Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1880-10-30


the road goes into other hands; and if
YOU put me down in C at the right
time, 80 that save the money, you shall
have 5000. Understand it, Harry.
Five thousand dollars!
OF course understood it. Isaw now
the reason why the wages had been cut
down / felt that I would save the road
if 1 lived, and told Roberts SO.
"See that you do it, Harry" he re-
Piled as he climbed up on the steps Of
the coach, which was coupled to my en-
gine.
1 sprang up into the footboard, got
mp the switch.tender to help my fire.
man, opened the throttle, aud just as she
commenced moving looked at my
watch-it was just II o'clock, so that 1
had one hour to make my seventy-five
miles in.
From y to c. there were few
curves on the road but there We're sew
eral heavy grades. l was perfectly ac-
quainted with every rod of it, so that l
knew exactly what had to encounter.
and when / saw how the engine moved
1 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. I 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 was aware of it, having
been five minutes out, and having five
miles accomplished.
"You are losing time !" yelled voice
from the coach. I looked around, and
there stood Roberts with his watch in
his hand.
knew very well that We would have
to increase our speed by some means if
we carried ont our plans of reaching
C. bv midnight. and looked anxious
ly around to see what could do to ac-
complish that purpose. She was blow
ing off steam fiercely at ITO pounds; SO
turned down the valve to 200, for 1
knew we should need it all to make
some of the heavy grades which my be-
tween 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 in two minutes and half.
Gaining" I shouted back to Rob
erts, who was yet standing on the plat
form of the coach.
"Look out for the heavy grades" he
replied, and went inside the car.
The next six miles rose gradually
from level the first. to ten and hall
feet tie last, which lay between us and
the next station. My fireman kept her
full, and now she began to get hot. The
furnace door was red, and the steam
raised continually, SO that she kept heI
speed and passed the station like streal
Of lightning in five minutes.
Now came nine miles like the last,
over which she kept pace with her time,
and passed the station in seven and o
half minutes.
Here, for ten miles, We had a twenty
foot grade to encounter; but the worst
of it all was, at this place we would be
obliged to stop for wood I was just
going to speak to Roberts about it when
I looked around and saw him filling the
tender from the coach with wood, which
had been placed there before starting,
while he was gone after me.
believe we wOuld have made this ten
miles with the same speed as before,
but, through the carelessness of the fire.
man, the fountain valve on the left-hand
side Of the engine got opened, and the
water rose in the boiler 20 fast as to run
the steam down to 100 pounds before !
discovered where the difficulty was. =
At first Roberts didn't appear ono
tice the decrease Of speed, and kept at
work at the wood as if for dear life.
But presently he looked up, and, seeing
the speed had decreased, he shouted !:
"Harry, We are stopping and then,
coming over to where I was, he said !:
"Why, here We have been ten minutes
on the last ten miles, and I believe We
will come to q dead stand if some
thing is not done. The speed is con-
tinually stacking. What is the matter }"
Iexplained the cause. He was appaz-
emily satisfied with my explanation, and,
after having tied down the safety-valve.
he climbed back over the tender, ex-
horting me to "put her through, for
Gods sake, or We are all beggars to-
gether r. -'a 20