The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-08-12
A Strange Story.
Did | tell them OF queer people and
strange experiences

strange experiences
Yes, indeed, did |.
Can I recall them now!
Moves. One | remember, because
it was the most inexplicable affair that
ever befell mc-no, did not betall-but
that has ever come to ne Second hand,
almost as good as new"
| found myself one day at q certain
town with mo connection" till 6 o'clock
in the afternoon-a train that might
make lG miles an hour, with sc miles
TO &c. over. Due on the platform at
7:4O o'clock. That wouldn't do, SO of
course l had to have a special
Place and time-Central Iowa, some
Years ago. Country, just a fiat PLAIN,
not the rolling prairie land lying further
west; no towns, few villages; fenceless,
trceless; a speck Of anything easily seen
afar lad any speck existed.
Even the ties were without incident.
One after another,a all alike-same length,
striking family resemblance, lying on
the ever ground, without so much as a
ditch at the side to break the m~onotony.
Nothing OF interest without, so |
turned my eyes to inspect what might
be found within. They are generally
wide OPEN when they are to look at ma
chimes or machinists.
have travelled behind engines and on
them by thousands and have walked
about and questioned and gazed and ex-
amined them thoroughly, but always
with fresh wonder and admiration.
Strong as Titans, obedient as slaves
simple, complicated-helpful, merciless
beautiful, yet terrible.
And | never look at them without
wondering what manner OF world this
will be when some one learns how to
utilize not 100, nor 80, but even Is per
cent Of steam.
As 70 their manipulators-fools don't
abound among them. A man needs
brains and logic to be a good machinist.
| like to watch a first class n listen to
an argument on a subiec: which he may
be ever so unfamiliar. He sees flaws
and knows where the screws are loose,
and the sequence IS broken, and the
point overlooked or bunglingly made
better-half the time-,han the COM
batants, though they be no mean ones.
IL n man knows a machine he knows
how to argue from cause to effect, step
by step Of the way, and he isn't easily
"bambooaled," and there's precious little
nonsense F" abont him.
My engineer was n OF the right
sort. A clear.e eyed, intelligent, wide
awake young fellow from New England
the last man in the world You would
suspect OF either drink or ssperstitious
tim-fiams.
He was explaining to me some Of the
mechanism, when, with his right hand
on the lever, he suddenly paused, threw
himself half out the window, gazed a
moment up the track, then, turning his
head, with his left hand thrust up before
it, as though shutting out some awful
vision, drove On.
There was no mistaking the attitude
and its meaning.
"You have run over some one here
said /.
"Yes-no-I don't know" he ans
wered.
His fireman seemed 10 notice neither
action nor answer. gazed AZ both with
amazement akin TO horror.
cam ! rushing through space forty
piles an hour in the keeping Of two mad
men T. thought !. Let US see.
"You don't knowT
al don't wonder you look" said he,
sand ask too. Will you kindly oblige
me by telling If you saw anything off at
tho rightY'
"Nothina but open plain" said l.
"Nor ahead OF usT'
"Noshing but level track"
Nor behind ust Did yoa look ? he