The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1880-10-22
SEVENTY FIVE MILES An
noun.

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| am 4 railroad engineef. Away along
in 81, during the great panic, / was
running on the i. & G. railroad. The
railroad companies were going under in
all directions. Every day we heard Of
new failures, and quite often in a quarter
where we least expected it. Our road
wis generally looked upon as one Of the
trHat nubstatitial IN the nation nub6dy
seemed to lave any fears that it would
fail to survive the general smash-up;
but yet did not fully share in the gen
eral confidence. Wages were cut down,
arrearges collected, and great many
other matters seemed to indicate TO me
th1t The road bad got into rather deeper
water than was agreeable all round.
Among other things, the master me-
chanic had told me in the spring that
the company had ordered four first
quality Taunton engines for the fall
passenger business. The road was put
in tile very best condition and other
Preparations were made to cut down the
tIlne and put the tiains through quicker
than was ever known before, when the
new engines should come. Well, there
was but one Of the engines came.
! Slid there was bnt one engine came;
but she was, In my opinion, altogether
the best ever turned out at the Taunton
works and that is saying as much as
can be said Iii pfaise Uf any engine.
She was put in my charge Immediately,
with the understanding that she was
mine.
y was Saturday when she came out of
tic shop; and ! was 70 take special
train mp to Y. The tfai1i was to
carry up the President and several Off
GERS Of the road to meet some officers Of
another road, which crossed ours there,
and arrange some important business
with them.
had no trouble at all in making my
forty miles an hour in going out. The
engine handled herself most beautifully.
We were just holding up at y, when
Aldrich, the Treasurer, who had come
out Oh the platform to put the brake on,
slipped and fell. As We were still under
good headway, he was much injured
and was carried off to the hotel insensi-
bic.
According to the Presidents direction
had switched off my train, turned my
engine, and stood ready to start back to
u at a moments notice.
Aldnch's presence was Of SO much inn
portance that the business of the road
could not be transacted without him so
all those l had brought out, except the
PRESIDENT and Aldrich. went back to
- on the o'clock express train.
inns was the last regular train which
was to pass over the road until next
Monday.
Early in the evening left the ma
chine in charge of my fireman and went
over to an eating-house to see If could
not spend the time more pleasantly than
On my engine. The hours dragged
themselves away slowly. was playing
game Of dominoes with the station
agent when in came Roberts, the Presi-
aent. IN great state OF excitement.
Harry" said he to me, /" 1 want you
T" put me down in c. at IL o'clock. y
as it was nearly IL o'clock then, and
tne distance was seventy-fye miles, ]
mought he was joking at first; but,
Wnen we got outside the door, he caught
me by the arm and hurried me along SC
iAst that | saw he was in earnest.
Harry" said he, I" if you don't Sc
me down in c. by 12 o'clock am
ruined man, and this roed is a ruines
road Aldrich is dead; but he told me
oeiore he died, that he had embezzle,
nom time totime $500, 600 of our money
@au MS clerk is to start with it ON the l.
ociock boat from c. for Canada.
w cont have that money on Monda,