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By: Jim Fitzpatrick |
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Email: jim@nunica.com |
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Local Farmer in Polkton Township writes for the Coopersville Observer. |
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Along Brandy Creek By Jim Fitzpatrick
The Coopersville Observer January 9, 2006- - No. 65 |
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The farmer left the farm when he was a young fellow, to see the world for a spell. For a time he lived in Western Canada, worked for a logger fellow by the name of Abe Phillips. Abe was, and still is, married to Melva. This is their story:
Abe grew up and lives in the back country of British Columbia. It was a roadless wilderness back then, much like it is today. Only the railroad brought folks in and out of the small community there along the Frazer River. Of course; you could walk, float the river, ride a horse out through the mountains if you had a mind to. That is what Abe often did, rode his horse named Womp to lots of places most folks never dared to go. Sometimes they followed the rails north 50-60 miles or so, to a town of fair size.
On one of those follow the rails trips; Womp slipped as he and Abe were crossing a narrow trestle. Got his front leg jammed down between the wooden ties! That horse could not pull himself free of that awful predicament, not even with the help of Abe. Then they both heard the dreaded sound. The northbound train was on the rails, headed their way. Abe ran to meet the train; flailing his arms, waving his hat, he was in quite a thither.
The steamer came to a halt. Abe explained to the engineer and fireman that he needed help to free his horse from the rails. The engineer said; “all right, but we haven’t got much time”! The three of them pushed and pulled on that good horse; but, to no avail. With that, the trainmen said, “we’ve gotta get this freight on down the line”! Abe would have none of that. He snatched a three foot long steel pipe wrench from the cab of that steam train. And – made it very clear that the train was going nowhere until Womp was free. Yep, with a little more muscle and little more time, Womp was soon back on his feet.
As time wore on, Abe met Melva, in that other town of fair size along the rails. He liked her a lot, he knew too that she couldn’t take her eye off from him. The match seemed right. She invited him to meet her Mom and Dad. Abe was a bit nervous that day as he and Womp followed the rails north one more time. He met the Mom, then the Dad – who turned out to be the engineer on that northbound train.
Abe and Melva raised two boys and a daughter there along the river. Womp retired from those long trips to town and went on to live for 30 some years. Abe and his father-in-law get on just fine. Few words have ever been spoken about that day on the trestle. |
