Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1914 — Black Cat Costs Trainman His Job. [ARTICLE]

Black Cat Costs Trainman His Job.

Peter Houseman has lost his job as engineer on the Illinois Terminal railroad because a black cat sped across the track in front of the train. There was no chance of the cat being hit, but Houseman reversed, put on the airbrake and made a sudden stop. When the surprised train crew and passengers looked from the windows to find out the trouble they saw the engineer throwing snowballs at an osage hedge tree, wherein was perched the black cat.

“W’hat are you doing?” inquired the conductor. “This blamed cat ran across the track and I’ve got to chase it back across again to break the spell,” retorted Houseman, as he gathered fresh ammunition.

Soon he dislodged the cat, which fled back across the track. A com* pany official was on the train. Houseman promptly got a “pink envelope” stating his services were no longer needed. —New York World.