The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-02-27
THE CRAZY ENGINEER.

Nv train left DantEe In the morning. zen.
e,allv about q o'clock. but once a week we
were compelled 10 wait for the arrival of the
steamer from Stcckhol Il was the morn
iug Of The steamers arrival that came down
from INV hotel, and found that nv engineer
had been 80 seriously injured TINT he could
not run. A railway carriage had run over him
and broke one Of his legs. went immedi-
ntely to the engine house to procure another
an ogineer. for I knew that there were thres or
fonr in reserve there. but I was disappointed.
injured for WcstphnL but was Informed
that he had gone to Stegen TO see his mother.
GoudoIpho had been sent to Konigsburp on
the road. But where was Magnet He hai
leave of absence for two days, and had gone
no one knew whittier. r4
Here was a fix; heard the putting Of the
steamer on the Neufahrwasser, and The pas
sengers would be on hand In fifteen minutes.
I ran TO the guard and asked them II they
knew where there was an engineer, but they
did not then went TO The fisemen and
asked them IL my Of them felt competent to
run the engine to Bromberg. Not one of
them dared attempt It. The distance was
| nearly hundred miles. What was to be
done?
| The steamer stopped at the wharf, and
those who were going on by rail came flock
! ing up to the station. They had eaten break.
fast on board the boat, md were all rendv for
Me fresh start. The baggage was checked
and registered, the tickets bought, the differ.
ent carriages pointed out to the various
classes Of passengers, nnd the passengers
themselves seated. The train was in readiness
in the long station house, and the engine was
steaming and putting AWAY impatiently in the
distant fire.house.
II was past nine o'clock.
"Come, why don't you stnrt?" growled nm
old fat Swede, who had been watching me
narrowly for the last fifteen minutes.
And upon this there was general chorus
Of anxious inquiry, which soon settled 10
downright murmuring. At this juncture
some one touched me AT the elbow turned
and saw stranger by my side. | expected
that he was going to demonstrate with me for
my backwardness. In fact, began to have n
strong temptation to pull off my uniform, for
every anxious eve was fixed upon the glnring
badges which marked me as the chief officer
of the train.
However; this stranger WINS n middeaged
man, tall and stout, with face expressive Of
great energy and intelligence. His eye was
40 black and brilliant, that could not, for the
soul OF me, gaze stea0lly lnbo u; ana MS lips,
which were thin, seemed more like polished
marble, than human flesh. His dress was
black throughout, and not only settled with
exact nicely, but was scrupulously clean and
neat.
"You want nm engineer, understand" he
said in low, cautious tone, at the same time
gazing quietly about him, rs though he want.
ed no one else to hear what he said.
"l do" / replied. "My train is all ready,
and we have no engineer within twenty miles
of this place."
"WeIl, sir, I am going to Brombsrg-I must
90; I will run the gine for YOU"
"Fln!" l uttered, "are you an engineer!"
II nm, sir--one Of the olaest IN the country
and am now on my way to Berlin, to make
arrangements for grent Improvement have
invented for the application of steam to loco
motion. My name is Martin Kroller. If you
wish will run as far rs Bromberg; and will
show you running that is running"
Was not fortunate? ] determined to &C.
cept the mans offer at once, and so told him.
He received my answer with nod and n
smile. went with him to the house, where
he found the iron horse in the charge of the
tiremen, and oil ready for the start. kroler
got upon the platform, and followed him. |
had never seen man betrny such peculiar
aptness among the machinery as he did. He
let on the steam in an instant, but yet with
care and iudpment and he backed up to the