The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-06-30
Beecher's Ride.
MIDNIGHT MILE-A-MINUTE TRIP OVER THE
NEW YORK CENTRAL.

MIDNIGHT MILE-A-MINuTE TRIP OVER THE
NRw YORK CENTRAL.
While Henry Ward Beecher was lectur-
ing before large audience in Canandaigua,
N. Y, a short time since, a locomotive
stood steaming before handsome car ut
the depot, waiting specially to take the
speaker and Mr.. Pond, his manager, TO
Rochester, at the conclusion of the lecture.
Rochester is twenty-nine miles west of
Canandaigua and IL is the nearest point
wheIe a through sleeping car for New
York can be reached. John Houghtaling
the oldest conductor on the New York
Central railr ad, if not the Oldest in the
United States, walked impstiently up and
down the platform. The usual running
time TO Rochester Is an hour and ten min
utes; the train to be caught was due in
Rochester at 11;0S, and it WAS already
gu rter past ten. G ing up to where MIR.
Beecher was seated talking to some friends,
the lecture being over, the old railman said:
"We have little,time left, Mr.. Beecher."
"Plenty Of time, plenty of time, my
FRIEND" said Mr.. Btecher. "And If we
had only halt as much, such an old hand
at the business as yourself would bring US
through all right"
1--WE will have to run too fast TO catch
the tain now" said the conductor.
"None TOO fast IN snit me-" said Mr.
Beecher, very cody.
"But then there are such things as coal
trains and freight trains, and what not, in
the way" urged the conductor.
"And there are such things as telegraphs
to get them out of the way replied Mr..
Beecher.
"Well," said the veteran conductor in
despair, "if you like to ride fast, you shall
go from Csnandaigua to Rochester Kicker
than ever man went before; and / will
see that the track ID cleared"
A timely dispatch TO headquarters sent
two coal trains off on side switches, and
left the twenty-nine miles of track clear
for the flying special. 1t was 1890 exactly
when the wheels be"an to move, and the
gray-haired railroader stood his lantern in
the aisle and seated himself with thug,
as If he would have said, "When you want
| to 90 fast I'm your man."
In less than q minute the car was going
like the wind. 1t rocked, and swayed, and
| jumped, and waiting passengers rushed to
the depot doors as it dashed through vii
lagos and towns, leaving their sight almost
| before they could 81 t eyes ON it,
"We have just passed Pittsford," said
Conductor Houghtaling, watch in hand, in
a lew minutes, seventeen miles time,
| nineteen minutes IL seemed almost the
moment, when he added proudly:
| "We've crossed the Rochester line,
twenty-six miles from CananSaigua, in just
twenty-six minutes. I've run on this road
since the first train went over it, and l ney-
or came from Canandaigua TO Rochester 80
| quick as that before"
The engineer Stacked up little in going
the next three miles, through the suburbs
of the city, and the car stopped in the
Rochester depot at II o'clock precisely, or
just thirty minutes after leaving Canaan
daigua.
A large party were waiting in the depot,
knowing that Mr.. Beecher was expected,
ank a handsome parlor vas at once put at
the lecturers disposal by the proprietors
of the Crockett house.
The express for New York reached
Rochester about ten minutes later, and Mr..
Beecher was in New York, in time for
break fast, having lectured on Monday
evening in Syracuse, on Tuesday In Gou-
verneur. on Wednesday in WATERFOWL, be-
sides riding nearly all day on Thursday to
reach Canandaigua. Washington Capital.