Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1878-11-28
Seventy-Five Miles an Hour
An Engineers Story.
New York Sunday Mercury.

GiSN l1tH6
business, half a day in bed, and
was after supper enjoying a ci-
gar and newspaper in the read
ing room of the Redwood House,
Fayette, Ind. The newspaper
was uninteresting, or else l was
rather sleepy-and | guess it
was a little of both-so that /
soon neglected it, to watch the
fantastic curling of the smoke
from my fine-favorcd cigar. l
didn't feel much like talking,
and felt still less like reading;
but | did feel as if I would like
exceedingly well to hear good
story.
I had hardly come to this con-
clusion, and commenced wishing
for some of my acquaintances
to amuse me till the time was
up for the train which was to
to take me to Indianapolis, when
l recognized, in the person who
sat next to me, a fellow-traveler
in a slecping-car of the night
before.
He, too, had laid aside his pa
per, and was apparently like
me, watching the smoke of his
cigar, and wishing for absent
friends to keep him company.
He was a very agreeable
looking little man, with a clear,
gray eyes, light hair, sandy
whiskcrs, and smiling mouth.
Indeed, he had SO much the APP
pearance of the man that l
would like TO hear tell a story,
that l thought Dame Fortune
had smiled upon me, when he
recognized me with a genial,
''How dye do, stranger?"
returned his salutation, and
asked him some commonplace
questions about how he enjoy
ed the ride we had together.
He said something about Tie
running being TOO fast ioi the
poor track; and from this the
conversation ran upon fast trav-
cling in general for some time.
At last remarked that sixty
miles an hour was the most
speedy travelling that | had ev-
er done. Whereupon my friend
informed me, with a pleasant
but knowing smile, that he had
travelled considerably ia ST +
than that, faster than he had ey-
er heard of, besides. OF course,
[ was anxious to know where,
how and when he had done II;
and, after the modest assurance
that he feared his tale would
not be interesting, my friend
relieved my anxiety by relating
the following story:
81 am a railroad engineer.
Away along in 81, during the
great panic, l was running, on
the Il. and e. Railroad. The
Railroad Companies were going
under in all directions. Every
day we heard Of new failures;
and quite often in a quarter
wher~- we least expected it.
Oar road was generally looked
upon as one of the most substan-
tial in the nation; nobody SEEM
ed to have any fears that it
would fail to survive the gener-
al smash-up. But yet | did not
fully share in the general conf
dence. Wages were cut down;
arrearages collected; and a great
many other little matters SEEM
ed to indicate 10 me that the
road had got in deeper water
than was agreeable all around.
Among other things, the master
mechanic had told me in the
early spring that the company
had ordered four first-quality
engines for the fall passenger
business. The road was put in
the very best condition, and
other preparations we're made
to cut down the time and put
the trains through quicker than
ever before when the new en-
gincs should come. We'll, there
was but one of the engines
came.
81 said there was but one en-
gine came; but she was, in my
opinion, altogether the best ever
turned out of the Taunton
Works; and that is as much al
can be said in praise of any en-.
lgine. She was put in my
1.-e<I.- - l, u, 49,,