Towson University - Tower Echoes Yearbook (Towson, MD)

Page 22 text:

14 THE TOWER LIGHT The young lady was interesting because she was pretty, in a sweet, blonde fashion, and because she had been looked upon enviously by the seamstress and other elderly members of her sex, admiringly by the older men, and adoringly by the young man. He had seen her before on Baltimore Street early in the morning, and his admiration had blossomed into an alarming state. He was interesting because, in his turn, he was good-looking, and the only young man in the party. It was such a beautiful, sunny morning, and spirits ran so high, that soon the members of the party were engaged in a lively conver- sation. It veered from the weather, to crops, to the scenery, and finally to the more personal items of their journey. The seamstress was going to make an outfit for a rich old lady in Ellicott Mills, the professor to visit his sister, and the young lady to teach school. But the young man had the most interesting journey, for he carried a letter from Mr. William Brown, in Baltimore, to a prominent lawyer in Ellico-tt Mills. The letter asked the lawyer to use his influence with his clients in that city to consent to the trial of anew device, the steam engine, on the track from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills. Of course this started a discussion immediately. The plump little Sister of Mercy shook her head, and said that steam-engines were an invention of the Evil One. She even withdrew her skirts a little from the one who went on such an ungodly mission. The Methodist minister cleared his throat, and started in for a long oration, but the young teacher saw his intention, and quickly launched into a warm defense of the new invention. Engines had been proved successful in steamboats, she said, why wouldn't they be as good on land? At least the passengers would'n't drown. The little spinster blew her nose and looked distressed at the idea of a woman expressing her- self so freely. The young man, whose name they had found to be john Morris, threw the pretty little teacher a glance of gratitude. The car scraped on over rolling hills and green levels, where pretty brooks meandered through fields, and red and white cows browsed in the pasture. The passengers grew a little quieter after their excited' conversation. Mary Robbins, the school teacher, looked at the scenery and thought what a nice young man John Morris was, and john Morris looked at Mary Robbins and thought about how lovely she was, and what a nice wife she would make if she were brought around to his way of thinking. The car lumbered along, but somehow it didn't seem to travel as well as it did before. It jerked, stopped, started and jerked again.

Page 21 text:

Cows OI' Cars l-IERE are more things accomplished by prayer than this world dreams of, but did you ever stop and think about what can be accomplished by a cow? They supply milk for the world, but this cow in particular caused the starting of the steam locomotive on the first rails of the Baltimore and Ohio. On a certain sunny morning in September, Farmer Jim Brown turned his pretty cow out into the pasture, never dreaming what a revolution she would eventually cause. As for Bessie, she calmly chewed her cud, ate a little grass, saw a break in the fence, and walked out. Somehow the grass near the railroad tracks seemed' sweeter than any other, so there Bessie established herself. Early on the same morning the Treadmill Car started out from Baltimore City for the daily run to Ellicott Mills. The horse was established in its place, the driver took his seat, and the twelve pas- sengers climbed up the high steps to the coach. The ladies made quite a flurry about their long, trailing skirts, as ladies have done ever since they wore ,such things, but with the help of the four gentle- men present, were finally fixed comfortably. There was a waving of handkerchiefs, a calling of goodbyes, and the Treadmill Car, the latest and most efficient device for motive power, started on its long journey. As the car scraped over the streets and into the open country the passengers looked around them with a bored air, which every traveler assumes when he wishes a fellow traveler to think he is used to travel. Each one furtively eyed his next door neighbor, to try to determine his disposition and occupation. The occupation of the dozen occupants must have been varied, to judge by their dress. One meek little gray lady, with a large bli:-lc bag and a green straw reticule, could be no other than agseamstress. A thin old gentleman, wearing glasses and a topped hat, and carrying three large volumes, must have been a professor or teacher in one of the Baltimore schools. There was a Sister of Mercy, a Methodist minister, indeed, a fairly representative bunch, but the most interest- ing members of the party were a young lady and a young gentleman. A 13

Page 23 text:

THE TOWER LIGHT 15 From the top they could hear the excited' cries of the driver, and a bellow that sounded like the distressed cry of a cow. john Morris looked out of the window, and what he saw tickled his sense of humor immensely. From each side of the railroad track rose a steep bank, and Bessie, Farmer jim Brown's cow, tripped daintily in front of the car, trip- ping over cross ties, and uttering excited bellows. Every now and then she turned her head and rolled a beseechin-g glance to the horse, on top of the car. But that animal, likewise excited by this unusual happening, stepped faster than ever, thus causing the car to go fast, and to jerk whenever she stepped on the wrong things. The driver of the horse was calling out epithets, far from endearing, to both animals. John Morris uttered a hearty laugh, and turned and explained the sad predicament of the cow to the passengers. But they were more alarmed than amused. If we run into the cow, said the spinster, shuddering, we are sure to fly through the window in all directions. And it might kill the cow, added Mary Robbins. The Sister began to move her beads rapidly through her lingers, and the Methodist minister wet his lips. The professor glanced warily about through his glasses. There's nothing we can do, yet, said John Morris. As soon as we get out from these banks I've no doubt our bovine friend will get out of the way. , But such was not the case. For when the banks began to descend, and the tracks ran down a short slope, Bessie seemed to have lost all reasoning powers. As for the Treadmill Car, it gathered momen- tum and began to run faster. The horse on top became excited, and just as Bessie gave a leap and jumped from the tracks, the Tread- rnill Car gave a similar leap and jumped the other side. The driver had lost control in guiding. The car settled' placidly into a ditch by the side of the road. The ladies and men climbed through the windows with shrieks, screams, and ejaculations. Bessie, after surveying the cataclysm she had caused, lifted up her head and bellowed loudly, calling Heaven to witness that she was not the cause of this stupid accident. When the unfortunate passengers had climbed out, and taken stock, no bones were found broken. The poor horse, however, had broken a leg, and the ladies covered their ears as the driver of the car mercifully put the beast out of his misery. Mary Robbins, however, had a slight cut on her wrist, which john