Morning journal and courier., 1880-04-05

pression of mind. No food would nourish him. no heat would warm him. His whole vitality of mind and body was crushed out of him by his loss, This calamity struck him down and killed him as literally as if it had been blow on his head. No dramatist ever whelmlng man, striking him dumb, and killing him outright.
 A Locomotive Engine in the Bumps.
 ''He's been in the dumps because his To- comotive has been of for three or four days" said railroad man to a companion the other day, as he pointed to an engineer.
 ''How of ?"
 "Go and ask him."
 It took quarter of an hour and cigar to clear the cloud from the engineers face, and then in reply to the query he said:
 Itis queer thing. There's my engine one of the best on the road, in perfect order only twelve years old, and able to run or pull with the best of them. A month ago hadn't the least bit of trouble in making time, no matter how the track was or the weight of the train. She was ready at the word, held her stand every word I said. To-day she Is down in the roundhouse, growing and sputtering and acting as if she wanted to pick fuss with gravel-pit."
 Anything out of gear ?"
 ''Not thing. She's been looked over twice, and we can't find the least excuse for her conduct. She'll get over it in day or two, perhaps. If she don't we'll punish her."
 sHow?"
 'Put her before freight or stock train I've seen it tried dozen times, and it almost always worked well. Here she is now, bright as a new dollar and as handsome as picture, and I'll bet fifty dollars that there isn't the least thing out of order: She's simply sulk- ing, the same as child or a woman, and know what started it. Three weeks ago, while on my run in with the night express, she just wanted to light out for all she was worth. She took the bit like @ running horse and if hadn't checked her off she'd have beaten schedule time by twenty minutes. She acted mad right away, and in running twenty miles she gave me more trouble than I ever had with her in run of three hundred. She lost steam, tried to foam over, choked her pipes, and when l wanted more steam she'd slide on her drivers. She went right back on me that night, and has been sulking ever since"
 "Do all engines act that way?"
 Mot all, but many of them. Some of 'em begin to cut up and get on their high heels the first day out of the shop, as if determined to be master; while others will be as obedi- ent as you please for two or three years and then, all at once. play you some rusty trick. People say that horse is next to man in point of intelligence, but sometimes think that the locomotive ought to have that place.
 
 machines, but almost as companions, and I've known drivers to talk to them by the hour. I do feel awful down in the mouth about my pet"
 ''Is that your first experience with sulk- ing engine p
 No; it's my third. Six years ago, when was running out of Chicago, west, I had ten years added to my age in about two minutes. I had fine passenger engine, and we were the best of friends for over a year. One day, when we were booming over the country at forty miles an hour, I saw farmers team stalled at highway crossing. He had big load of wood on his wagon, and the team was pair of young horses. When I first caught sight of them they were dancing up and down and not trying to pull pound, and the old farmer was on top of the load and putting on the whip good and strong. Now I honest ly believe that engine wanted to mash things. She suddenly increased her speed, and when I reversed and put on the air brakes she plunged and kicked and almost jumped the rails. When I started up again she was sulk- ing, and had all I could do to make time. She was off all next trip, but wouldn't give in. On the next trip she showed her teeth, and they had the gleam of lantern of death.
 ''You see I had orders to side-track at @ certain station for the Atlantic express to pass me, and my engine sulked and growled and threw me several minutes behind time. There was little time to spare when we reached the station. I had drawn the train about half way off the main track when my engine stopped dead still: Yes, sir-stopped dead still-and that without being reversed or a brake applied and with steam enough to blow of I was dazed for minute, and the fireman opened his eyes like one seeing ter rible picture. Just then the Atlantic whistled. jumped down and ran to the pilot, ex- pecting to see barricade, but the track was clear. leaped into the cab and gave hor cfo H,1k Nf rrlo oI. more yet, but she stood there like rock. Conductor, brakenen and passengers were shouting to me, and the switchman howled like @ panther. On came the Atlantic, and pulled the throttle open wide. Bless you, am in shiver now at the recollection.
 1.-The Atlantic always passed us on the fly, but that night she had party of stockholders aboard who wanted to get off at this station, and she came to stop and saved such rail road slaughter as would put the Ashtabula disaster nowhere. She'd have gone through two sleeping-cars as slick es bullet. There we stood, my engine growing and threatening and half crazed. The fireman suddenly lit out as if he had seen ghost, a mob of pas sengers swarmed down on me, and I believe I should have taken to the woods if change hadn't come. All at once No. 40 seemed to rear right up, she made plunge or two, and away she went like bolt of lightning, and I had the hardest kind of work to stop her on
 
 ''They didn't say was drunk, and they knew wasn't asleep, but they suspended me until they looked the engine over. She was in perfect order, and they sent her out on the &C., commodation with new driver. What did she do but bang right into train at station, and that with all steam shut off and the bar thrown over Some folks laugh at us and call it superstition, but they never lived in engine-cab. Ask any horse train CT if his horse will make the same time two mornings alike, even if the care and feed and track are the same. Out of twenty locomo- tives built in the same shop, by the same gang of men, no two will work the same. One can be bulldozed, another must be petted, third will be faithful, fourth treacherous, and each one will have her peculiar traits and tricks. I'd no more take out one of these en- zines without knowing the peeuliarities than you'd try to jump across that pit. I'd be all in tremble for fear she'd ditch the whole train. No, sir. They are as near human as can be made, and the more human you treat 'en the better it is for both Some can be coaxed, some must be punished, some need watching, and once in Q while you will find one which will dodge danger, keep her time and run herself while you dream of the curly-heads tucked up in bed at home."
 General Imboden, the ex-Oonfederate oaval- ry leader, who represents large number of northern capitalists, has purchased forty-two thousand acres of mining land in Scott county, Virginia at ffty-five cents an acre,