Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1890 — GRIFFIN, OF “66.” [ARTICLE]

GRIFFIN, OF “66.”

"Griffin, of ‘66.*” , That was the namehegave the landlord of the dingy hotel at Joyner’s station. He was a big, good-natured-looking fellow, who stood straight six foot two. But there was a sad something in his looks which at once gave the impression that Griffin had a history locked up in his heart—and a melancholy history at that Well, he went to work on the new railroad, wielding his pick-ax and shovel along with the rest of them; toiling faithfully from dawn till dark; saying but little—quiet and reserved among the rabble. It was not long before I saw that he had been used to*betterthings than fell to the lot of an ordinary day laborer on a railroad; but though, when the road had progressed a distance of twenty miles from the station, and we were forced to camp out, my cot was next to his, he never took me into his confidence. Only, one night when he thought 1 was asleep, I saw him take a picture from his bosom and shed tears over it. It was the face of a woman. Griffin was a mystery to us all; but we all liked him—no one could help liking him. He was known as "66” to all the boys in camp. "Sixty-six” was the name of a railroad station where he had formerly lived. But if we liked him, working there among us day by day. how muoh more did we admire him when we learned his true character; and we had not long to wait before it was revealed to us.

On a day which I will always remember with moist eyes and thrilling heart, Griffin and I were * riding on the engine. We were hauling to the camp fifteen cars, heavily freighted with steel rails and ties. We were going down grade at a rapid speed, when just as we were nearing the camp, the engineer made an exclamation of surprise and horror. There was a little child upon the track! The shrill whistle screamed desperately for the brakes, but the engineer knew they would be useless. “Good God!’’ he oried, “I can’t stop her in time. The child will be killed!” “Where is GrifflnP He was leaning forward just now straining his eyes at the little white toddler on the track!” * ‘He’s climbing along the rods to the front!” shouted the engineer. “God guide him! He may save the child!” And he did! But Griffin? Poor fellow that brave aot of heroism cost him his Ufa

Tenderly we bore his bruised and bleeding body to the camp; tenderly we laid him down, and stood around him with wet eyes and bowed heads. ‘ ‘Comrade, ”he said, beckoning me to his side, “kneel down beiide me and let me whisper something to you.” I obeyed, and then he said: • ‘There is a picture that I wear near my heart; it is the likeness of my wife. I have never been as good to her as I might have been; I loved the bottle, comrade, and it made us both unhappy. I have been separated from her for a year. But I have been trying to overcome my weakness; I meant to be a better man and go back to her again. But take the likeness—you will see her, and tell her how I died.” Was it unfeeling in the men that stood around, that as the life died out of his face and his limbs straightened in death, they shouted, till the solemn words reverberated:’ “Three cheers for Griffin, of ‘66!” No! it was an outburst of admiration for a dead hero.