1922 Yearbook
Source URL
Title
1922 Yearbook
Description
The Ambrosian
PROMPTNESS EXEMPLIFIED
"My! My!" wheezed an old man, stopping in astonishment. "Goodness gracious!" ejaculated
three young men standing close by. "Oh!" gasped a young flapper, completely surrounded by
the aforesaid men. And sure enough, down the tracks, coughing a delicate little cough, the Tick-
ville Flyer meandered blithely into Pumpkin Center exactly on time—the second occurrence of
such a prodigious event in the history of the town.
The news spread like wild fire. Merchants left their customers in the stores, the customers
their purchases, housewives their cakes in the oven, children their schoolwork, the constable his
latest pick-up in illicit "hootch", in a mad rush to view this strange and phenomenal occurrence.
Soon a great crowd had gathered about the "dear old relic", everyone a-quiver with excitement. Someone called loudly for the engineer and that modest young man upon hearing his
name, blushed furiously. But seeing the futility of resistance to the public demands, he adjusted
his immaculate white collar, smoothed his beautiful golden locks, and putting on an air of mild
resignation, advanced before the admiring gaze of the multitude amid a great chorus as "ahs"
and "ohs" from the flapper section.
Someone called "Speech!" Some more called "Speech!" Everybody called "Speech!" The
engineer gulped audibly and twisted his beautiful silk cap awkwrardly in his hands. But he
immediately recovered his self-composure, and, striking a dramatic posture, he began, in a voice
like flowing waters. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am a plain man, even as Abraham Lincoln;
the insignificant deed which I have performed was done not through vainglorious motives as it
would seem, but rather from a nobler motive of the soul. Ladies and gentlemen, my first
thoughts were not of myself but of you, the people of Pumpkin Center. As we sped down the
tracks from Tickville I set myself to thinking. 'Miserable worm,' I says, 'do you realize the
responsibility of your calling? Do you not feel its weight upon your shoulders? In yonder
town many people await thy coming with anxious heart and sweating brow—women expecting
their latest bargains in Sears Roebuck dresses, professors their morocco bound, gilt-edge editions
of the "Whiz Bang", young girls autographed photos of their latest movie "crush", the farmer
his patent convertible farm tractor and clock winder. Young and old, beautiful and homely, rich
and poor, proud and the lowly stand expectant of your coming.
" 'And shall I, a humble insect, by my indolence and sloth, lag behind, and thereby prolong
the agony of their aching hearts? No! No! A thousand times No! not I, their blood shall not
be upon my hands! Rather than that I will make any sacrifice no matter how costly, to keep
myself from such a foul abomination!' And for this, my dear people, I ask no reward, except
the gratitude of your hearts." With these words the engineer finished, and, making a graceful
bow, backed into his cab, stumbling, as he went, over the coal shovel, which act caused him to
swear considerably and hold his bruised limb in his hands.
For a moment the crowd was silent, as a man in a restaurant who, having ordered cheese,
sniffs suspiciously, to ascertain whether it be his beloved limburger or not. Then a mighty roar
of applause split the air, and the ground shook with the thunder of voices. Never before had
such noble sentiments been exemplified as now! It was beautiful! beautiful! Grand! Magnanimous! Some of the women fainted of nervous prostration. Old men cried in each other's
arms. Dogs barked with canine appreciation and chased the cats with avidity. It was a perfect picture of a noble act rewarded!
Then when the first outburst had subsided, the Mayor, removing his hat, went among the
crowd and took up a collection in appreciation of the engineer's generous deed. Some even
talked of erecting a monument in the town square in his honor and engraving his name on the
court house bell. But hark! a delicate little cough resounds from within the engine's cast iron
stomach and a little cloud of smoke issues from the smoke stack, a groan, a squeak, and behold!
the wheels are moving—very slowly at first and with a great clamor of rusty steel but nevertheless—moving! A sigh escapes from the lips of the spectators which is echoed back by the
moving train and some of the women dive frantically for their handkerchiefs. "There goes a
noble soul; whence comes there such another?" The train is fast disappearing down the
track and soon it is lost in the great beyond. Pumpkin Center is itself once more
And now, my children, I have told you this tale of great beauty, of the noble sacrifice which
a lowly dwight made for his fellow men, so that the lesson of his promptness may sink into
your souls, that when you grow up you may be great engineers also.
