Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-08-19


A gentleman Of Richmond, who recont
y accompanied Mr. N. p. wlls and 9th
efs on an excursion over tho Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, gives The following aecoon.
Of q ride on cow-cateher
1--WE bad reached Mariinsimre, on our
return--rettacing 10 l6 hours the four days
route Of exploration, and. Of course, trayoi-
ing At full railroad speed--when our kind
official entertainer, Prescott Smith, point
ing to the trout Of tho engine, asked II I
would Ike 10 ride there. The thought de-
lighted me, Of course, and took my sea,
at once on the sort Of gidiron wedge, ia
front Of the locomotive, built for throwing
to the right OF left any number Of stray cat.
tie on the track. With the sun intensely
bright, and the Thermometer all day At %
deg, my black iron seat was not the cool.
est, and the glowing admiration Of the Mar
tinsburg boys. who gathered around in the
few minutes that sat alone ON the COW.
catcher, In front Of tho sultry siation-housc.
made its promise, at first, TO be two warm
an experience. Presently, however, l was
joined by another Of our charming party, 10
whom my example had been tempting;
and with Prescott Smith on one side Of me.
and Thompson (of the Southern LiieEafy)
on the other, felt little more rcconciled
10 tho risky possibility that Of being wiped
of with my two brother officers, by any coz
that should cHp.bcr The track. or in other
words, served up 10 fate in literary sand
witch with "forccd coweum6eys."
Well, tho iron sieed gave his accustomed
snort (which it takes pretty good ear drums
TO enjoy rs you sit directly under bis expio-
siso diaphragm) and of began to rattle the
fore-foot we bcstrided. Behind glided tho
streets and people of Martipsburg, and
tho hot air along with them---for, TO our
exquisite delight, il grew cold enough in
the second or third minute. Smoke, Gin
ders, aud secondhand atmosphere, were all
famed TO tho rear. With the accelerated
speed, the rush Of air was strife Of unseen
caresses, s myrid Of soft fingers stroking
back the hair upon ones temples, and pul-
ling gently at the corners of ones beard,
like shampooniug by the daughters Of
-Eolus--(a littlo imaginative, perhaps, but
remember there were three authors on the
cow-catcherl while the handkerchief with
which endeayored to blow my nose was
so forced up my nostrils as to make me
sneeze. Tho sleepers" or braces across
tho rai-track, at first separate and distinct
confused into solid plank. Cow after
COW came in sight, and the next instant had
narrow escape Of our rather-be-excused
bosoms-pig after pig, idsm-idem hOcks
of sheep, grazing horses, drunken men and
irish children. What a gauntlet Of Acci-
dents runs common eow-catehcr, TO bO
sure
But, to be thus autographed in ones bat
and boots, strangely removes some of onos
carly prejudices. The way We jumped
chasms and skinned pouds--popped across
rivers and cleft open hills--shot into cav
erus and under mountains, and spun away
on the other side as il nothing had happen
ed-skirted precipiccs and rounded bluffs
AL at tho same pace, and with no man
ner Of recognition OF mortal mans common
hindrance and obstacle. Why, il amount
ed to flight Of fancyP It was thought
trayel--ghost-hitting, angels erraud-goiug
(or rather Adams Express" before Tho
falD-a realization, in fact Of two Of my
own once imaginative questions in m carly
poem:
Are yethought-rspid7 Can yeay as far,
As instant as thought:
To which any rider on the cow-catcher Of
the Baltimore and Ohio" would now an
syvar ayes sir-aa -