Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-06-20
Rail Riding.


ever noticed under the head of Railroad cas-.
uslities, occurred on the Housatonic Road. n
week ago last Monday night When the
night train from New York was within three
quarters of a mile Of the Falls Village Depot
Canaan, CT, an obstruction was felt by MIR.
Brldsman, conductor. who upon questioning
the engineer, found that he had discovered
an object on the track, but was so close upon
IT. and under such headway as 10 be unable
to escape 1t. On examining The catcher, on
arriving at the depot. the interstices were
found filled with the fragments of wagon
body, presenting something The appearance
of a crows nest. With much anxiety, the
conductor, with attendants and lights passed
back over the track. Some 50 rods from the
depot "a broken jug was found, which slis-
tanned the observation of one of the temper
auce hands immedlatel " previous, that there
was rum somewhere Some dozen rods
farther discovered shirt, without owner
and without blood. Soon the broken spokes
and hubs, and tires wrenched aud broken,
brought them TO the scene of the disaster.-
In deep excavation adjacent, was found a
valuable horse, lying upon his back, stiff and
with faint signs of life. In the meantime,
no human forms were discovered until the
loud call of the conductor was heard, when
the unsteady voice of an equally unsteady
man was heard, in the thickei near at hand
who soon clambered down the bank as di-
rectly as circumstances would admit. He
was accompanied by Two interesting little
boys, one OF aud the other 6 or years OF
age. To the question of Mr. Bridgman,
What you doing on the track OF this
railroad = the answer returned Was in the
memorable style of the army in Flanders, of
which Uncle Toby spoke some time ago
Ii seemed the poor man had no conception
that he and his horse had been rode down by
the iron horse, or that lie was on any other
Than shocking bad public road, Of which
fact alone he seemed to be fully sensible, for
the smallest boy remarked that papa SAID rs
they ,cere coming along, that he should mol ride
ouer that road again III they had got 1t re-
paired.
The upshot of the matter is this The
man was engaged in looking up farm for
purchase. gentleman in a ne ghborihg
town had lent him a valuable family horse,
with which he had made a journey 10 his for
mer residence. He was on his return. lie
had drunk some thing stronger than water,
which so confused his eyesight or his ludg-
ment, that when the public road crossed the
railroad, instead Of passing directly on, he
tuluCu ulOtl lut tUt tleS Ol WHICH, Il
great portion of The way, protruded from to
inches above level, and passed no less than
five cattle guards one or two of which were
of double width. The horse with the buggy
and jugs, &c, safely leaped them all, unac-
countable as II may seem. The noise OF his
own conveyance was such MS TO conceal The
approach of the locomotive in his rear, which
demolished the buggy, threw the horse into
the ditch, and safely deposited the Interests
ing Stranger and his fine boys upon high
bank, some IA feet in ascent. What is re-
markablc is thls-the man affirmed that the
horse had run away and smashed the buggy;
the horse was turned over and helped TO
rise. and not a bone or even the skin was
found broken. The persons of the man and
his two boys were unmutlla,ed, no other
marks being received than fue coat strip
ped in the back from waist TO collar, and
somewhat comical expression given TO his
hat in the rear. pretty good commentary
this upon temperate drinking. We ought TO
add further, that another jug was found on
the road safe and sound and full, which was
duly smashed by those in attendance, 10 the
no small chagrin of its PMsfeid
Sun.
A Cool LETTER. We have seen and read
Of some cool things in our day, but the fol-
lowing, which we derive from an esteemed
and always entertaining correspondent, is
positively 'iced.' A young lawyer got his
first note for collection. Ii was against a
country customer $50 be sal down and wrote
him letter in due form advising him that
his note was lett for collection ,hat it had run
a long time and required immediate atten-
lion to save COSTS In about ten days he
received this answer:
VALLEY Forks, Nov. 18th, 1910.
F. J. H., Esq.-Dear Sir | received your
polite note OF The 9Th instant this day. Ii
was directed TO the post office at Freetown.-
The mail comes from your village to Tomp
kinsvile every day by the stage, which runs
from your place 10 Oswego, leaving your
place Mt six O'Clock in the forenoon. From
Tompkinsville there is a mail every other
day to Freetown and Valley Forks. From
thence there is cross mail around the hills.
through the lower towEs in this county to
our place once a week, but the post ma sters
on that route can't read very well, aud some-
times keep letter over one week 10 spell out
the direction. BY directing your letters to
this office where get my papers, should
get them generally in about three days after
you mail them, and week or ten days
sooner than it directed TO Fteetown: which
delay might, in some cases, be Of considera-
BILE consequence. hope. my dear sir, you
will not suffer any nconveniences from it
this time but thought il best, as you seem
ed lttle ignorant Of The geography Of this
part Of the country. to give YOU this inior-
nation, that you might in future know how
to direct TO, dear sir, Yours respectfully,
JoHN CALKINs.
P. S. As to that note; you say it has run
a long time.' I can only say, as the boy
said Of the molasses, let her run :