Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-07-19
Chasing IA Phantom.

wants to be very particular about it, the
Canada Southern Railroad was being built
They were laying rails on the main line
and had it finished about forty miles w, st
of st. Thomas. AT the unfinished end were
Il wild ganm of fellows vino worked hard
all day and carou>cd to all hours in the
night in their boarding house On wheels.
One night the wilderness would re-tcho
the sounds of several violins and the shouts
of laughter; the next all would be silent.
track Of steel was AL that remained of
the young mrn-goinT west us last a> they
could. Old No. |, that now haulS freight
trains from Amherst burg to Bufllo, WAS
the pioneer engine. and kept the workers
in supplies. and shifted the sleeping and
hotel cars over the space finished during
the day, and rs the distance to ST. Thomas
increased No l had to puff along livelier
over the half finished track. but n" acci-
dent ever tefcl il; it took things philo>oph-
lc;tllV, and never went on Il bust. One
Saturday the engineer asked me TO take Il
trip TO st. Thomas. and rs | knew the
condition of the track babe Il fearful fare
well to my friends, gave 4 few directions
a. 10 the disposal of my worldly affairs and
started.
There were three Cthcrs Oh the train
Henry; | may abbityi;,te these appelll-
lions rs proceed with this sad narrative.
We logged along quietly To- 81. Thorn X,
the untv excitement being running into Z
cow. and then the excitement WIS monop-
olilrd mostly 10y the COW. 1t was dark when
We left St. Thomus, and lht iyht was Wet
50 We crowded into the engine cab. We
ratified along through a Canadian wilder
.4,,l tb., NJ
the bell rope and I;tzilt pulled the bell 70
and flo. tor the track VAS unftnceI and
We had 10 give continued warnin"
Of our coming; b'.~i.i,.-, the tngin,
WAS running backward. rs there was no
turn table III st Thoila~ Besides the OF.
diu1rv lrtdIi4ht. there wt> one p"rrhcd
on lh,.tpp of the cab which shpne back
wards aud by The light Of tbi> on tA'
gli~tuin1 rail- W. now Travelled. Wher
wr struck into the forest primcNal, th'
wood, were, cleared away iu>t enough t,
allow lhc track - no built. and the We
branches OF the "v,l hanging trees scral,-,
alunr the engine. ana the headlight lila
minated a long arcade ahead that locke,
like 4 green >unncl and once I herd @
startled deer jumped acro>- the track on'
after another. looking like the pictures
DICK WAS ju>t commencing To tell abou
how h, chased a buffalo once, on the | II
ion Pacific. when lom cried out: 'Ihcre'
4 squirrel or something on the track: let
lun II Gown \ few rods ahead of tn,
engine M some small :tuInal lumpin;
from IL, to tie and runninr about as tt>t i
We wcrr We :hl commenced throwin;
sticks # wood IL Il. and >uccceIed i
tt,1- Ba ..,4I.f ftIl.r htb ~
ctf,rt-. and ,,ryW on 4 coGpi, more not he
.ot ~tcun bat the lttlr creature crcp
ahead. Sometimes We seemed almost n
to Il. sometimes il disappeared in The dlrh
nc-> ahead. BIT it never LIFT the track
some fascination kept it between the Rails
Running il will! rac,- tot lite. The Grivel
nIth :, keen eve :thc;td. gave the cnIn
more ana more Steam, till our pace be
came terrific Obi No. / >wavtd to an
fro Ike hip in IN storm. lhc bell ran
out oi il own acculd - We rushed :,Iun
! through tn- ni4ht each of u clinging L
some object in whose stability We had ( IN
tidcucc.
An! Sill tl.tt strange object kept thea'
Of ~ some one suggested th1t it lniyil
have been 4 4hu>t Turing u on 10 dc>,ruC
tion. but the driver resolved, like lltmlc
L. follow il. and probably max" four gho>r
/ where one WUu,d have done iI>t - We'll
{ 50 h.. threw ON All The steam the cn-in
- would take. ana then We fairly flew ONt
he track; onward. with the speed Of th
- l.rltninr and the roar of thunder. seattle
: luy iirr III "Ir wtkr and piercing IN
y gloom ah, .ld with our qulverinT hctdllTh
. while the >hrirk of the whistle startled II
=. country / miles around. Now t",trln
" thrnl,h tn. tur,.>' then rushing Uut ln'