Nevada national., 1859-11-19
RIDING A COW CATCHER.

4 gentleman Of Richmond, who recently
accompanied Mr.. Y. p. Willis and others on
an excursion over the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad. gives the following account OF
ride on q cow-caicher:
We had reached Martinsburg on our re-
turn-reiracing in sixteen hours the four
days route OF exploration. and, Of course.
travelling at full railroad speei-when our
kind official entertainer. Prescott Smith,
pointing to the front of the engine, asked If
! would like TO ride there. The thought de.
lighted me. OF course. and took my seat at
once on the sort Of gridiron wedge, in front
of the locomotive. built for throwing to the
right or left any number Of stray cattle or
the track. With the sun intensely bright,
and the thermometer all day at "a degrees.
my black iron seat was not the coolest, and
the glowing admiration Of the Martinsburg
boys, who gathered around in the few min
utes that sat alone on the cow.catcher, in
front Of the sultrv station house. made il
promise, at first. to he too warm an expe-
rience. Presently, however | was joined
by another of our charming party, to whom
my example had proved tempting: aud with
Prescott Smith on one side OF me, and
Thompson. (of the Southern Literary'O on
the other, felt a little more reconcled to
the risky possibility that OF being wiped or
with my two brother authors-by any cor
that should ettni5cr the track, or. in other
words. served up to fate in literary sand
wich with forced cueum5ers."
Well, the iron steed gave his accustomed
snort (which it takes pretty good aar drums
to enjoy rs you sit directly under his explo-
sve diaphragm), and of began to rattle the
fore-foot we 6estrided. Behind glided the
streets and people af Mariinsburg, and the
hot air along with them-for, to our ex-
quisite delight, IL grew cold enough in the
second or third minute. Smoke, cinders,
and second hand atmosphere we're all fan,
ned to the rear. With the accelerated speed.
the rush of air was a strife Of unseen caress-
e., myriad Of soft fingers stroking back
the hair upon ones temples and pulling
gently at the corners Of ones beard, like 9
shampooning by the daughters Of Eolus-
"a lirtle imaginative, perhaps, but rsmem.
Der there were three authors on the cow
catcher D-while the handkerchiefwith which
l endeavored to blow my nose was so forced
up my nostrils as TO make me sneeze The
''sleepers," or braces across the rail-track,
at first separate and distinct. confused into
Il solid plank. Cow after COW came in sight.
and the next instant had narrow escape Of
our rather -be-excused bosoms--pig after
pig, idem-idem focks OF sheep, grazing
horses, drunken men, and Irish children
What gauntlet OF accidents runs com
mon COW catcher to be snre!
But, to be thus telegraphed in ones hat
and boots, strangely removes ones early
prejudces. The way we jumped chasms and
skinned ponds-popped across rivers and
cleft open hills-shot into caverns and under
mountains. and spun away on the other side
as if nothing had unprecedented preci.
pices and rounded bluffs--sll at the same
pace, and with no manner OF recognition OF
mortal mans common hindrance and obsta-
Gle Why, il amounted to flight of fan
cy" It was ht-travel-ghost-fttin
angels erIand-going Cor rather Adams
Express" before the fall)--a realization. in
fact. Of two of my own once imaginative
questions in On early poem:
"Arc We thoughi-rapils Can re iy ssfar,
A. instant thoughtf''
To which any rider on the cow-catcher Of
the Baltimore and Ohio" would now an-
swer. "Yes-sir-ee"