Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-09-15
[From the Literary Emporium.l
SEVENTY MILES AN HOUR.

SEVENTY MILES AN HOUR.
I had spent a night in a stage, day in
the saddle, night in sleeping-car half
day doing business half day in bed, and
was, after supper enjoying a cigar and
newspaper in the reading-room of the R
House, in F., Indiana. The newspaper
was uninteresting, or else l was rather
sleepy--and ] guess it was little of both;
so that soon neglected it to watch the fam
tastic curling of the smoke from my fine
favored Principe. l didn't feel much like
talking, and felt still less like reading but
l did feel as if would like exceedingly
well TO hear good story.
had barely come to this conclusion, and
commenced wishing for some one of my ac-
ouaintances to amuse me until the time was
UP for the train which was to take me to
c., when recognized, in the person
who sat next to me- fellow-traveler in the
sleeping-car Of the night before.
He was a very agreeable-looking little
man, with o clear gray eye, light hair,
sandy whiskers and smiling mouth. Indeed,
he had so much the appearance of the man
that | would like to hear tell story, that l
thought Dame Fortune had smiled upon me,
when he recognized me with genial,
'How dye do stranger?'
I returned his salutation and asked him
some common-p place question about how he
had enjoyed the ride we took together.
He said something in reply about the run
ming being too fast for the poor track; and
from this the conversation ran upon fast
travelling in general, for some time, At
last 1 remarked that sixty miles an hour
was the most speedy travelling that had
ever done. Whereupon my friend informed
me, with pleasant but knowing smile,
1hat he had travelled considerably faster
han that, and, in fact, faster than he had
ever heard of beside.
OF course | was anxious to know where,
when and how he had done it, and after
The modest assurance that he feared his tale
would not be interesting, my friend re-
lieved my anxiety by relating the following
story:
II am railroad engineer. In '57, dur
ing the great panic l was running on the
F. and G. R. r. The railroad companies
were growing tender, in all directions.
Every day we heard of new failures; and
quite often in quarter where we least ex-
pected it. Our road was looked upon as
one Of the most substantial in the nation;
nobody seemed to have any great fear that
it would fail to survive the general smash
up. But yet l did not fully share in the
general confidence. Wages were cut down;
arrearages collected; and a great many
other little matters seemed to indicate to
me that the road had got into rather deeper
water than was agreeable all around.
Among other things, the master mechanic
had told me, in the Spring, that the com
pany had ordered four first quality Taunton
engines for the Fall passenger business
The road was put in the very best eendi
ton, and other preparations were made tC
cut down the time, and put the trains
through quicker than was ever known be
fore, when the new engines should come
Well, there was but one Of the new engine
came.
81 said there was but one engine came
and she was, in my opinion, altogether tn
best ever turned out at the Taunton Works
And this is as much as could be said il
praise of any engine She was put in IN,
charge Immediately, with the understand
ing that she was mine.
at was Saturday when she came out o.
the shop, and was to take a special train
up to Y. The train was to carry up the
president and several Of the other officers
Of the road, to meet some officers Of anothel
road, which crossed ours there, and arrang,
some importrnt business with them. hat
no trouble at all making forty miles al
hour going out. The engine handled her
self most beautifully. We were just hold
ing up at Y, when Aldricb, the treas
urer who had come out On the platform
put the brake on, slipped and fell. AS "
we're yet under good headWay, he was yer
much injured, and was carried to the hott
insensible.
According to the presidents direction
switched off my train, turned my engin,
and stood ready to start back to C at
moments notice.
"Aldrich's presence was Of so much in
Iortance, that the business could not b
transacted without him. So all those ha
brought out except the president and Alt
rich, went back to C on the thre
o'clock express train. This was the las
regular train which was to pass over tn
road until the following Monday.
early in the evening, left machin
IN charge Of my fireman, and vent over /
an eating-house to see if could not spen,
the time more pleasantly than on my en-
gine. The hours dragged themselves ava
slowly, l was taking game Of domino
win the station agent, when in came Rot
erts, the president, in state Of great el
eitement.
Harry said he to me, 4 want you
put me down in c. at twelve O'clock
"As it was near eleven o'clock. and Il
distance was seyenty-hVe miles / thouel
he was joking at first; but when We cot on
side the door, he caught me by the arm. AZ
hurried me along 50 fast, saw he was
earnest.
"Harry, said he, if you don't set I