The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-02-07

tSe'L-'iL tA-s--a "AaEA H4is W p..aS oas-r ~. D.
road until the next Monday.
early in the evening left the machine
in charge of my fireman, and went over to
an eating house, to see if I could not spend
the time more pleasantly than on my en-
gine. The hours dragged themselves away
slowly. L was playing game of domlnoes
with the station-agent when in came
Roberts, the president, in state of great
excitement.
Harry, said he to me, 4 want you
to put me down in c. OF twelve
o'clock =
GAS it was nearly eleven O'Clock then,
and the distance was seventy-five miles,
thought he was joking at first; but when
we got outside the door, he caught me by
the arm, and hurried me along so fast that
saw he was IN earnest.
Harry said he, if you don't set me
down in c. by twelve o'clock, I am q
ruined man. and this road is ruined road.
Aldrich is dead; but he told me, before he
died, that he had embezzled from time to
time, five hundred thousand of our money;
and his clerk is to start with it, on the
twelve o'clock boat, from c. for Canada.
If we don't have that money on Monday
morning, to make some payments with, the
road goes into other hands; and if you put
me down in C. at the right time, SO that
I save the money, you shall have five thou
sand dollars. Understand it, Harry? Five
thousand dollars!'
''Of course, understood it. saw now
the reason why the wages had been cut
down; I understood it all, and my blood
boiled felt that would save the road if
lived, and told Roberts so.
"'See that you do it, Harryn he replied,
as he climbed up on the steps of the coach
which was coupled to my engine.
II sprang up into the foot-board, got up
the switch-tender to help my fireman,
opened the throttle, and just as she CON-
menced moving, looked at my watch-it
was just eleven o'clock, SO that I had one
hour to make my seventy five miles in.
| "From Y to c. there were few
curves on the road; but there were several
heavy grades I was perfectly acquainted
with every rod Of it; so that knew exactly
what I had to encounter; and when I saw
how the engine moved, felt very little
fear for the result.
''The road, for the first miles, was an air
line, and so smooth that my engine flew
along with scarcely perceptible jar.
was SO busy, posting myself up, as to the
amount of wood and water aboard, ETC.,
that we danced by the first station almost
before 1 was aware of it, having been five
minutes out, and having five miles accom-
plished.
"'You are losing time! yelled voice
from the coach. l looked around and
there stood Roberts with his watch in his
hand.
II knew very well that we would have to
increase our speed by some means, if we
carried out our plans of reaching G. by
midnight, and looked anxiously around, to
see what I could do to accomplish that
purpose. She was blowing off steam fierce
ly at one hundred and ten pounds; SO
turned down the valve to two hundred, for
| knew we should need it all to make some
of the heavy grades which lay between us
and c..
"It was three miles to the next station.
With the exception Of few curves, the
track was as good as the last. AS we darted
around what commonly seemed to be &
rather long curve, at the station, but which
was, at our high speed, short enough,
looked at my watch; and we had done it ii
two minutes and half.
"'Gaining,' shouted back to Roberts
who was yet standing on the platform O
the coach.
"Look out for the heavy grades h
replied, and went inside the car.
1.-The next six miles rose gradually from
level the first, tu ten and half feet grads
the last, which lay between us and the mex
; station My fireman kept her full; an
now she began to get hot. The furnac
, door was red, and the steam raised con
tinually; so that she kept her speed, an
passed the station, like streak of light, il
five minutes.
''Now came nine miles like the last; owe
! which she kept pace with her time, an
passed the station in seven and hal
/ minutes.
, ''Here, for ten miles, we had twenty
foot grade to encounter; but the worst of
all was, at this place we would be obhge
to stop for wood. was just going to spea
!; to Roberts about it, when looked aroun'
1 and saw him filing the tender from tt
Y coach with wood which had been place
there before starting, while he was gon
after me.
4 1 4. L l..