Bill F. and all,
Bill, I seem to remember your Dad telling me this one.
Ray, his Fireman and an O5 were commin' into Aurora one day with a pretty good
train. No radios them days so's ya couldn't holler "commin' by the Caterpillar
Aurora Tar". Anyway, the Operator was givin' 'em one signal at a time so, by
the time Ray was goin' by the "Stove Works" he'd got 'er down pretty slow.
About this time Ray decides to "relax" with a good smoke. He unwraps the trusty
White Owl and sticks it in his face. Also, about now, Aurora decides to line
him all the way through town. It must be remembered that "all the way through
town" is UPhill. Well, when Ray saw the CLEAR signals he started goin' after
'er with a vengance; down in the corner and throttle on the roof.
As the story goes, the harder the engine worked the harder Ray gnawed on the
stogie. Goin' over Broadway the Fireman looks over at Ray and the cigar is
GONE. He had eaten the thing on the way through Aurora Depot.
Anybody out there remember steam going East through Aurora? Almost every engine
used to slip pretty good going over Spring St. We always thought it might be
the coal dust on the rail from the lumber and coal dealer on the South side of
main 3. Funny, I can't remember the NAME of that lumber and coal dealer. Leo,
Bob, Gary??????
Karl
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