Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-06-09
seventy-Five Miles an
Hour.

bed, and was, after supper, enjoying a
cigar and newspaper, in the reading
room of the Redwood House, Fayette,
Ind. The newspaper was uninteresting,
or else l was rather sleeply-and l
guess it was little of both-so that |
soon neglected it, to watch the fantastic
curling of the smoke from nay fne-hav-
ored cigar. 1 didn't feel much like
talking, and felt still less like reading
but did feel as if would like exceed
ingly we'll to hear a good story.
had barely come to this conclusion,
and commenced wishing for some one of
my acquaintance to amuse me till the
time was up for the train which was to
take me to Indianapolis, when l recog-
nized, in the person who sat next to me
a fellow-traveler in the sleeping-car OF
the night before.
He, too, laid aside his paper, and was
apparently, like me, watching the smoke
of his cigar, and wishing for absent
friends to keep him company.
He was very agreeable looking little
man, with clear, gray eye. light hair,
sandy whiskers, and smiling mouth. In
deed, he had so much the appearance Of
the man that | would like to hear tell a
story, that 1 thought Dame Fortune had
smiled upon me, when he recognized me
with a genial, "How dye do, stranger p
returned his salutation, and asked
him some common place questions about
how he enjoyed the ride we had together.
He said something in reply about the
running being too fast for the poor
track; and from this the conversation
ran upon fast travelling in general, for
some time. At last l remarked that
sixty miles an hour was the most speedy
travelling that had ever done. Where
upon my friend informed me, with a
pleasant but knowing smile, that he had
travelled considerably faster than that,
: and, in fact, faster than he had ever
heard of besides. Of course l was anx-
ious to know how, when and where he
had done it; and after the modest as
surance that he feared his tale would
not be interesting my friend relieved
my anxiety by relating the following
story:
al am a railroad engineer. Away
along in '57, during the great panic,
was running on the +. & G. r. r. The
railroad companies were going under II
all directions. Every day we heard ot
new failures and quite often in quar-
, ter where we least expected it. Oul
road war generally looked upon as one
of the most substantial in the nation
nobody seemed to have any fears that il
, , would fail to survive the general smash
up. But yet did not fully share il
the general confidence. Wages were Gu
down; arrearages collected and grea
many other little matters seemed to in
: dicate to me that the road had got int
' rather deeper water than was agreeabl
: all around. Among other things, tn
master mechanic had told me in tn
spring that the company had ordere'
> four first quality engines for the fal
passenger business. The road was pu
: in the very best condition, and othe
y preparations were made to cut down tn
v time, and put the trains through quicke
than was ever known before, when tn
o new engines should come. WE'LL ther
= was but one of the engines came.
y | said there was one engine came
, but she was, in my opinion, altogethe
q the best ever turned out of the Taunto
Works and that is saying as much &
y can be said in praise of any engine. Sh
g. was put in my charge Immediately, wit
> the understanding that she was mine.
= sit was Saturday when she came oil
le of the shop, and was to take a speci;
le train up to Y. The train was
g carry up the president, and several
the officers of the road, to meet son
IS officers of another road, which crosse
i ours there. and arrange some importal
to business with them.
be 81 had no trouble at all making n
D. forty miles an hour going out. The e
= CINE handled herself most beautiful
We were just holding up at Y, wh'
ba Aldrich. the treasurer, who had con
SIX out on the platform to put the break o
d, slipped and fell. AS we were yet und
good headway, he was very much inju
lys ed, and was carried off to the hotel i
)" sensible.
n. According to the presidents dire
g tions, switched off my train, turn
}, ST. my engine, and stood ready to start ba
i to c. at moments notice.
It. "Aldrich's presence was Of much il
portance, that the business could not
i'll transacted without him; so all those
*, brought out, except the president a
'cs Aldrich, went back to C on the
VIC o'clock expres-train. This was the Ia
nd regular train which was to pass over t
y" road until next Monday.
an early in the evening left the n
,sa ,ao chine in charge of my fireman, and VIC
n over to an eating house, to see if COT