Joseph's Railroad Dreams
Elementary: Grades 3–4
Story
Soon, the train slowly crept out of the station into the rail yard. Joseph caught a glimpse of his favorite spot for watching trains and smiled. It was hard to believe that this time he was actually riding instead. Chicago's tall buildings became smaller and smaller as the train moved out of the city.
The porter came through the car handing out dinner menus. The menu included travel facts, photographs, and information for travelers—and it was a souvenir! Lily and Joseph looked at all the foods: ribs of beef, turkey with cranberry sauce, chicken pot pie, macaroni with cheese. They couldn't believe all the different kinds of meats and vegetables to choose. There was even more choice in the desserts! "I want apple pie," Lily decided.
"I'll try the pudding!" Joseph exclaimed.
)
When it was time to eat, they walked through the train cars into the luxurious dining car. They sat at a wooden table while waiters served them a delicious meal on fine china. Their mother spooned sugar into her tea from a silver bowl engraved with the rail line's name. While they ate, Joseph stared through the window at the scenes of life going by. They passed large towns and small towns that hardly looked big enough to have their own train stations. Farms dotted the rolling prairie.
The next time the porter came around, Joseph tugged on his arm. "Excuse me. Could you tell me what it's like to work on the train?"
The porter smiled and nodded. "You're interested in learning about jobs on the train? Well, there is a conductor, the engineer, and porters, like me. Being a porter is hard work, but you meet a lot of people and you always see a lot of faraway places." Joseph had more questions, about the uniform, the porter's duties, and where he called home. The porter told Joseph he had a son his age in Chicago, but they didn't see each other much because the porter was always working on the train.
"That must be hard," Joseph said. "I bet you miss each other." The porter nodded. Joseph had more questions, but the porter got called away to help a passenger who was getting off at the next stop.
Joseph listened to the conversations of the other passengers. Some were going as far as San Francisco. Two gentlemen discussed the hunting trip they planned in the Rockies. Another family was heading to Salt Lake City, Utah. "We can go anywhere on this amazing train!" Joseph said. His world felt bigger somehow as he thought about all the places to see. But at the same time, the world felt smaller, because all it took to get there was a train ride.
)
The rolling prairie rose into bluffs, and Joseph and Lily watched outside the window in awe as they crossed over the Mississippi River. The porter brought Joseph another postcard. This one showed the dining car of the train. Joseph wrote a short note to his grandfather and told him about the trip so far.
The day went by quickly, and soon, despite his excitement, Joseph felt tired. He asked the porter where they should sleep. "Right here!" the porter explained, and showed him how beds pulled down from the wall. The seats could become beds for the night too. The family could even close the curtains to give themselves some privacy while they slept.
"This train is an amazing invention!" Joseph exclaimed.
Joseph and Lily settled in for the night. The train rocked back and forth gently, and Joseph could hardly keep his eyes open as he rested on the Pullman sleeper's soft mattress covered with even softer sheets. He pulled the brightly striped blanket around him as he dozed off. All night long, Joseph dreamed of future faraway trips he could take by train. "A longer ride is a better ride, that's what I say!" he whispered as he fell asleep.
Downloads (pdf)
