Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-02-15

>''"t vas ouN VI llSdi lllS ttC til
gineer very mildly suggested that
"if one Of them drive rods breaks
and they are mighty apt to, yot
won't know what hit yer"
CUP AND Al 'uM."
We got the word to " "cut loose, :
and light ont for the deep cuts ter
miles ahead so leaving the train,
behind at small station we sool
opened a gap, and came in sight o
the snow cuts. We did Just as Gen
Kellogg does when he tries to jump ;
trout stream-we first went up to the
snow to look it over, then we rur
back two miles, in order to get mo
mentum, and we found all the mo-
mcntum our constitution can stand.
1t was the most n0ptent,tneSt mo-
mcntum we ever Spelienced ; and il
l.uciter in his fall through space, had
travelled ha@t 40 fast, he never would
have had breath lett for mischief.
Phewl ! how she went, faster ard
faster, till her breathing sounded like
the long roll, How she shook, and
shivered, and vibrated How her
nerves of steel and sinews Of iron
seemed working out her inward pas.
sion ! On, and on, like soreechng
shell, with the speed of a comet. and
power of a thunder bolt, till she leaps
into the cut, We have caught inspi.
ration from the impassioned monster !;
our whole organization of flesh aud
bones, of nerve and brain, is now a
part of iron and steel With tighten.
ed grasp and bated breath, we wait
the shock that must soon como. The
snow is reached F.; a binding wave
rolls back and breaks in white folds
over the struggling engine, and then
all is lost to view. We cannot see
each other now sounds grow muf.
fled motion becomes unstoad we
seem to reel and topple, then comes II
heavy thug, thug, thug, a final shock
that breaks our hold, aud all is still
save kissing steam; we were buried
in the " beautiful snow" 1t was n
gallant charge, and Wash Snow
knew it; aud il he had not said 80
much about "them drive rods break.
ing" and spoiIing our clothes, we
should reward him for his services.
Wen, we measured the first shot,
and found that we had penetrated
silty rods in sir feet Of Snoao, on an
cverage, and like the y Yankees horse
---" we were tharm
sArrERs AND MINERS.
Do yon know Pollard ! Amos Pol.
lard he was conductor Of the train,
and had been working up slowly be-
bind us it is not natural for him to
come up dehind any one, but this
was an unusual occasion ; he is too
frank aud open-hearted for that, and
never a swearing train passed over
his road ; he even makes disappont-
ed office seekers feel happy If they
'eturn by his route they catch some
of his smile and it sticks to them like
Spaulding's glue.
Amos brought up the "sappers
and miners" and after an hours
work we were shoveled out, and ifI
my one but Capt. Geo. Clinton had
Jecn running the business we would
ave staid out. Bat he learned un-
foreground railroading and tunncling
n escaping from rebel prisons, pluck !
md energy were born III him, so it
wasn't his fault, but If You wont to
Know more about him, ask Gen. Kcl--
ogg to relate the " capture and es
,ape ".-~ therefore we were ordered to
pack up and take another run at the
now cut. Well, we kept up this |
.unning sre all day, gaining ground |
very time, but while this was going |
IN in the front, the poor passengers
II the rear began to grow hungry
.fter feeding on hope till the stomach
rrew sick it was light diet, you
,now, 50 we made raid on 4" Bas.
,ome's grocery at Poynctte, and Sc.
,ured basket of eatabes, which We
passed round at o'clock in the after
lOon.
1t revived the dropping hearts and
rave v1gor TO the relaxing muscles,
t was no 20, darkness came on and
We were compelled to return to Por
age at 8 O'Clock ia the evening, after
run Of sixteen miles.
Who ever was sorry to reach the
COX House? When ! say that the
lays experience was worth q hun.
lrcd dollars, included the most Of it
II the bill of hospitality served at this
popular hotel.
Supper over Superintendent Gin.
on issued a proclamation to the effect
lat we would start for Madison at
',30 A. NJ. reinforced by another
reayy engine. Tho way he said it
,ayc us all renewed confidence, and
after good nights rest we were Oh
land next morning for biz but if we
,honld undertake to write all we
know, it would Gil volume suffice
/ 10 say we arrived at Madison at ]
P. NJ
We make the following statements
without fear, unless the parties weigh
more than We do. Namely The
officers Of the Madison 81 Portage
Road manifested an energy that
would keep the Union pacific clear
,f snow if they had chance. II
Judge Stewart and w. w. Corning,