Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-01-13
w. d. WALLACH.
SEVENTY MILES AN HOUR

nad spent night In stage, day in the
saddle, night in a sleeping car, half day
after supper, enjoying cigar and a newspa.
per in the reading room Of the R. House,
in p, Indiana. The newspaper was usin.
teresting, or else was rather sleepy-and /
guess it was little of both-so that / soon ne.
elected It to watch the fantastic curling of the
smoke Of my fne-favored Principe [ fdidn't
feel much like talking, and felt still less like
reading; but did feel as If would like az.
ceedingly well to hear a good story
L had barely come to this conclusion, and
commenced wishing for some one of nv sc-
qualntaRces to amuse me until the time was IN
for the train which was to take me to c.
when recognized, in the person who sat next
10 me fellow-traVeler in the sleeping car OF
night before.
He was very agreeable-lsoking man, with
clear gray eye, light hair, sandy whiskers,
and smiling mouth. Indeed, he had SO much
the appearance Of the man that woulk like
TO hear tell a story, that ! thought dame for
tune had smiled upon me, when he recognized
me with genial
How dye do, stranger?'r
L returned his salutation, and asked him
some commonplace question about how he had
enjoyed the ride We took together
de SAID something in reply about the run
ming being too fast for the poor track; and
from this the conversation ran upon fast trav-
cling in general, for some time At last I re-
marked that sixty miles an hour was the most
speedy travelling that 1 had ever done Where
upon my friend informed me, with a pleasant
but knowing smile, that he had travelled con-
slderably faster than that, and, in fact, faster
than he had ever heard of beside.
Ot 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 relieved nv
anxiety by relating the following story:
am a railroad engineer. In '57, during
the great panic, was running on the F. and
G. K. K. The railroad companies were grow
ing tender, in all directions Every day we
heard Of new failures; and quite often in
quarter where We least expected it. Our road
was looked upon as one of the most substantial
In the nation; nobody seemed to have apy
great fear that it would fail to survive the
general smash-up. But yet did not fully
share in the general confidence. Wages were
cut down; arrearages collected; and q 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 company had ordered
four hrst-quality Taunton engines for the fall
passenger business. The road was mt in the
very best condition, and other preparations
were made to cut down the time, and put the
trains through quicker than was ever known
before, when the new engines should come
Well, there was but one Of the new engines
came.
said there was but one engine came. and
she was, In my opinion, altogether the best
ever turned out at the Taunton works. And
this is as much as could be said in praise of any
engine. She was put in my charge immedi-
ately, with the understanding that she was
mine.
"It was Saturday when she came out of the
shop, and l was to take a special train up to
Y. The train was to carry up the presi-
dent and several Of the other officers of the
road, 70 meet some officers Of another road
which crossed ours there, and arrange some
important business with them. I had no
trouble at all making forty miles an hour going
fully. We were just holding up at Y when
Aldrich. the treasurer, who had come out on
the platform to put the brake on, slipped and
fell. As we were yet under good headway, he
was very much injured, and was carried to the
hotel insensible-
According to the presidents directions, I
switched on nay train, turned my engine, and
stood ready to start back to C at mo-
ment's notice.
Aldrich's presence was OF so much import
ance that the business could not be transacted
without him. So all those that had brought
out, except the president and Aldrich, went
back to c. on the three o'clock express
was to pass over the road until the following
Monday.
early in the evening left the mschine
in charge Of my fireman, and went over to an
eating house, to see If / could not spend the
time more pleasantly than on my engine. The
hours dragged themselves away slowly. was
taking game Of dominoes with the station
agent, when in came Roberts, the president,
IN q state Of great excitement.
Harry, said he to me, I want you to put
me down in O. at twelve o'clock
Gas IL was near eleven o'clock, and the dis
tance was ssventy-fve miles, I thought he was
joking at first; but when we got outside the
door be caught me by the arm and hurried me
along 50 fast saw he was earnest.
Harry" said he, "if you don't set ms
down in c. by twelve o'clock, 1 am
ruined man, and this road is ruined road
Aldrich is dead, but he told me before he died
that he had embeszled from time to time, fift,
thousand dollars Of our money; and his CLERK
is TO start on the twelve O'Clock boat frou
c. to Canada. If We don't have tha
money on Monday morning to make som:
payments with, the road goes into other hands
and if you put me down in c. at the righ
time, so that save the money, you shall hsy,
i've thousand dollars. Understand it, Harry
Five thousand dollars! !"
"0f course understood it. saw now th,
reason why the wages had been cut down;
NnooLeSOOu " auu OiOOd OOlleQ. i lei
that would save the road If lived, and tolc
Roberts 30.
See that you do it, Harry" be replied, a
he climbed mp the steps Of the coach whicl
was coupled TO my engine.
al sprang mp into the foot board, got up th,
switch-tender to help my fireman, opened tn,
throttle, and just as she commenced meying
looked at my watch. 1t was just clever
o'clock, 80 that had one hour to make m,
seyenty-fve miles in.
"From y toe there were few curve
In the road but there we're several heav,
grades. was perfectly acquainted with ever!
rod Of it, 90 that knew exsctly what had 4
encounter; and when saw how the engin,
was moving had very little fear Of the result
"The road, for the first few miles, was al
air line, and 50 smooth that my engine iev
along with scarcely perceptible jar. wa
90 busy posting myself as to the amount o
wood and water aboard, etc., that we dances
by the first station almost before / was awar,
Of ii, having been fve minutes out, and haviny
i've miles accomplished.
"'You are losing timen yelled q voic,
from the coach i looked around, and ther,
akood Roharts uith his uatnh in his hand