The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1879-06-19

Day doinK basiness, bGlf = day 10 bed
snd wss, ahet sapper, enjoying a eigsl
aud newspsptr, 10 The resding room ol
+ lbs Rsduood House. Fayei,e, Ind Tb'
newspaper vac usinleresiing, Of else
WAS rathsr sleepy -snd guess il was |
{ little of both-- that soon neglected ],
10 walch the fantastic enriinR Of tb'
smoke from my hae.navored cigar.
didut feel much ike taking, aud felt s,il
less ike readlng; bat ! did feel as i
would Ike eIceedlngiy well 20 bear |
( good story.
j bad barely come 10 this conclusion
aud commenced wishing for some one o.
my acquaintshces to amase me tIl ID,
| time was up ior the train which was Il
take me TO Indianapolis, when ! recog
nized, 10 the person who sat next to me
fellow traveller 10 The sleeping.ear OF tht
night before.
lie, too, laid aside his paper, snd wal
sppsrenlly, like me, watching The smoke
Of bis cigar, aud wishing for abseo
/ friends 10 keep bin company.
He was very agreeable looking litll'
man, with a clear, grsy eye light bsir
sandy whiskers, aud smiling mouth lO'
deed, be bad so much the appearance o
the man that | would like TO hear tell |
story, that | thought Dame Fortune bat
smiled upon me. when he recognized me
with a genial, How dye do, strspgerf
returned his salutaiiou, snd asked
him some commonplace questions about
how he enjoyed The ride we bad together
lie said something in reply about the
running being too last tor he poor track
aud from this the conversation ran upon
fast lrpv, ling in general, for some time
Al last | remarked that sixty miles al
hour was The most speedy travelling that
| had ever done. WhereupOn my friend
informed NE, with pheasant but know
ing smile, that he had Travelled consider
ably faster than that, nd, In fact, faster
than lie had ever heard Of besides. O
course was anxious to know how, when
aud here he had done il; aud after The
modest assurance that he feared bi- tale
would not be interesting, my TREND re
lieved my anxiety b, relating the follow
ing story;
am railroad engineer Away along
In 81, during the great panic, was run.
niag on the f. & Z. r Il, The railroad
companies were going under In all di'
rections, Every day we heard Of new
faiures aud quite often iu quarter
where we least expected il. Our road
was generally looked upon as one OF tie
most substantial IN the nation; nobody
Seemed TO have any fears that II would
fail TO survive the general sma,h.up. But
yet ! did not fully share IN the general
confidence. Wages were cut down; ar
rearsges collected; aud great many
other little matters seemed 10 indicate 10
me that the road bad got into Ia her
deeper water than was agreeable all
around. Among other things, the master
mechanic had told me in the spring that
the company bad ordered four first quail
ty engines for the fall passenger business.
The road was put 10 the very best condi-
tion, and other preparations were made
to cut down the time, and put the trains
through quicker than was ever known
before, when the new engines should
come. Well, there was but one of the
engines came.
said there was one engine came; but
she was, 10 my opinion, altogether the
best ever turned out OF the Taunton
Works; aud that is saying AS much as
can be said In praise of any engine. She
was pnt in my charge Immediately, with
the understanding that she was mine.
II was Saturday when she came out OF
the shop, and ! was to take special train
up TO y. The train was 10 carry up
The president, and several OF The officers
OF the road, to meet some officers Of AN.
other road, which crossed ours there, and
arrange some important business with
them
had no trouble 1t all making my forty
miles an hour going out. The engire
handled herself most beautifully. We
were just holding up at y, when
Aldricb, the treasurer, who had come
out on the platform to put the break on,
slipped aud iell As we were yet under
good hesdwa,, be was very mnch in
iured, aud was carried OF to The hotel
nsensibie.
According TO the president. directions,
I switched of my train, turned my en-
gIne, aud stood ready TO start back 10
c. al a moments notice.
Aldrich's presence was Of so much i'm
porlauce, that the business could not bt
transAc Cd without him; SO ali those
brought out, except the president aud
Aldrich, went back to c. on the
O'Clock express train This was the last
regular train which was 10 pass over The
road uuiii next Monday,
Early in The evening ! lcit the machine
ia charge OF my fireman, aud went oveI
10 an eating house, TO see i could u0l
spend the time more pleasantly than OF
my engine. The hours dragged them
selves sway slowly. was plying !
game Of dominoes with the station sgent
when 10 came Roberts, The president, il
a s,ste Of great excitement.
Harry, said be TO me, ! want you e
pat me down Ia c. al II O'Clock.
As II was nearly II O'Clock then, snC
The distance Was seventy five miles,
thought be wAs joking At drs,; bot wher
We got outside the door be eaagh, me b.