Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-12-01
to your brakes.1

We left the depot and went
rafting on over the iron. Pas
sengers looked at, each other in
surprise and wondered what un-
der thejsun was the matter with
the Valley-if it had suddenly
awakened from its long sleep.
and now proposed to be a rail
road in earnest, t-,r., sa4--p
When the conductor cana
through the train and came a.
long by me, ,sI asked:
"What is sthe matter with
Gardiner this morning?"
"Oh," was tie reply, Che and
the old man hayehad blow out
this morning. You see our
train never makes connections
passengers always LAY over
and, of course the old man
called us into the office and the
whole thing was out: GaTdi-
ner talked like a father to them,
and az, he grew excited, he said
that it was criminal running the
road in the condition it was. He
told them the time table as made
up was fast even3or afrst-class
road, and five undertook to
run it, a fi'ightful accident could
not be avoided. When. Gardi-
ner said it was criminal to run
the road as it was, ,Supts Brown
was very hot. He fairly boiled
over. He, declared that there
was.no better road in the coun-
try, and that Gardiner was a
coward who ought to go on to
a gravel train, and if he didn't
make time he'd have him there,
too. The road was losing its
business and there had got to
be a change. Brown also said
that in Valley Creek, where he
lived, he had noticed that
the train always slowed and
lost time enough there TO lose
the connections. Gardiner re-
piled to this, that at the Creek
there was, a. down grade, the
bridge was unsafe, and he was
obliged to slack up for safety.
More than this, the track passed
through the play ground of the
Creek school, was notfenccd in,
and they could not go through
at a rapid speed withoutdang
to the children. -
Then Brown burst out with
an oath, that if parents did not
want their children run over,
they must keep them off the
track. 1t would be a good
thing to run over one or two of
them, as it would teach them a
lesson. Of course, he didn't
mean this, but he was "hot'',
you see, and did not know what
he did sayo o,Hea added, that
GARDENERS family lived near the
track, and that GardHlet,s sole
reason for slowing, was have
a chance to chat with them as he
went through. This set Gardi-
ner's anger on fire, ,Eand he then
and there declared that he would
make time, let the consequences
be what they might, and if dis
aster happened, Brown must as
sumo the responsibility" Y on
see he is keeping his word, but
the old fellow feels bad though.
We dashed on over the 'traiI
iron at a fi'ightful speed. You
could almest- hear the bars
crackle as we went. The cars
surged from East to " est, fore
ing passengers to fairly cling to
their seats. Not for second
did l leave my brake.
We were nearly down to Val
ley Creek on time. AS we ap-
preached the long stretch of
down grade, / felt by the shak-
ing that Gardiner had slackened
up, as'if the danger were real
ly too great and then, as if his
promise had come full up to his
mind, had again carefully opened
his throttle. Down the Valley
we went, our rapid speed start
ling the birds, the cattle, and
even the staid old forest trees in
to new and strange ideas. l
grasped the brake firmly; the
engine whistled and. screamed,
warning all to keep clear, of it.
/ held my breath, well knowing
that if we left the track it
would be to go to destruction.
Suddenly the whistle ceased,
and then there came three nm
earthly yells from 1T they
1 piercedsmy ears and made them
ache. Howl set up the brake,
for I felt there was danger
ahead. i knew this when Gar
diner suddenly reversed his en-
CINE. The shutting off, the re-
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