Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-12-29
3fliscelIanu.
A Ride for Life.

There occurredon the Oregon and Cal
ifornia railroad. between this city and
Salem, one of the most thrilling railroad
incidents we have ever heard of. The
following particulars, furnished by an
eye witness, may be relied upon as true.
When the down train came near one
of the stations on the road, it was run
ming at full speed, in order to make up
time, as it was few minutes behind
The road at this point runs through a
cut something more than mile in length
and in entering it, the road makes a
curve SO that the engineer cannot see
entirely through it. He had hardly got
ten into the cut before be saw a woman
riding leisurely through it, and with per-
feet nonchalance using the center of the
track. She was not more than half way
through the cut, and barely quarter of
mile ahead of him. He Immediately
whistled "down brakes" and then sound
ed the warning.
The woman hearing the peculiar death
whistle of the locomotive, looked over
her shoulder and saw the train rushing
at her. She did not shrek. nor faint,
nor give up all hope, but like true
Webfoot, her courage rose equal to the
emergency, and without moments hes
itation, she commenced swinging her
riding-whip from one shoulder of her
steed to the other, thereby urging him to
exert his utmost speed. The whip, and
perhaps the shrieking of the steam whis-
tie, caused the animal ridden by the lady
to do his best, and he made about as
rapid time as any animal even seen in
Oregon but each instant the iron horse
gained upon the one composed of blood
and muscle.
The shrieking Of the locomotives
whistle caused the passengers to look
out of the windows. and upon their dis
covering what was the matter, the Wild
est excitement ensued. Several jumped
forward and seized the bell-rope, and
commenced pulling it as if they could
stop the train by that means. The brake
men were exerting all their strength on
the brakes, and the engineer had cut oft
the connection and was doing all that
he knew to stop the train, while the wo-
man was doing her best to make that
bit of horse-fesh rise to the speed of
4" Helmbold," but all in vain the loco
motive kept gaining on the horse and its
rider, and there was hardly person on
the train who did not expect that both
the woman and horse would be killed.
There was perhaps thirty feet inter-
vening between the cowcatcher and the
horses heels when, fortunately for the
woman, she observed place which was
a little wider than usual and with a
steady rein, guided the fleeing horse from
tuC tfdSh dhu CuuCdNOICu W press MIN
against the wall of the cut in order that
the train might pass by without injury.
In doing this, the woman was encourag-
ed by Mr.. Sam. Winans, the conductor
who had run forward and got out on the
locomotive. A few seconds only passed
by when the fiery monster poked its nose
past the rump of the horse. AT this mo-
ment, Mr.. Winans threw his whole force
against the animal and held him until
the train stopped, and then rousing
cheer of qualification and joy at the es-
cape of the woman from terrible death
was given.-Portland Oregon Bulletin.
WEDDINGs.-First anniversary, iron
second, pewter. third, paper; fifth,
tenth, tin; fifteenth, crystal
twentieth, china; twenty-fiftb, silver |
cotton thirty fifth, linen; for