My First Train Ride
It was my second year in high school. We worked for our room and board, but sometimes we got to go home for the weekend. We often walked the 13 miles on Saturday afternoon, only to have to come back on Sunday. This one weekend we decided to take the train on a Friday evening. It was winter and it was snowing, so we didn't want to walk. We were going to get off at a crossing about 2 miles from our home in the country. Hopefully Dad would be there to meet us.
The train rumbled on and we were enjoying our ride when the conductor called out "Brokaw", which was the first stop. Greenhorns that we were, we thought he was calling "roll call", and looked at each other wondering what was expected of us now. After we stopped at Brokaw, we were relieved that the call wasn't meant for us.
We got to Finn Crossing, and the train slowed to a stop. After the conductor saw our dad there with the team and sleigh, he let us off. He said if no one had been there to meet us, he couldn't have let us get off. Wonder where he would have taken us then.
We enjoyed our time at home, but all too soon the weekend was over and it was Sunday evening and time to go back to Wausau again. This time Dad walked with us the two miles to the crossing where he would flag the train down. He had brought a lantern with him with which to do this. As we waited for the train to come around the bend, he got down on his hands and knees and put his ear on the track, listening to see if he could hear the train coming. He boarded the train and rode to Wausau with us that night as he had some business to attend to the next day. He stayed with an uncle overnight, and the next day when he had finished his business, he walked home the 13 miles. Transportation being what it was in those days, we had to do a lot of walking and didn't mind it at all. I believe we were healthier as a result.