Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-02-17

ly into them; and his lips, which were YER
thin, seemed more like polished marbl
than human flesh. His dress was of blacl
throughout, and not only fitted with exac
nicely, but was scrupulously clean ant
neat.
"You want an engineer, / understand,
he said, in low cautious tone, at tn
same time gazing quietly about him, al
though he wanted no one else to hear wha
he said.
a-Tido," | replied. s"My train is al
ready, and I'VE have no engineer within q
milesof heresS' II y tssss
3s.Well, sir I am going t6 Bombdfgs
must go-and if you can find no other
will run the engine for you"
"Ha!" uttered; you are an engineer?'
al am, sir,-one of the Oldest in the
country; and | am now on my way to Ber
lin to make arrangements for great i'm.
provement l have invented in the applica
ton of steam locomotion. My name is
Martin Kroller. If you wish, will run
you as far as Bomberg; and / will show you
running that is running.
Was l not fortunate? I determined to
accept the mans offer at once, and so
told him. He received my answer with a
nod and smile, and then proposed to GO
and get the engine. went with him to
the house, where we found the iron horse
in charge of the fireman, and all ready fol-
a start. Kroller got upon the platform,
and | followed. / had never seen man
betray more peculiar aptress amid the ma
chinery than he did. He let on the steam
in an instant, but yet with care and judg-
ment, and he backed up the baggage car
riage with the most exact nicely. I had
seen enough to assure me that he was thor
oughly acquainted with the business, and
l felt composed once more. l gave the
engine up to my new man, ahd then has
tened away to the Office The word was
passed for all passengers to take their seats,
and soon afterwards I waved my hand to
the engineer. There was puff, a groan-
ing of the axle-trees, a trembling of the
building, and the train was in motion
l Ileaped upon the platform of the guard
carriage, and in few moments more the
station house was left behind us.
In less than an hour we reached Dirs-
chan, where we took up the passengers that
lad come in on the Konigsburg railroad.
Here went forward and asked Kroller
how he liked the engine. He replied that
ho ikad it nanch. - .l.-.
"But," he added with a strange spark
ling of the eyes, "wait until you get my
improvement, and then you shall see trav-
cling. By the soul Of the Virgin Mother,
sir, I could run an engine of my construc-
ton to the moon in four and twenty
hours?"
I smiled at what thought his quaint
enthusiasm, and then went back to my sta
ton. AS soon as the Konigsburg passen-
gers we're all on board and their baggage
crate attached, we started on again.
AS soon as all matters had been atten-
ded to connected with the new accession
Of passengers, Iwent into the guard car
riage and set down. A train from Kon-
igsburg had gone through two hours be-
fore reaching Bomberg, and that was the
Cittle Oscue, where we took the western
mail.
"How we go!" uttered one of the guard,
some fifteen minutes after we had left
Dirschan. .-'a,.- -'
"The new engineers trying his speed, "
| returned, not yet holding any fear.
But ere long began to feel fearful that
he was running too fast. The carriages
began to sway to and fro, and | could hear
the exclamation of fear from the passen-
gers. "Good heavens" cried one of the
guard, coming down, "look, sir, and how
we are going"
Hooked out at the window; found that we
were dashing along at speed never before
excelled on that road. Posts, fences, rocks
and trees flew by in undistinguishable
masses, and the carriages now swayed fear
fully. arose 10 my feet and met pas
senger upon the platform. He was one OF
our chief owners of the road, and was
just on his way to Berlin. He was pale
and excited "Sir," he gasped, sis Mar
tin Kroller on the engine?' ~ .' ~ '''
eyes," | told him. Hr6a Rai 2 aqi
"Holy Virginl Don'tyou know him?"
"Know him?" repeated somewhat tpuz-
zled. "What do you mean?" He told me
his name was Kroller, and that he was an
engineer. We had no one to run the en-
gine, and q rHtr,N a ,& se'.a7
"You took him!' interrupted the man.
Good heavens, sir, he is as crazy as man
can be. He turned his brain over a new
plan for applying steam power. l saw
him at the station, but did not then re-
cognize him, as l was in hurry. just
now one of the passengers told me that
your engineers were all gone this morning,
and that you found one who was stran-
ger to you. Then I knew that the MANI
saw was Martin Kroller! He had escaped
from the hospital at Slettin. You must
get him off somehow" .sl
The whole fearful truth was now open
to me. The speed of the train was in
creasing at each moment, and ! knew that
a few miles more per hour would surely
launch us all into destruction. / called
for the guard, and then made my way for
ward as quickly as possible. I reached
the after platform Of the tender and there
stood Kroller upon the engine board, his
hat and cap off, his long black hair float
ing wildly in the wind, his shirt unbut-
toned at the throat his sleeves rolled up.