Harper's Young People, October 24, 1882

At a lonely western rail junction, a weary traveler seeks refuge from the chill in a dim depot and soon finds himself drawn to a curious sight: a small monkey perched on a locomotive’s cab window. The engineer, amused and unruffled, invites the stranger inside, sharing the odd habit of keeping the little creature—named Carbo—as a companion on countless short hauls. Their brief conversation reveals how Carbo, a former coal‑yard helper, has become an unlikely mascot for the line’s daily grind.

The tale unfolds with witty observations about the shrewd businessman who once set a high pole in his yard, attaching the mischievous monkey as a lure for passing engineers to toss coal his way. Through the narrator’s eyes, the reader catches glimpses of a clever, if slightly cruel, scheme that turned the animal into a living “coal‑collector.” Hints of a recent fire that razed the family’s home add a touch of mystery, promising more quirky anecdotes and the peculiar loyalties that bind men, machines, and a cheeky primate together.