The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-08-10

AT Ilc. L uOuBcu, anu LlcJ "chO uub VI
the car door and smashed. Then he
chuckled and went back to the engine.
i didn't like the idea of II drunken en-
gineer, but had to laugh ! at the fate of
the lanterns. If | had known how was
going to groan over their fate soon |
wouldn't have laughed then.
When got above Fishkill, thought
I'd let those who got on at one of the lit
tie stations ride free to the next station
while rode on the engine and lnvestiga-,
ted.
80 I got on the Corning and black
enough instead Of os civil as usual.
ioked him about his bad luck in making
the stations, and he growled out curse.
| asked him if he knew how nearly he had
got back into the lightning express time,
and he said he knew his own business.
The man was evidently drunk and surly.
| happened to put my hand down under
the cushion of the seat and felt bottle.
Pulling the cork out | smelled whiskey,
and onitetly threw it overheard. But
Mack saw me and cursed me for destroy
ing his property. What did you throw
that bottle away for it wasn't your rum?
he said at the end of an awful swear.
I'll tell you why said Pm conduc-
tor Of this train, and you are too drunk to
do your business right, and you'd get worse
and worse if you had bottle
Then he grinned a savage sort OF "a
grin, and quieted down into silent state ;
but he looked dangerous about the eyes.
You're conductor of this train, are
you I'll show you how much you have
to do with running it, says he and began
to slow up and we behind time already,
you know. | didn't know exactly what
to dove were getting dangerously near
the lightning express time-and while L
was debating, he suddenly blew brakes
with fendish chuckle, and stopped at a
station that the train never stopped at
before. looked al my watch and deter
mined to send brakeman back with a
lantern and stop the express. Just then
thought struck me that made my hair
stand up on end. There camta Ionter"
on the b-an--the drunken beast had smash
ed them all-there wasn't a soul at the
station, which was miles away from its
village the express didn't stop before ii
reached Poughkeepsie, so that | couldn't
leave word to caution it, and just then
heard its whistle a mile or two back. The
engineer heard it too, and laughed dia'
bolical laugh.
That decided me. caught up q
wrench and hit him back of his ear, and
he dropped like dead. dragged hi'
body Il didn't know then whether was
dragging a corpse or no) off the engine
and threw it down by the roadside anc
jumped on the engine.
Jimmy said |, the express is after
us Mack smashed all the lanterns-so w
can't stop her. Our only chance is rum
ing away from her-so cram in the wooc
and III open everything
i knew, by observation, how to opel
and how to shut off but of course couldn'
graduate the speed like Il professional
| opened everything, you may be sure
and away we jumped. 1t was curou
chase. To be hunted by locomotiv
don't fall to the lot of every one. Gu
engine was not so powerful II one AZ tn
express engine, and our train was quit
long 50 we crammed in the fuel and de
pended upon high pressure for our saliva
ton. OF course, never thought for
moment of stopping that side OF Pough
!, keepsie 80 we speeded past the stations
all lighted and filled with wonderin
faces.
/ Just after passing the second the gon
, On the engine drack--some one had pulle
the safety rope The freman's han
, went instinctively to the whistle to 'blo'
t brakes, but caught it. 1t was tn
most anxious minute of my life. If
did not mind the signal, and somethin
: was wrong and an accident should occu
| should always be blamed, even if di
5 not blame myself.-But if stopped, til
. express mi ght-probably would-ru
right into us. The pull didn't soun
n professionalism brakeman's. ltprol
Q ably was a jerk at the rope by passeng'
y who had been carried by his station
!, I'd chance it.
+ 'All this went through my mind lii
t lightning,as you may imagine-one thinl
quickly on such occasions--and caugl
i the freman's arm. He had never hear
: Of such. thing as disobeying the gon
g and stared. was too excited to spea
it but pointed to the fire, and he put
a more wood quietly.
u Well, to make long story short,
IS never blew brakes till the engine W
" opposite the station. Then | shut o
e blow one whistle, and went sliding up Il
l. road just as We stopped, the expires
.. whose station whistle had heard just b
n hind me, came up to the depot, and sto
d ped where the trains usually do. 1t
10 had minded the gong or stopped in fro
1t of the depot, I'd been smashed.
e You see there was no way to do b
r to run for it. We hadn't Il red light I
y the rear car; we hadn't lantern, N
ID couldn't get one, to send back to sigma
n the flag men were on strike, aud I
ii express didn't stop anywhere till it reac
y ed 2oughkeepsie, and she had got 80 clio
on to us when the engineer cut up as
k did, that couldn't stop at station n
rs send man back. Before he could ha
Or got far enough away they'd have be
,e SO close that they couldn't have broke l
~ in time, but would have come into us.
10 Il didn't know whether I'd killed Mi
ie or not, and took the 'owl train back, a
lie found him all right ms regards death, b
n, very sick from the dip I'd given him.
rt The company gave me this wat
ne when they heard of it.-New i"'h "
II per-.
rs A young German popped the questi
" to his beloved in Vienna per cable.
w A California paper says many iarm
ys in that vicinity cut of the top Of you