Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-04-20
A MILE A MINUTE.


tor at his work sending his light
ning flashes over hill and valley
without feeling a stronger hat,
THAN before for the men wb,
sneered at Franklin, calling him /
poor old crazy man, for the mer
who insulted the genius of Morse
calling him an idiot, for the mel
who laughed at Fulton when ht
10 d them he could make a steam
boat which would travel four miles
an hour.
l tested both telegraph anG
steam the other day, and the tria
served only 10 increase my res
pect tor them and for the mer
" no hourly hold them subservienl
to their will. Two years ago, The
Governor had his message III type
before coming tc Lansing at the
Iopening Of the session, and lie left
copies at Detroit where the news
papers could get them when q
telegram from Lansing should say
that it was being delivered before
the two houses. This Sc ,sion the
Governor failed to do this, and SC
the daily papers must get it the
best they could.
At three o'clock on Wednesday
afternoon, Mr.. Frank Russell, pri
vate Secretary of the Governor,
placed Copy of the message in
the hands Ct three correspondents
of the Detroit daiIies, with a wish
that they might get into Detroit
in time for the morning issue.
To the telegraph office.
"WiIl make ten thousand words
or more" says the operator, "and
will take ten hours TO telegraph.
Ten hours is a long time, when
a score OF compositors are waiting
for a rush OF a seven column
message, and I'm going to beat the
telegraph, speedy as it is.
Half a mile to the depot.
The locomotive Northwest" a
new engine, is standing on the
track, having just arrived with the
mixed" train.
agent, can l hire this engine
to run me to Jackson in time to
connect with the 4:30 Michigan
Central fast express east7
Hire an engine! Don't you
want to hire two or three national
banks besides ?" replied the agent,
laughing.
Il am in earnest. I'm going
to catch that express if money
sill do it. Ask the Superinten-
dent what he will let the "North.
west" for the trip"
Click! click! clic>
The current flashed over the
wires to Jackson, bearing the fol-
lowing:
Mr.. Watson-Reporter Free
Press wants to know if be can
hire locomotive Northwest to run
to Jackson in time to cOnuect with
4::30 express train east. He
wants to send in Governors mes
sage. OPERATOR. 3"
Click! click! click and in two
minutes the answer came back:
"Tell Reporter Free Press he
can hire engine for the trip. Tell
engineer to get him here in time,
if steam will do it. A. WATSON"
"Here, Tom, read that" sand
the agent, and in two minutes
more We were off.
Thirty.seven miles, and fifty
five minutes to go in, and section
men, wood train, and Valley Road
trains to look out for.
Whist! rush screaml and we
60 ahead.
The Northwest is pointed South.
ward and | am on the fireman sseat
holding on for dear life. Hank,
the fireman, keeps the bell going
each moment. Conductor Dore.
mus climbs up beside me. tom
holds the throttle with an iron
hand, and we are racing to beat
the telegraph.
''li ever | am rich, | want some
artist to paint me a picture.
want none of your landscapes
with meek cows and meeker calves
standing on rivers brink-nor a
boating party, nor a market scene,
nor a ship under sail with the sun
going down off her port quarter.
| want the picture to represent
the interior OF a locomotive cab,
tho fireman throwing wood into
the red mouth waiting to consume
it, with the engineer peering
forward like a sentry on picket,
hand on the lever that shuts off
or gives more steam, his face and
hands grimy with sweat and dust,