Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1874-09-15
Misttuanp.


uctlul story oil SUCCESSFUL UAl my. VIII
narrale it as nearly as can in his own
words. have heard him tell it otten:-
well, gentlemen, L say you'll think it's
lie. but can't help that; you have asked
me to tell it; and all eau say is it you'd
been in my place you'd have seen it.
al had been driving the Witch for
about seven months. and a sweet thing
she was. never was half SO fond OF an
engine as was OF her. She was the kind
OF machine q man only gets once in
lifetime.
"She made her steam quick, was easy
on fuel. started of lively and went like
deer. Her offenders were sixteen inch,
her stroke twenty-five and her drivers
seven feet six. aud she was as Kind 70
handle as baby.
TO see her run OF with heavy load,
light and gay, was enough to shame the
Juno, Venus aud Helen. and other eigh
teen inch machines.
"She never wanted liking up. Venus
was always going in and out OF the shop
10 be titivated, and il there's anything l
don't like, It's an engine that all the tune
wants 10 be titiyated She was always
ready and willing tor work. Why, bless
you, She was only washed out for the
sake Of clcanliness-she didat need il
bit.
"She was the tidiest thing ever set
ewes oa-secmed Is though dirt wouldn't
stick % her.
''Wel, what am going to tell came
OF years ago. before Lett the old coun
Try. and 8, was one Of The best railroads
single track then, though its got three
now, and four in some spots.
well. the Witch and were put on
the malone Of the fastest trains; and
they wen; ike sixty in those days.
1.-The engineer was fined shilling for
every minute he lost. lie dared not go
SOW tor fog. unless he wanted to lose his
days pay. lie had to keep right along
and sec things before be got in sigh, OF
'em.
1--WE were running north one darkish
'g.atry day. and were making our best
sreaks. l should reckon we were going
about fifty miles an hour.
Il was saying to myself she's going
her preltiest, when we suddenly shot
ahead rs il we had been fred out Of n
cannon.
Il knew what tina, meant. We had
broke looSe-we nadnt ear behind Us.
The coupling had broken between the
tender and the first coach.
GLOW we flew, to be sure whistled
the guard to break up the train. How We
bounded along.
- could make out no objects alongside
we seemed to 60 faster and faster
We must have 20, IS fast rs one hundred
miles an hour.
at was a straight piece OF track Tor
some miles. did not shut of steam
directly after we broke. for did not want
the train to run into Us. which might
happen ii they did not hear me whistle
for brakes.
Ii was lucky KEEP, her going; Tor. just
rs I had had about enough OF flying. a
man started out about GOO yards before
Us holding red flag.
There WAS nothing in the way, so l
knew something must be wrong with the
track.
You might as well have tgied to stop
a whirlwiud Us The Witch in that dis.
lance, rs her speed was lrightlul.
There wasn't much time TO think. and
as we couldn't stop. the faster we went the
better; so gave her what more steam
there was. she seemed to have GO in
reserve. for We sho; past the red lag like
q flash
81 saw men standing horror-struck.
"'Bi.l,' 1 said. quick. get on the coke,
and see what's ahead
"Ie looked and went back deadly pale,
toitered and fell back in faint.
by this time could see plainly enough
wha, was wrong.
"Ihere was gap in the track where q
bridge bad gone down.
You can fancy my feelings Just then,
going to deatb-swift and terrible-at
about two miles a minute-getting nearer
and nearer. thought OF my wife and
chiid-an instant more-the gap!
"'God have mercy shrieked.
'Well, would you believe il? That
engine Just cleared the gap!
1t was fifteen feet across and about
sixty feet deep.
"She jumped that gap like a stag, and
whats more, she struck the rails all right
on the other side and kept right along,
just as if she had not noticed the gap.
Il stirred Bill up. aud with both Of US
e. the brake, we managed at last to stop
the Witch
"She was on a tear that day. but had
not the slightest idea that she would Jump
the gap-that's a fact"
DO TOadS Rain Dorm.
The Boston Journal says; a few days
since we copied a paragraph from an