a tree gasp- ing and staring at his friends. Suddenly his body stiffened with a jerk. He whirled and ran harder than he had ever run for a touchdown. Hearing a sound behind them' his friends turned. They saw a man and, apparently, a woman, but the woman removed her hat, veil, and hair, revealing the features of the meanest, most heartless senior in the school and his beautiful bass voice rasped as he, looking after the flying figuygv Said, H, ,. Queer, isn't it? -Walter W. McCown, '14,

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I4 THE TALISMAN ' slowed up so his fireman could get off to get the man, then proceeded to the top of the hill and waited. It took half an hour to release the man and get him back to the train. The train pulled into the terminal twenty-five minutes late. The grim officials met the offending engineer with bristling airs and threatening voices and would hear no explanation. He had failed them at the .critical time. He was discharged. The R. H. SL D. lost the contract and also lost a good man when Dawes was fired. He is now superintendent on another road. The man whose life was attempted proved to be one of the road's track supervisors, who had been attacked by bandits and thus disposed. -Arthur Parr, '14. Z CHASED BY A PACK OF WOLVES. Away from civilization in a great forest was a large lumber camp. They had been cutting wood for a distant city. One day the foreman noticed that their provisions were running low. It had been a very severe winter and it had taken more food than he had thought it would. He at once ordered a young lumberman to take a team and go to the distant city for more food. The young man was going to take two days to make the trip, as it was very cold and the snow was deep. He had presence of mind enough before he left to get his gun and shells. Everything went fine on his way to town, and he made the trip in due time. He loaded his provisions and made ready for an early start back to camp. He was up early the next morning and made a good start. It was a clear day, but very cold. Every particle of life in the forest seemed to be killed out except himself and his team. He had covered about two-thirds of the distancee when he heard the distant howl of a hungry wolf. Everything was silent for awhile. Then he heard the howl againg this time it was answered by a second wolf and again by a third. The next time he heard it, it was close up behind him. Then again it would be in front, again on one side, and then on the other. He knew by that that they were all around him, Then. he thought of the meat he had in his sled, and he knew they were very hungry and very savage. He gotlhis gun out from under the seat and looked to see if it was in readi- ness. .lust thcn a wolf crossed the road in front of him, he shot, but missed. and the wolf disappeared. After that they were more careful and stayed further behind, but still they kept steadily on his trail. At times things would be very silent, then they would howl dreadfully. After a few hours they became bolder and came closer to the sled. Then he saw he was going to have to run for it. He got his gun ready and began to push his horses. The wolves closed in and tried one by one, to jump up behind. One by one he shot them down, and when they fell the rest stopped to eat them. He thought he would be safe if only his ammunition would hold out until he reached camp. He counted the wolves and there were just fifteen left, then he counted his shclls. Glory. He had sixteen, but alas, he missed three shots. Now there were more wolves than he had shells. His only hope was to make camp. He was now within two miles of camp with three shells and five wolves, and two very tired horses. He was driving them as hard as he could, but they were failing very fast. .lust as he drove on to the river, which was about half a mile from camp another wolf sprang upon the sled and he shot her, but it was his last shell and there were two more long tongued, hungry eyed wolves following him. The second wolf sprang up, and he struck at it with his gun, andl senti it sprawling to the ice. lt was not long however, before it again was on its feet. Then the other wolf sprang to the sled, but before it had hardly struck a long gray body shot through the air and struck the wolf