Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-06-27
CHASED BY AN ENGINE.
COnductor's story.
~ T.. L. RUFFlT'

IN +. L. fCFFlII.
was riding on nj yht-train Of the
Pennsylvania Central from New York to
Washington on 4 mission as newspaper
Correspondent. We had passed Balti-
more, and within an hours time would
hr at our place OF destination. The con-
durtrr had finished collecting the fares,
and seeing avacaut seat by my side had
dropped into it as if for 4 little rest at
the end OF !, tires ome days work. He
made an entry in his note book, closed it,
placed it in his breast-pocAet, buttonel
his coat, folded his arms, and then turn
ed to me with friendly remark. as if
now he felt at liberty to lay aside all Of
1icial dignity and be sociablc. l was
glad to while away the time as the train
was rushing along in a darkness which
concealed all objects Of interest without,
and SO I encouraged the conversation.
You must have met with some inter
c>siny experiences, and perhaps with some
great dangers. i'll the course of your life"
said I, the conductors grizzly beard
showing that he might have seen long
service
We'll, perhaps the most exciting time
in my experience was the night l was
chased hv an cngine-a night which thi
one reminds me Of" said he, looking on
into the darkness.
CHASED by an englnc',' said I, getting
Interested Hoy did that happen"
"Well,' said the conductor, settling
down in the cushion and bracing his knees
against the back Of the seat in front,
''many years ago I was running the nj , ht-
express on Long Island from Brooklyn to
Grcenport. distance OF ninty miles, the
entire length Of the road. The Long
Island road was then a onc-horse affair,
having ouly single track, switches at
The different stations to allow trains to
II. Get and pass. On the evening to which l
now refer I started from Brooklyn at
ten o'clock with the old Constitution,
long since broken up. but then the crack
engine of the road. with a baggage or
trelght-car and three passenger cars.
Tie night was Just as dark as pocket,
or, ii any thing, perhaps a little darker"
he added, as if he had accurately tested
the internal obscurity OF that useful por-
ton Of the dress.
1T mus have been very dark" said I.
I'VE were the only regular train upon
the road that night, with the exception of
the Greenport express to Brooklyn, which
was to start at ten o'clock and meet us at
Lakeland station, in the middle Of the
island, switching off there to allow us to
pass.
We'll, we were perhaps six or eight
miles on our way when 1 stepped out on
the back platform Of the rear car to see
if it was growing any lighter. We were
then going over part of the road which
was as straight as an arrow for distance
Of four or i've miles. AS I was looking
back over this stretch saw behind US.
at the distance Of three miles or So,
what knew was the head Zig ut of an en-
CINE, as it was too bri CHIT for any thing
else; for Of course did not suppose the
government had been putting up any
lighthouses along the road
''Probab}y not" said !.
You NAV be sure I was little sur.
priscd,' said the conductor, ''for there
wasn't an extra train once a week upon
that road, and knew that there was none
rong out from Brooklyn that night any,
how. I waited for a few minutes, until
saw that it was really an engine coming,
and, what was more, was gaining rapidly
on US, although we were going at our
usual rate of speed. When I was salts
fed OF this fact l hurried forward, and
said to the engineer: Jake, there is train
close behind u.s.
Jake dropped his oil-can and his lower
jaw at about the same moment, and
looked to see if was crazy or joking.
"'Well, let the fireman attend to matters
here. and come back and see,' said /.
Eve hurried to the rear, and IN a mo-
ment Jake saw as we'll as myself that if
there was any joke in the matter we were
the victims OF one; and of rather serious
one too, for the train in the rear had gained
on us a full mile while had been for
ward. The red cinders were pouring out
Of the smoke stack as If from blast-fur-
mace the headlight threw glare along
the road, furnishing the iron rails to our
very wheels. Close as he was upon US,
the engineer Of the advancing train had
not given the slightest signal to VAIN
IFS Of his approach, and made no response
to our repeated whistle of alarm. He was
violating all railroad rules, and if he had
determined to secretly run US down he
would act just as he wasthen doing Jake
at first seemed to be struck dumb-nOt SO
much because he then thought of danger
rs at the cool impuderce Of the engineer
behind. He looked as if he would like
to throttle him. His tongue after awhile
got in working order, and he broke out,
what does that crazy fool mean
"'Thc engineer must be either crazy
or drunk said /. If he keeps on in
that WV ten minutes longer he will sure
~ be into U.S. and signaled the fire.
man to put on more steam. What bust
ness the train has upon the road at all
tonight is what puzzles me-
81 wonder if it isn't an engine the
Old man is sending down to Jamaica to
IL; shop for repairs?' said Jake. Il saw
the Zen Franklin standing on the side
track with steam up just as we started.
From the way she overhauls us, there
can't he much of train behind her.
II did not now but that Jake might
he right, for had seen the Franklin
standing al the depot when we left. That
engine was. just as fast as our own, and if
it was without a train attached, as Jake
supposed, might easily gain on us, as it
sccmcu 10 DC uolug. AZ any Iale, we
snail see when we pass Jamaica Station
whether JalSe's theory is correct I
thought and said to him. !,
by, this time the fireman, acting as
engineer, had given our engine all the
steam she would take, and we were slash
ing'aloDg, at a lively rate,I tell YOU"
said the conductor. "The good people
along the road who were out Of their
beds must have thought that "a railroad
Gilpin was riding another race according
to TO the new stylee. Nas fpgey enough to
following us, and determined that my
first business the next day should be to