R. E. Crowley '22.
One Hundred Seventy-six
PROMPTNESS EXEMPLIFIED
"My! My!" wheezed an old man, stopping in astonishment. "Goodness gracious!" ejaculated
three young men standing close by. "Oh!" gasped a young flapper, completely surrounded by
the aforesaid men. And sure enough, down the tracks, coughing a delicate little cough, the Tick-
ville Flyer meandered blithely into Pumpkin Center exactly on time—the second occurrence of
such a prodigious event in the history of the town.
The news spread like wild fire. Merchants left their customers in the stores, the customers
their purchases, housewives their cakes in the oven, children their schoolwork, the constable his
latest pick-up in illicit "hootch", in a mad rush to view this strange and phenomenal occurrence.
Soon a great crowd had gathered about the "dear old relic", everyone a-quiver with excitement. Someone called loudly for the engineer and that modest young man upon hearing his
name, blushed furiously. But seeing the futility of resistance to the public demands, he adjusted
his immaculate white collar, smoothed his beautiful golden locks, and putting on an air of mild
resignation, advanced before the admiring gaze of the multitude amid a great chorus as "ahs"
and "ohs" from the flapper section.
Someone called "Speech!" Some more called "Speech!" Everybody called "Speech!" The
engineer gulped audibly and twisted his beautiful silk cap awkwrardly in his hands. But he
immediately recovered his self-composure, and, striking a dramatic posture, he began, in a voice
like flowing waters. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am a plain man, even as Abraham Lincoln;
the insignificant deed which I have performed was done not through vainglorious motives as it
would seem, but rather from a nobler motive of the soul. Ladies and gentlemen, my first
thoughts were not of myself but of you, the people of Pumpkin Center. As we sped down the
tracks from Tickville I set myself to thinking. 'Miserable worm,' I says, 'do you realize the
responsibility of your calling? Do you not feel its weight upon your shoulders? In yonder
town many people await thy coming with anxious heart and sweating brow—women expecting
their latest bargains in Sears Roebuck dresses, professors their morocco bound, gilt-edge editions
of the "Whiz Bang", young girls autographed photos of their latest movie "crush", the farmer
his patent convertible farm tractor and clock winder. Young and old, beautiful and homely, rich
and poor, proud and the lowly stand expectant of your coming.
" 'And shall I, a humble insect, by my indolence and sloth, lag behind, and thereby prolong
the agony of their aching hearts? No! No! A thousand times No! not I, their blood shall not
be upon my hands! Rather than that I will make any sacrifice no matter how costly, to keep
myself from such a foul abomination!' And for this, my dear people, I ask no reward, except
the gratitude of your hearts." With these words the engineer finished, and, making a graceful
bow, backed into his cab, stumbling, as he went, over the coal shovel, which act caused him to
swear considerably and hold his bruised limb in his hands.
For a moment the crowd was silent, as a man in a restaurant who, having ordered cheese,
sniffs suspiciously, to ascertain whether it be his beloved limburger or not. Then a mighty roar
of applause split the air, and the ground shook with the thunder of voices. Never before had
such noble sentiments been exemplified as now! It was beautiful! beautiful! Grand! Magnanimous! Some of the women fainted of nervous prostration. Old men cried in each other's
arms. Dogs barked with canine appreciation and chased the cats with avidity. It was a perfect picture of a noble act rewarded!
Then when the first outburst had subsided, the Mayor, removing his hat, went among the
crowd and took up a collection in appreciation of the engineer's generous deed. Some even
talked of erecting a monument in the town square in his honor and engraving his name on the
court house bell. But hark! a delicate little cough resounds from within the engine's cast iron
stomach and a little cloud of smoke issues from the smoke stack, a groan, a squeak, and behold!
the wheels are moving—very slowly at first and with a great clamor of rusty steel but nevertheless—moving! A sigh escapes from the lips of the spectators which is echoed back by the
moving train and some of the women dive frantically for their handkerchiefs. "There goes a
noble soul; whence comes there such another?" The train is fast disappearing down the
track and soon it is lost in the great beyond. Pumpkin Center is itself once more
And now, my children, I have told you this tale of great beauty, of the noble sacrifice which
a lowly dwight made for his fellow men, so that the lesson of his promptness may sink into
your souls, that when you grow up you may be great engineers also.
R. E. Crowley '22.
One Hundred Seventy-six
Date
1922
Rights
St. Ambrose University, 518 W. Locust St., Davenport, IA 52803
Identifier
http://cdm16810.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16810coll2/id/8250