Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-12-25
A TRIP TO

a IAlE III lLLlNUlS.
We have recently returned from a hurried trip
to Illinois. a trip. vezatious in consequence Of
railroad delays, mishaps and detentions, both go'
ing aud returni &, but most agreeable from the
kind welcome and cordial hospitality we received
from various persons in the State.
OUR RAILROAD EXPERIENCE.
We left Salem in the '..tuSt cypress" due in Chi,
cage in about eighteen hours but alas Tor human
promises and calculations We did not see the
great city Of the West for near e~ight'nnd forty of
those mortal (well nigh immortaD hours. First.
The rain aud sleet of a dismal stormy night, made
the track SO slippery we could not get or. Next
the sharp anxious scream Of the iron horse, was q
precursor of the announcement that we had lost an
part Of our engine. A busy search on
the back track aud much tinkering, partially REM
cdieG this misshap and we continued on as best
we might to Fort Wayne, where after an eley'
Gu o'clock breakfast, we went bravely on ill about
3 o'clock, P. NJ, when our calamities commenced
afresh.
We were on a newly constructed portion of the
road and our tender show ng no affinity to the
track, few it twice, within two miles. But growl,
ing, swearing, prying and jack 'screwing set us
right and notify we sped on five full miles, we don't
believe it was one inch less. when 10, our locomo-
tive left the main track and turned into an invi-
tingly open switch, and bounded with its unfortut
nate, laundering tender of the track. to the dismay
of al on board. Fortunately we were going slow,
else the consequences might have been serious to
life or limb. Our conductor dispatched two Irish.
men on foct for another locomotive FIVE miles off to
- -. 1000. -. II A.,,l .l;lo H.
few in nun.ber, sought, through mud and darkness,
refreshments in q village near By. A rail way Of
fcisl on board, with unexampled hospitality,
cautiously treated US us his guests, and after lead
ing !he way to the house of Refreshments quietly
paid the bill for the supper of the whole company.
4 most praiseworthy example, and one We COM
mend to railroad officials generally in such emer-
goncies. We do not recullect to have heard Of such
Il case of ospitWlity before nor since, except on
the following morning, when our examplar repeat.
ed this act Of courtesy at breakfast time to a part
Of our company Of passengers, among whom we
were fortunately numbered. This gentleman GER
tainly deserves promotion to the presidency Of the
company, aud for the sake of his own merits and
for the comfort Of all future passengers, We vote
for his promotion. Of course all grumbling was
a physical impossibility with passengers mouths
thus agreeably stopped.
Finally after q whole nights hard work Of the
railway hands and the following half days labor
speIt in getting on another engine before us which
too was Oft the track, and after o portage of some
10 rods over O torn up track, the spite work of a
rival road, VIC 6nally arrived in Chicago on Satur'
day evening, in good season to be too late for tho
last train down the Illinois Central RAILROAD, on
which we wished to travel. But by perseverance
we found and shipped" on board q friendly
freight train. and sailed on swimmingly till within
a few miles Of our destination, when all at once
the chatter Of engine and cars ceased and nothing
was heard but the bowling of the storm across the
bleak prairie, and neither conductor, breakman or
any ohe else appeared to give Information. We
patiently waited with full faith that in due time,
all would come right, somehow. Our experience
had favorably cultivated our faith and patience,
those noble virtues. But finally one Of our i'm pa
tient fellow travellers, more enterprising and not so
well schooled in rail way Universities proceeded to
investigate the cause Of delay, and presently re-.
turned with the information that our train of cars
had broke in two that our frolicksom steed had
gone snorting off with two,thrds of his load, leav.
ing our unfortunate hindmost fraction, Of three
cars setting quietly upon the track waiting for
something to turn up. This was q ludicrous d.
lemma, we had never plated, but it was re,
ceived with shouts Of laughter by two or three Of
the passengers who wor quite reconciled to their
lot by the prospect of thus avoiding being left at
their destination in q strange town, in the midst Of
a dark and stormy night. 1t must be confessed
that for once we we're numbered with these laugh,
ing philosophers, especially when it was asoer-
,nined Tint some Of the officers of the train were
about aud had placed signals before and behind
us, to warn any chance coming train not too rude
ly to disturb our me !itations. One nervous pas,
senger, however, declared the engineer worthy of
death for leaving us SO uueeremoniously behind,
while another very quiet gentleman with very black
moustache. who had previously talked only In
whispers, to his ~lady.iovc. now actually swore
aloud by St. George and divers other saints, and
walked about in a most nervous and excited man
ner. But finally a couple Of hours brought an end
30 oas suspense by returning US our locomotive