River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-06-27

/ kind of railroad spree, and Tor lark
was driving us to the tor of our speed,
expecting to end the race and bis day S
work at the same tine at Jamaica.
"Well, we tore through that sleeping
village without stopping long tor refresh
ments, can assure you, anu then JAKE
and looked to see our comical friend In
the rear pull up at the station and take
lodgings for the night. But we were
mistaken in our guess. Not whistle
was given by our pursuer as signal
that he intended to stop; not sign OF
slackening was shown; but on the con-
trary he was gaining upon us when we were
doing our very best. Sometimes curve
| IN the road would shut him a moment
from our view, but he would round it in an
instant, and every new turn brought him
that much closer upon us. Jamaca had
been left far behind, and we were out on
the wide Hampstead plain. The old Con-
stitution was on her muscle. Our train
was actually swaying aud rocking with
speed like yacht on the waves. The
telegraph-poles, upon which the light
from our windows would CLINT in the
dense darkness, we're flying behind us at
every second. The sound of our wheels
as they struck the end of the rails was a
continuous hum.
But, do the best that it might, our en-
| CINE with its heavy train was no match
for the light-weighted one behind. That
was gaining upon us and was not the
eighth Of mile off. The glare from its
lantern shone brightly in our faces; I
| thought Jake's 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 were not
overtaken and smashed before 1t could be
reached.
"sThat's the Franklin, sure broke out
Jake once more. No other engine on
| the road could overhaul us as we are GO
| ing now. What can that fool of Simp
son mean by driving her at such rate?
| He must be drunk. If the boss don't
break him tomorrow he won't get his
deserts. He will be into lis IN two min
utes.''
"'You right, Jake said I. Go for
ward ard see if you cannot get up lit
tie more Roadway. Empty few of those
petroleum cans on the wood, and pitch it
IN, and see what can be DONE"
"While Jake was forward on his er-
rend thought over the situation. Here
| was with hundred or two passengers
under my care, all ignorant of the danger
which | 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
were not smashed in this way, there was
another and perhaps greater danger be-
fore us. The train of which | have
spoken, which left Greenport when we
| LETT 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 were 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 well as the rear would be the conse-
quence.
ave 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
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 burdened by the
recollection of his former perils. After
waiting a reasonable length of time for
him to resume his story, 1 SAID, When
the collision occurred, was it with the
train in front or in the rear, or with
| hoth3"
30, 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 tene, 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, j axe came from forward drag
cling 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, will try
the ether
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
half-mile of the iron rails on both sides
was nicely oiled, and as slippery as the
tongue Of 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 let
hem down again easily" said /, for
/ cit little nettled at the unexpected
turn 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 creased
track than tom cat can climb steep
roof covered with ice?" said the conduc-
tor, with a plying glance at one so pro-
foundly ignorant of railroad matters as
myself. - slapped Jake ON the back,
and said, old fellow, your 'cuteRess has
brought US all out of a bad scrape.'
"In few seconds the lantern of the
train behind us was getting dim in the
distance. We slackened speed and
ba ,ked down TO see, what the matter was
] with Simpson as Jake said. There stood