The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-10-21

you put me down in C at the right
time, so that I save the money. youshall
have $4,000. Understand it, Harry.
Five thousand dollars !
Of course understood it. I saw now
the reason why the wages had been cut
down; felt that would save the road
if I lived, and told Roberts SO. b.
"See that you do it, Harry p 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
up the switch-tender to help my fire
man, opened the throttle, aud just as she
commenced moving looked at my
watch-it was just IL 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 sew
eral heavy grades. was perfectly ac-
quainted with every rod of it, so that I
knew exactly what had to encounter,
and when 1 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 q perceptible
jar. 1 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 I was aware of it, having
been five minutes out, and having five
miles accomplished.
"You are losing time I" yelled voice
from the coach. I looked around, and
there stood Roberts with his watch in
his hand.
L knew very we'll that we would have
to increase our speed by some means if
we carried out our plans of reaching
c. by midnight. and looked anxious
ly around to sec what could do to ac-
complish that purpose. She was blow
ing off steam fiercely at no pounds so
turned down the valve to 200, for I
knew we should need it all to make
some of the heavy grades which lay be-
tween us and c..
1t was three miles to the next station.
With the exception of few curves, the
track was as good rs the last. AS we
darted around what commonly seemed
to be rather long curve, ut 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 a half
feet the 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 her
speed and passed the station like q streak
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
half minutes.
Here, for ten miles, we had twenty
foot grade to encounter; but the worst
OF it all was, at this place we would be
obliged to stop for wood. T was lust
going to speak to Roberts about it when
L looked around and saw him filing 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 80 fast as to run
the steam down to 100 pounds before
discovered where the difficulty was.
At first Roberts didn't appear to no
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 stoppingl I" 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 dead stand if some
thing is not done. The speed is con-
tinually Stacking. What is the matter?"
I explained the cause. He was appar-
emily satisfied with my explanation, and,
after having tied down the safety-valve,
ha nlinnhad honlr nrnr 4hn An,,lo.. -