The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-02-12
CHASING a Railroad Train.

hE loIloWlng story is told ny the
/ Rev. ]. Hyatt Smith.
We stopped at Syracuse, New York,
for dinner. You remember the railroad
depot, centrally situated, with its eastern
and western entrance, which are exact
ly alike, as much so as the two ends of
car After we had dned the depot mas
ter Informed us that we had fifteen min
utes before the departure of the next
train. This, thought /, would give me
an opportunity to see the city and glo-
rious chance for smoke, provided q
clergyman could be tempted into such
worldly and tasteful amusement. /
sauntered forth, and, after an absence of
exactly thirteen minutes, having enjoy
ed delightful and soothing stroll, was
leisurely returning, watch in hand,
when to my astonishment beheld the
train moving slowly out of the other
end of the depot and increasing in speed
at every pull of the gigantic locomotive.
Here indeed was call which admitted
neither correspondence nor delay; there
was no time for taking it into considera-
ton.
So, without comforting with flesh and
blood, put like a sky-rocket with
double fuse. For moment thought 1
was gaining ground, although knew
that l was losing wind. was encour-
aged in the race by sundry helpful fell
lows who kept crying out as passed
GO 1t gaitersl" "Plucky boy" " He
amt left--oh, mol" and well meaning
and benignant exhortations. Though
they intended perhaps to help me over
the course, l found that the more they
shouted the less was inclined to run,
and more decidedly did the locomotive
make its way against me.
To give up the chase, to submit to
the chagrin of being left, to lose my
party and my passage, meet with dsap-
pointment, not to meet my friends-al
this was bad enough; but the thought
of encountering, all the way back to the
depot that line of interested individuals,
who, with their cheering explanations,
had so feelingly encouraged me on my
outward journey--this was the bitterest
| pill in this unexpected dose.
But 1t must be done; so, taperlng off
gradually gave up the contest and went
to see If L could find the depot master
whose blundering statements were the
cause of all my trouble. Without search
that individual advanced to meet me
with the bland recognition of fact that
| nohndy nould upll danv
well, you got left, did you 7"
replied with the resentment of ST.
lencing eye. If looked as tried to
look my photograph at that instant
would hardly be chosen to grace an al
bum gallery of eminent divines."
Several bystanders seeking informa-
ton asked with show of confidential
interest in my case, in what wise the
thing had happened; and Others wish
ing to point moral, advised me TO be
on hand earlier next time.
With returning breath, relief and
words came together, and squarely
charged the railway official with all the
blame. spoke Of his incompetency in
no measurable terms, recalling how, after
1 had placed my party in the car, he
had assured me that there was full sew
enteen minutes to spare before the train
went out, "while here" said /, with a
triumphant exhibition of my watch,
''the seventeen minutes are even now
barely up and yet the train has gone
clear out of sight"
After no little hot talk had shot back
and forth, with the usual variations and
final perorations of you did," and 81
didn t." you're another" ETC., / asked
him if would be risSing another chance
of being left if depended on him to
give me the exact hour of the next east
ern bound train.
T" Eastern 2" exclaimed he.
" Yes, eastern," l exclaimed with a
decidedly upward and rising infection.
Why" quoth he, - the train you
have been chasing with such good luck
wasn't the eastern train, but the west
ern express aP 44ailg
With much interesting confusion and
excitement / stammered out M" Then
where IN Joppa Is the eastern train ~
Why, there it is" replied he, "just