Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-07-28

killed human being yet, but we can't
tell how soon we will. The nearest
ever come to it was at the time I struck
the tramp between Howell's and Middle
town. That was good while ago, and
as l was able to nearly stop before [
reached him, | only gave him light rap,
SO light that he only got a leg broken and
a small scalp wound, both of which he
soon got over, after being taken to the
county-house. But did [ ever tell you
about the brood of geese struck at
Sloatsburg once?" continued "Abe."
" That was a funny mishap, and I've
laughed over it lots of times. You know
geese are like old hens when in front of a
wagon or train, cunning, and ready to
jump out of the way just in the nick of
time. These geese were sure 'gOoses' this
time, for they didn't budge like the
women you speak off, Jackey, sister
'gQoses,' they seemed to be enchanted and
charmed. There was probably fifty of
'em, but as [ knew they couldn't do any
harm if thered been fifty millions of 'em,
| let her out a screw or two on the throt-
tie, just to see them fly. You'd ought to
see 'em. Twas just fun. Some of them
went up forty or fifty feet. They went up
on all sides, and you would think that a
lot OF boys were snowballing my engine.
Two of them lit down in the coal in the
tender, and one came whizziug in the
cab-window. My fireman and I had roast
goose tor dinner that day, and each took
one goose home The engine was COW
cred with blood, grease and feathers, and
from her appearance you'd surely think
Mother Goose had been picking that
Ca-.''
"You know, Abe the day I hoisted up
George Haggerty's caboose several years
ago, and came near killing poor old
George? Well" continued Jackey, "that
wasn't much of an adventure, so I'll tell
you what Tom Wilmoth, who used to run
on the Suquehanna division, once told me
about chasing for miles herd of horses.
He said he overlook them one day on a
straight level stretch several miles long,
and instead of being frightened off the
track with the whistle and bell, up went
their ears, and straight ahead they bolted.
Tom said he was travelling all of if not
more than thirty miles an hour. He had
a light freight train, and of course was
violating the rules of the road at that
speed, but as he had to make station
ahead of a first class train, he had to skip
along lively to do it, He couldn't slack
up speed bit, for if he did he'd hold the
first-class. So, with blowing every quar-
ter minute, he kept on, with the horses on
a clear run ahead Of him. He said he
run on the flat stretch for miles and miles,
and every little while the horses, as if
angry at the wonderful speed he was
making them go, threw up their tails de-
family and kicked up their heels furious
ly, just like they invariably do in an open
field when you run by them. Tom said
it was truly wonderful how they kept
ahead on the track for at least six miles,
and only went off the track when bridge
was reached, over which they could not
go. Part of them went off on one side
and the rest on the other side, and then
he went on and telegraphed back to the
nearest office to send out treckmen to put
them off the track if possible before the
express came along. Fortunately, the ex-
press was a little late, and they got out of
the way in time. Tom also said that the
horses were as wet and white with foam as
if they had just been lathered with soap.
He didn't believe deer could do what
those horses did, and he always recon-
mended the owners of running horses, if
they wanted to get railroad speed out Of
their runners, to frighted them good with
a
clean the deck"
90, that's nothing" facetiously re-
marked Carpenter. "Jule Parker once
told me about his running after two full
grown bucks on a Southern Railroad"
Parker was a chivalrous, dare. devil
Southern engineer, then running the
lightning express on the eastern division
of the Erie He said," Carpenter went
tn of hot of hI1al
denly bounded upon the track from a
thick woods, and so frightened were they
from the roar of the approaching train,
that they started down the track not more
than twenty feet in front of the engine
Parker put on all the steam his boiler
would make, and carried his train along
at break neck speed, but, in spite of his
freman's efforts, he could not turn his
drivers fast enough to Overtake the fleet
deer He never said how fast he was
running at the time but | know the man,
and when he told that he was going at
break-neck speed we can imagine
something about it. The road was splen-
did one for speed. 1t was mostly new
the bed was in prime order, but notwith-
standing his engine chaWed up fuel as
fast as his fireman could feed it to her, he
could not run the deer down. 1t looks
astounding, but he said he finally chased
them after runof ten miles into vii
lage. There they left the track, ran up
and down the streets as wild as COWS, and
scared the people into spasms; but before
doing any serious harm they were shot
and captured. Parker said he greatly
enjoyed the venison steaks that were
afterwards presented to him by an old
bootmaker sixty years old, who was the
lucky shot.''
did you ever hear 'Hughey' William.
son tell of his adventure at Washington
vile, on the Newburg branch?" asked
Carpenter Williamson is another know
no-danger runner, and is now on the road.
Fisk selected him because of his courage
to run the Chicago relief train. WE'LL"
he went on to say, that was rarity, and
one that seldom occurs. Williamson was
in NeWburg when he was telegiaphed to
run to Greycourt to assist in, pulling
big six wheeler on the track that had run
off switch and couldn't get back. her
self, as they sometimes do, you know. Of
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