The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-08-25

it. Jimmy d been married jes' week
afore, an | know'd how much ne thought
O. that little woman O his'n. had a
wife n seven children. 1t was kinder an
old thing with me, bat there wasn't no
spot to me like that little home O. mine
an its contents.
GO If they don't turn tn switch, jack
says Jimmy good-byn
a. He stuck out his hand. / know'd
what he meant l ketch'd hold n his
hand and we bid each other good-by! N
all the time we was sweepin' like the
wind toward the station, with the blazin'
tiend only ten feet behind me. N, thank
Cod they did turn the switch, an we
shot in on tn Shore track, tore by the
depot like rocket, an on through the
town, an on up the road. We know'd
then that the express had been warned
of our approach. We soon outstripped
the burnin' cars, they losin' the momen-
tum of the grade. We slowed our brave
ole gal up by degrees, an stopped within
hundred yards o tn express that lay in
the track waitin' for the upshot o. the
race Jimmy n me got off, but tn mex
we knOw'd we didn't know nothin'. We
tainted dead away, and when we come
to was both of Us home, safe and sound,
but terribly shook up, now i tell you.
THE two hoss-keepers was both I'M
conscious IN the box car. If they'd
know'd the other dangers we was in aside
from the burnin' cars, dose me if don't
think they'd "a died. The bosses was
badly cut up, and so unstrung that |
't 4 Ill
our escape from collision with the south
express had been more luck than man
agement. The express was minute
late. The engineer see the blaze o the
oil cars tearin' down the mountains, an
he know'd what the matter was t once.
But he didn't calculate that we was tear
in down with any such fearful speed, and
he thought we could get to the depot n
out o the way fore he reached it. He
| got within mile O. the station n see he
corldn' make It, an stopped, an backed
away to give us room. If he'd been on
time-well, it amt tall likely I'd be a
tellin' you O this-'n therd been more
widders n orphans in the country to-day
than there is. BY bull headed luck the
engineer Of the up.freight train made his
sidin' in time t git out'n our way.
"The oil cars was left to burn up, o
course. They burned three hours, an
the express had to lay off till they got
through. The luckiest part o the whole
| thing was the bra&emen at the summit
havin' sense enough to cut off the pas
! senger cars an stop 'em. S'pose they'd
a stayed with the oil car! They'd a been
on fire in less than minute, and, as they
tore down that hill at lightning speed,
hundreds of human beings d "a been
roasted in that quarter # mile O fire.
1--WE been good while tellin' you
about this Circumstance, but how long do
you s'pose it was happenin'? Well, from
the time we left Mayville summit to the
time Jimmy n me shinted b'yond Brocton
was jes' 'leven minutes n twenty sec
onds? had the time we started, and
one O. the boys looked at his watch when
we dropped. We mad run over fifteen
miles"
sit seems strange to me" ventured
to remark, THAT you didn't jump from
your engine, as you might have done, at
| the start"
What! leave my engine! I'd as soon
think O. desertin' my wife in trouble as
| t quit my engine when there's difficulty
ahead of her | amt no brag, but #
ever they find old Jacks engine down
the bank r smashed to smithereens,
they'll find old Jack, r a piece of him,
not far way from her. "-Dunk5rk (N.
~ Cor. ". T. Sun.