The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-01-11
JAN. IL, 1870.
CHASING RAILROAD TRAINS.

follows his experience In trying to take
q train in time:
1--WE stopped at Syracuse, New York,
for dinner. You remember the railroad
depot, centrally situated, with it's east
ern and western entrances exactly alike
las much SO as the two ends of car
After we had dined the depot master
informed us that we had seventeen min
utes to spare before the departure of the
eastern train. This, thought I. will give
me an opportunity to see the city and a
glorious chance for q smoke, provided o
clergyman could be tempted into such
piece of worldly and wasteful amuse-
ment I sauntered forth, and after an
absence of exactly thirteen minutes,
having enjoyed delightful and sooth
ing stroll, I was returning, watch in
hand, when, to my astonishment, be
held the train slowly gliding out of the
other end of the depot, and increasing
its speed at every puff of its gigantic To-
comotive. Here, indeed, was cali
that admitted neither correspondence
nor delay there was no time for taking
it into consideration So without con.
ferring with flesh or blood, put off like
a sky rocket with double fuse. For q
moment thought had it all my own
way; l thought l was gaining ground,
| although 1 knew 1 was losing wind. l
was encouraged in the race by sundry
helpful fellows who kept crying out as
passed, Go it CATERS! splucky boyn
he aint left, O, no! and other wells
meaning and benignant exhortations.
Though they intended, perhaps. helping
me over the course, found that the
more they shouted the less inclined I
MI f, n
the locomotive make terrible headway
against me. To give up che chase to
submit to the chagrin of being left; to
lose my party AID my passage; to meet
with disappointment and not to meet
with :i.ends, all this was bad enough
vat the thought of encountering, all the
way back to the depot, that line Of in.
terested individuals who, with their
cheering EXPLANATIONS, had so feelingly
encouraged me on my outward journey,
this was the bitterest pill in this unex
pected dose. But it must be done. so
tapering off gradually, gave up the
contest and turned back to meet my fate,
and-if I could find him-the depot
master whose blundering statements
were the cause Of all my rouble. With
out search that individual advanced to
meet me with the bland recognition of
fact that no one could well deny, well,
you got left, did you? p 1 replied only
with resentment of ssilencing eye.'
If looked as tried to look, my photo
graph taken at that instant would hardly
be chosen to grace an album gallery of
eminent divines Several bystanders
seeking Information, asked with a show
Of confidential interest in my case, sOn
what wise the thing had happened ? and
others wishing 'to point out a moral
advised me to be on hand little earlier
next time.' With returning breath re-
lief and words came together. and
squarely charged the railroad official
with all the blame. I spoke of his in
competency, in no measured terms, re~
calling how that after had placed my
party in the car he had assured me that
there were full seventeen minutes to
spare before the train went out. while |
here said I, with a triumphant exhibit |
ton of my watch, the seventeen minutes |
are barely up and the train is gone and |
out of sight After no little hot shot
cast back and forth, with the usual vari~
ations and final perorations Of you did |
and you didn't you're another ETC., / |
asked him whether / would be riskine |
another chance of beip g left if depend !
ed upon him to give me the exact hour |
of the departure of the nert Eastern train |
Eastern exclaimed he Yes. Eastern,'
replied /, with a decided upward and |
sarcastic infection. 'Why,' quoth he.
the train you've just been chasing with !
such poor luck wasn't an Eastern train, |
but the Western Express With much |
and increasing confusion and excite |
ment I stammered oat, Then where in |
Joppa as the Eastern train !? why, |
there it is,' replied he, 'iust getting un-
der way at the other end of the depot. |
Leg it, or you'll lose that fever l did |
make Dexter time made it then. ! |
passed right through the depot like the
wind. felt as if 1 was all legs One
glance, however, at the rear door of the |
last car as I was nearing it, came near
being too much for me. / discovered the |
sroup of my long lost friends, whose
forms and faces seemed bursting with |
poorly suppressed and ill timed mirth. |
AS l reached safely, the platform, the
fire that opened upon me could only be
cqualled for its merciless effect by the |
fire in the rear, from which had provi-
dentially fed. heard jibes, and jokes.
and jeers / heard the hoarse laughter |
of tull-chested men, the hysterical ef-
forts of mirth exhau sted women. They |
uau oAl WItucSSSu my Cu1Sc atIoT L00 |
wrong train now fearful lest 1 should |
overtake it, and then rejoiced at my |
evident lack of what jockeys call bot
tom,' as my speed began to slacken and |
my chances with the locomotive began |
to grow small by degrees and beauti-
fully less. They had witnessed the |
blowing up administered to the depot |
master, the strange procra stination in |
starting for the right train, until at |
length / had entered upon q second |
stern chase Ther they feared 1 was
left again, as they looked with breath
less interest at the unequal contest of
legs versxs q locomotive They had |
Witnessed my final triumph, but how |
gracefully was welcomed, and with
wh at faelinua rocaiuad fhnir noonlia.