The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-04-24
A NICE LITTLE RIDE.


motives, but have got brayely over 1t.
carried this. admiration to excess-it
became almost a monomania with me to
be around the depot and to watch the
trains coming in and going out. Not
that am of mechanical turn OF mlnd
At ALTAR from it. / could never make
any thing in my life, not even boot
lack, although I worked on one for three |
DAYS, broke two saws and gimlet, cut |
my left hand half off, and had to give
it up after all!
The steam engine was always mys-
terry to mel would as soon try to COM
prehend the principle of the gyroscope
and l never knew the name Of any OF
its parts, except the piston rod, cyl
inder, and governor; yet loved to sit
and watch the thing at work, wheeling
and clanking with its slow, even, steady
motion-ah, it was great fascination to
me! But the greatest pleasure that l
knew was to have good swift ride on
locomotive. From my almost constant
presence at the depots, knew all the
engineers Ct the line Of the Sling-wheel
Firepan Railroad-an unbroken track
of 200 odd miles, over level country,
which had often travelled in the cars,
in the tender, or perched giddily upon
that trembling, snorting, shaky ma
chine, the iron horse.
NV gay season was the close of the
Presidential campaign, when the cleo
ton returns had to be carried through
by lightning express-usually an engin-
eer and myself on locomotive. Other
people were interested in the election
and excited about its results-I was only
interested in my ride, and excited about
my rate of speed. Once, l remember,
1 carried the dispatches and made splen-
did time. left Slingwheel at O'Clock
in the evening, and at TO-: 15 arrived at
Waterbutt, q way-station, just 1856
miles from Slingwheel. A large party
had assembled to hear the news; but
forgot it all, and as the engineer Stacked
up q little, only screamed out, In an
swer to their questions:
"a mile a minute, clear through! Go
ahead, Jake!"
And off WEI went again, leaving the
inhabitants of Waterbutt in total dark
ness as to whether they were enjoying
the reign of a Republican or q Demo-
Graf!
But my great ride and my last was
about wear ago. 1t was pretty tall
experience of its kind, and has, am
pleased to say, entirely cured me of my
predictions for s'making big time. "
when compelled to travel nowadays !
always go in quiet little wagon of my
own, with a pair of steady nags, and
never emulate any thing faster than
eight or ten miles an hour. There was
a Young machinist who lived at Sling.
wheel, and who had quite an inventive
genius. He had for several years been
engaged on a model of q great engine
which was to supersedOal others and
and create perfect revolution in the
world Of locomotion. 1t was steam
carriage, but on an entirely new plar
and principle, and he was very sanguint
of It's success if he could only get money
to complete it. Having occasion to ge
small job of gunsmithing done,
called on this young man and found hin
at work on his engine. We fell int
conversation on the subject, and he rep
resented his condition and his expecta
tons so wildly to me that my heart wa
warmed toward the enterprise. Tn
idea of taking q trip on that curious
looking skeleton trunk took possession
of me ut once, and learning that b
wanted about 81 900, l agreed to furnisl
the money If he would allow me to &C
company him on the trial trip. Inee'
not say that he gladly promised, an
that lived in state of extraordinar
excitement from that day forth until tn
machine was completed.
It was q strange affair to look at, re
sembling q reaping machine, trottinI
sulky and q patent coffee mill aboC
equally. The young machinist explaine
to me that his model was merely ties
of the principle, and that large ont
built more carefully, would 60 niue
faster.
AT do not expect this one to get NOR
than II, 900 revolutions minute for il
balance Wheel" he said, "and tbs
would give . speed of 17S miles pc
hour on q good road.
l had an idea that this would do fo
ordinary travelling, and inwardly praye
for the night of the trial to come.
came-one Wednesday night, when, fc
some reason or another, there would b
no trains through either way, and
fastened to stop where the model stoo
in perfect readiness for the track. Wit
little trouble we rolled it down to I'll
rails and placed its wheels upon then
for it weighed but few pounds MOI
than q common hackney coach. W
then took our places on q sort OF bugg
soat With strong handles in front to hOl