Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-01-08
A LIGHTNING.


An incident of Railway Travelling.
Tx. c. Journal of Commerce.
what time does the train 60 south on
the Missouri, Kansas and Texas, from
Fl. Scottg
Eleven O'Clock tonight, sir
And there is no train going out from
here till morning.
None, sir
What time is it now:?'
"A quarter to nine.'
Look here,' said the Texan 'Ill give
you a cool hundred to land us two, my
friend and me, in Fort Scott in time for
that connection
Pm afraid it cannot be done,' said the
agent; but 1 will telegraph the superin-
| tendent.'
In less than five minutes the order
came:
Send No. II and a single coach for
n hundred dollars, connection to be
made or money refunded
Will you go along for company?' said
the Texan. addressing the writer, or is
| your life insured? At five minutes to
nme the bell rang and we were off. The
special consisted of an engine and one
coach, with a crew of the conductor, en-
gineer, fireman and brakeman, with the
two Texas drovers and myself as pas
sengeIs.
Orders were telegraphed to sidetrack
all trains till we passed. Being coupled
directly to the tender, the coach felt ev-
cry jerk and jar as the engineer gave his
iron horse the steam.
Olathe. twenty-five miles out, was
reached in thirty-nine minutes. AS the
depot with its lights shot past, the con
| ductor said to the brakeman Mike. you
had better crawl over that tender and
tell Jim he must tear her wide open ;
this is no freight train Mike obeyed.
and 4 minute afterward we seemed to
leave the track and cut straight through
the air. The lamps blew out and left
of sparks blew back against the Win
the seats and trying to smile, although
the situation distorted the effort into
CHASTITY grins, as we thought OF the odds
against us in that wild ride.
Three times the conductor re-lighted
the lamps, only to have them extinguish-
ed a moment atterward. At last he
gave it up and sat down. and we were
alone in the darkness. The wal of the
wheels, and the screaming Of the steam
prevented a word of conversation or a
jest-there was no help for it, we were
elected.
A prolonged whistle, a kissing Of the
brakes, and we stopped at Paola to take
water.
The engineer took his oil can and
lamp and made a hasty examination of
the journals and oil cups, while the con-
ductor went round to the headlight to
consult his watch. We had a moment to
get up and shake ourselves before the
spout swung up with a creak, and we
were on the GO again.
DO you think we shall make it?' one
ventured to inquire of the conductor.
Certainly, unless we have a hot box,
or the engine sings her babbit, or some
thing of that sort happens ; we ask no
odds; she hasn't stretched herself yet
dye see that, and that, and that?' he ex-
claimed, as pent up steam was turned
with tremendous force onto the machin-
cry, and we bounded away as when a
spirited horse feels the keen lash.
Jim is on his mettle; this is a run for
u lCPuIdGlOu, yOu hLON. Lib ltoC It,
mark was shouted at us, although he was
only a step away. Station after station,
bridge after bridge, train after train,
deep cuts and high establishments and
cracking tressels were passed in a
twinking, and far back into the night
hung a tunnel of fire and smoke, through
which our fiery courser had sped. At
last a shrill whistle to the east of us,
which was quickly answered by 4 tri-
umphant blast from our engine, and we
drew up to the platform just in time tor
our drover boys to catch the Texas ex-
press. 'Une hundred miles in two hours
and four minutes, with one stop for wa
ter. l told you so,' said jim, as he af-
%tectionately patted his painting engine.
A. l..
The discovery of a boiling lake in the
island of Dominica has excited much
scientific interest, and Investigations of
the phenomenon are to be made by
biologists. 1t appears that a company
exploring the steep and fo~rest-covered
mountains behind the town of Rousseau
came upon this boiling lake, about $500
feet above the sea level, and two miles
in circumference. Onthe wind clearing
away for 4 moment the clouds of SUI
phurous steam with which the lake was
covered, a mound of water was seen ten
feet higher than the general level of the
surface. caused by ebulition. The mar
| gin Of the lake consists of beds of sul-
pher, and its Overlooking found exit by
L waterfall of great height.
Proctor Knott. of Kentucky, chairman
of the House Judiciary committee, is
well known to Missouri people. While
a young man, he was a member of the
lower house of the Missouri legislature
and acquitted himself creditably as
chairman Of the Judiciary committee.
In : he was elected attorney general
OF the state. lie was principal manager
In the impeachment trial of Judge Al
bert jackson. After the breaking out of
the war. he removed to the state which
he now IN part represents, where he has
built up u lucrative practice as a lawyer.
lie is L witty speaker. lie was in con
gress 4 few Years since when he made
his famous Duluth speech, and he re-
turns to congress this session after an
absence OF two years.