Morning journal and courier., 1880-07-20
A Remarkable Railroad Invent1o~.
From the Oshkosh Advocate. l


 An interesting experiment. was tried here Monday, which created intense excitement among the inhabitants of this quiet town A modest mechanic of this place, who has felt the aggravation of ''just in time to be too late, " obtained permission of the railroad company to test what he calls his gigantic pull-back. The female portion of the com munity were disappointed when they found it in no wise related to the modiste's art. The inventor had the end of the pull-back sunk in the ground several feet between the rails at the station, and securely anchored by bolts and screws. The pull-back consists of an immense elastic cable (made at the rubber works here, which was run along the ties under cover of iron tubing, to distance of l 200 feet, at which point the cable ended in huge iron hook. This hook was poised above wire spring sunk into the ground, which connected with the telegraph battery at the station by wire. The purpose of the pull-back is as the reader has by this time surmised, to catch and draw back to the sta tion any train that happens to forget any thing, or for some late person that stands ''cursing the fate that made him late" etc The initial test was made, as stated on Mon day, in the presence of large gathering of the curious townsfolk. The whole scheme was intended to be kept secret, but of course the planting of the cable aroused rumors that spread until the public mind was at high pitch of curiosity When 1t was finally divulged what was the intent and purpose of the scheme, people laughed, shrugged their shoulders and said: ''The man is crazy" Others said: Perhaps he is, but give him a show" The inventor volunteered to take the part of the belated passenger flor this occasion only, !" and just as the 80 express pulled out of the next station and was gain ing headway at every E'chew'' of the engine the excited mechanic came tearing down the street with his coat tails flying and face flush cd The orOTuA obparod nd lono o1aJ nevertheless exciting moment. He shout ed to the telegraph operator to make the con- nection The current flashed over the wire and set loose the spring which threw up the iron hook. The crowd heard the clamp of the iron, and watched with bated breath the result. The hook had caught the last car, sure enough, and the big black cable was seen to stretch out of the iron tubing like serpent out of it's hole. The train soon came to the end of the rope, and then came the re- markable result of the whole scheme The speed of the train gradually slackened then finally stopped, and then the cable with pro- digious power began to redeem it's tension, and draw back with increasing speed the cap tured train. The astonishment of the crowd was unbounded, and as the train rattled back to the station like truant child brought home, the cheers and yells were deafening The engineer smiled grimly and said q guess we've forgot something" The invent or chuckeled and looked happy, stepped on board, and the train sped away again to make up the lost thirty seconds occasioned by the gigantic puI-back. There are a thousand and one reasons why such an invention would be of incalcu1able service to railway compa- nies. Collisions can be avoided mistakes corrected tardy conductors restored to their charge and ''wild'' locomotives prevented from galloping over the rails and soaring whole counties into fits by their Comanche yells.