Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1859-08-18
From the Home Journal.
Trip on the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad.
By n. p. WILLIS.
Mleuild. Mlu II, 1859.

lNJIl Vtus
BYN.P. WILLIS.
Hleuild, July u, 1869.
DEAR MORRIS To be invited to make
trip in one of the private vertebrm in the tail
of a comet, would, fifty years ago, have been
thought AS probable, AS to be asked (as had
the happiness to be, week or two ago. to
make one of party who should occupy
suite Of private apartments for week in
railway trip across the Aleghanies, from Bal
timore to Ohio. might better have said
three vcrtebre, it is true; Though, that in
first sentence, might have seemed rather a
comet strongly for our excursion apart
ments on the trip have just returned from,
where in three separate cars--dinng-room,
drawing and dormitory, each furnished with
its proper chattcls, luXuries and punctuaities.
But this dining in charming company, at
thirty miles an hour, and with all manners Of
wonders of scenery going on at the open
wndows-though | have returned from a
week of it's still held at arm's-length find
by that inner faith which commonly called
"realizing thing" | feel more as if had
dreamed of delightful party given by Pres
ident Arcturus and conducted by Major Ursa
ON new azimuth-track across the zenith
to the evening star. | will write about it;
but pray use no ceremony as to believing
what you find convenient!
To make Baltimore the front door to the
great Cathedral of the West, with a railroad
to the Ohio for the entrance to the broad aisle,
1.-THE aim and successful achievement of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the "THIR-
TY-oNE- MILLIoN-DoLLAR IMPROVEMENT
which we were kindly invited to take look
at 1t is the greatest single enterprise ofmod-
crn times; but it is curious that the man whose
far-seeing and marvellous beliefis now &C.
knowedged and honored as the main leve,
which achieved it, is of the same name as the
Scripture-tau1ed apostle of unbaief-THoMAs
Not only that, but it is PHILIP Thomas
Philip having been the other apostle of whose
limited faith our Saviour made an example,
in the question before the miracle of bread
| Truly. this great man has retrieved the names
of the two hesitating apostles
will prepartorily stretch your mind with
one more good-szed fact, believe, viz
that ten thousand dollars apiece is the aver
age cost of the tlcO hundred and Mirty-si.r
horses which travel thirty miles an hour and
carry freight and passengers over this route
1.-THE largest one, an engine with which they
overcome the stcepest ascent, weighing, thir-
ty-one tons) while the number Of vehicles, to
which they are harnessed in their different
"turn-outs," is nearly four thousand
And let me still anticipate little, (horses
being my passion,) by describing to you new
experience of my own, in n ride upon one o.
these iron steeds--not upon the creature.
back, but upon the instep Of his .fore.foot
technically called the "cow-catcher."
We had reached Martinsburg, on our re-
turn retracing in sixteen hours the four days
route of exploration, and, of course, travelling
at lull railroad speed-when our kind ollicia
entertainer Prescott Smith, pointing to Iii.
front of the ergne asked if | would like t,
ride there. The thought delighted me, o.
course; and / took my seat at once on the sor
Of gridiron wedge, in front of the locomotive
built for throwing to the right or left any
number of stray cattle on the track With
tho sun intensely bright and the thermometer
all day at ninety-lour degrees, my black iron
seat was not the coolest, and the glowing ad
miratlon of the crowd of Martinsburg boy.
who gathered around in the few minutes that
| sat alone on the cow catcher, in front of the
sultry station-house, made it promise, at first
to he too warm an experience Presently
however, | was Joined by another of our char.
ming party to whom my example had proved
tempting; and with Prescott Smith on OH,
side Of me and Thompson tof the Southern
Literary') on the other, felt little NOR,
reconcled to the risky possibility-that 0
being wiped off, with my two brother authors
by any coc that should gambler the track, O.
in other words, served up to Fate in terar,
sandwich with "forced cow-cumbcrs."
Well-thc iron steed gave his accustomed
snort, (which it takes pretty good ear-drum
to enjoy as you sit directly under his explo
sive diaphragm,) and off began to rattle tn
fore-foot we bestrded Behind gded TIN
streets and people of Martinsburg and tn
hot air along with them-for, to our exqusi
to delight, it grew cool enough in the sccon,
or third minute Smoke, cinders, and second
hand atmosphere, were all famed to the rear
With the accelerated speed, the rush of al
was strife OF unseen caresses, myriad o
soft fingers stroking back the hair upon enc
temples and pulling gently at the corners O
ones beard, like shampooing by the daugh
tiers of Eolus-(a little imaginative, perhaps
but remember there Were three authors ON tn
cow-catcher! while the handkerchief witt
which endeavored to blow my nose was S,
forced up my nostrils as to make me sneeze
, The 'slecpers," or braces across the rai-track
at first separate and distinct, confused into ;
solid plank Cow after COW came in sight
and, the next instant, had narrow escap,
Of our rather-be-excused bosoms-pig afte
pig, idem-idem hocks Of sheep, grazing hor
scs, drunken men aud Irish children. VIVA
gauntlet of accidents runs common COW
catcher, to be sure!
But, to be telegraphed in ones hat and
boots strangely removes some of ones earl,
prejudices The way we jumped chasms ant
SKINNED ponds-poppcd across rivers ant
cleft open hills-shot into caverns and unde
mountains, and spun away on the other lid
as if nothing had happened--skirted preci
pices and rounded bluffs-all at the sam
: pace and with no manner of recognition c
mortal mans common hindrance and obstacle
: Why, it amounted to "a fight of fancy!
1t was OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES fitting angel
! rand-going, Tor rather adams Express
before the Fall "a realization, in fact, Of tw
{ of my own once imaginative questions, in a
carly POEM
Arc ye thought-rapid? Can We fy as far,
As instant as thought
To which any rider on the cow-catcher of Oh
Baltimore aud Ohio" would new answs
:, "Yes-Sir-ee!"
Al we approached Hsrper's Ferry at fu
| 4 Il. - l.