Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-06-27

thought JakeS face looked little pale,
and perhaps mine did too. Now that
our purSuer did not halt at Jamaica, We
were entirely off our reckonings, and We
could make NO guess as to the cause OF
our chase, nor when it would end. The
prospect seemed that we might be driven
to the end of the road, if we We're not
overtaken and smashed before 1t could be
reached.
"'That's the Franklin, sure broke out
Jake once more. No other engine on
the road could overhaul us as we are 60.
ING now. What can that fool of a Simp-
son mean by driving her at such a rate:
He must be drunk. If the boss don't
break him tomorrow he won't get his
deserts lie will be into us IN two min
utes.'
10y GU right, Jake said I. Go for
ward and see if you cannot get up lit
tie more Roadway. Empty few of those
petroleum. on the wood, and pitch it
in, and see what can be done.
"N'hile Jake was forward On his en-
rend thought over the situation. Heie
/ was with a hundred or two passengers
under my care. all ignorant OF the danger
which l knew they were in. If we
should be overtaken and crushed in the
rear, the disaster would be serious one,
and would probably cause the death or
injury Of some Of the passengers. If we
We're not smashed ia this way, there was
another and perhaps greater danger be-
fore us. The train Of which I have
spoken, which left Greeuport when we
left Brooklyn, was on its way to meet us
on the same track. 1t should switch off at
Lakeland In the middle Of the island,
and allow us to pass an hour after we
started, or at eleven o'clock. 1t was not
half-past ten. and we We're close to Lake.
land already, and would pass there long
before the arrival OF the Greenport train,
which ordinarily got there first The re-
suit would be that we should met that
train beyond Lakeland without warning
of our apporach,and collision in front
as we'll as the rear would be the conse-
quence.
1--WE reached and flew through the
Lakeport depot nearly half an hour
ahead Of time. OF course the Greenport
train was not there yet, but was coming
down the road. Our speed was now a
little ahead Of any ever before made up.
on the Long Island road. The telegraph
poles fairly danced behind us, and the
bushes on either side of the track seem
ed continuous wall of fire as they were
lighted up by the flame which was pour
ing out Of our smoke. stack. But danger
Gus as it was for US to keep on, it was
just as dangerous to slacken speed, and
so on We WENT
The conductor rolled his quid from
one cheek to the other, raised the win
dow by his side and expectorated into
the outer darkness, and became silent for
several moments as if burdcned by the
recollection of his former ,perils.. After
waiting reasonable length of time for
him to res',mc his story, l said, "When
the collision occurred, was it with the
train in front or in the rear, or with
BOTH"
90, the collision.' said the conductor.
"Well. now you come 70 the ridiculous
part of the story The collision did not
take place at ALL" he said, in an apollo
getic tcne, as if there ought to have been
a serious accident after so much prepare
ton. ''While was standing on the plat
form. thinking whether had better warn
the passengers to hold themselves ready
for shock, Jake came from forward drag
ging after him, two large petroleum cans,
each Of which would ho.d quarter of a
barrel of oil.
"'Now, then, said Jake to me, if you
will oil one side Of the track, I will try
the other
II saw at once what his plan was. We
each brought the mouth of an oil-can as
near to the polished surface of The rail as
possible and commenced pouring on it
the kerosene. In less than minute
a half mile Of the iron rails on both sides
was nicely oiled, and as slippery as the
tongue of a Hebrew dealer in second
hand clothes"
"You have raised my expectations of a
! catastrophe SO high that you have been
obliged to grease the track so as to lei
| hem down again easily" said I, for
cit a little nettied at the unexpected
tu,n the story had taken, and was in.
clined to believe that the conductor was
drawing largely upon his imagination
for the facts.
"Why, don't you know that an engine
can no more make Roadway on a CREASED
track than tom cat can climb a steer
roof covered with ice?" said the conduc.
tor, with plying glance at one so pro.
foundry ignorant Of railroad matters as
myself. ,.!'J slapped Jake on the back
and said, old fellow, your 'cuteness has
brought US all out of bad scrape.'
sin few seconds the lantern of the
train behind US was getting dim in the
distance. We slackened speed and
| backed down to see, what the matter was
with Simpson, as Jake said. There stood
the old Ben Franklin putting and snort
ing and paving like q mad bull. the
driving wheels buzzing around on the
creased track like all possessed, but not
gaining an inch. We sanded the track
and bore down upon the old machine,
Jake was the first aboard, spelling for q
good chance at the engineer Simpson
But No sign of an engineer, fireman OF
any other living being, was to be found
The engine had only tender attached,
and although there was still full head
Of steam on, the fires were getting low.
We made short work in pushing back to
Lakeldritf:- a.. - K: T. 80 -.. ="
We reached the station: and got fairly
upon the switch when the Greenport
train, which we should meet there, came
in, and syefe whiting as if nothing had
Rappenea, andsas IT we lmd-net been AZ
teen miles out on the road to meet it a
few minutes before.
THE telegraph-operator at Lakeland
hande9 me I dispatch, which read as
follows:
j;"''21o Conductor C-:-The Ben
Frank lln has broken loose and is coming
up the road. Turn switch at Lakeland
aqd run her, off the track. II -, - =.
Barton, Supt.
BzQoklgn, 1876 Pm. ,i7(T.:
"YOu see, we did not have much time