Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-01-09

Twas the most terrible experience ever
had since ran an engine. The two la
dies seemed as if charmed, ana We're
perfectly unconcious OF their great dam
ger,while the man was beating the 8n-
imal in i fearful way 10 get him.to pull
across out ot the way. They all had
their eyes riveted on the train, and al.
though it was running them down every
second faster and faster, not one Of them
made y move to jump from the wagon.
When the train struck them they had
not moved step from where | first
saw them. When the train stopped |
got settled, but could hardly recall what
| had just seen. My fireman said;
| Let's so back and see if they are killed,
but | could not stand it, and didn't 80
back, 1t turned out happily that the
only one that was killed was the horse
who had baked. When the engine hit
him he was directly between the two
rails, and being struck with such force
broke loose from the wagon and was
sent twenty feet in the air, landing in
culyert with his neck broken and mutt
ated III horrible manner. The man
and the two ladies' were more frighten-
ed like myself, than hurt. They were
all pitched with the wagon into the gut
ter on the side Of the track, and beyond
being roughly handled and receiving
several scratches and bruises, nothing
serious befel them. Oh, yes, | forgot,
the mans arm was broken. The near
est house was opened to them, and we
went on, being unstrung and hardly
capable of running the rest of the trip.
| tell you | will never forget that eX.
perience, and several times since it hap
pened, the horrible sight has come 10
me in my dreams"
"Well, put in Carpenter, Il have
never killed human being yet, but we
can't tell how soon We will. The near
est ever came to it was at the time |
struck the tramp between Howelrs and
Middleton. That was good while
ago, and as was able to nearly stop
before | reached him only gave him
a light rap, so light that he only got u
leg broken and 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 ut Sloatsburg onee?'
continued abe" Chat was funny
mishap, and I've laughed over il lots of
times. You know geese are like old
hens when i'll front OF Il 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 bulge; like the woman you
speak of Jackey, sister gooses, they
seemed to be enchanted and charmed.
There was probably fifty of EN-, but as
| knew they couldn't do any harm if
they'd been fifty millions of 'em, | let
her out q screw or two on ,he throttle,
Just To see them fly. Some vent up ON
all sides, and you would think that u
lot Of boys were snowballing my engine,
Two of them lit down i'll the coal ten
der, and one came whizzing i'll the cab
window. My fireman and | had a
roast goose for dinner that day, and
each took one goose home, The en-
CINE was covered with blood, grease and
feathers, and from her appearance
you'd surely think, Mother Goose had
been picking that day"
"You know, Abe, the day | hoisted
mp George Haggerty's caboose several
years ago, and came near killing poor
George? Well" continued JaCkey,
chat wasn't much of an adventure, 50
III tell you what Tom Wilmoth, who
used to run on the Susquehanna division
once told me about chasing Tor miles
a herd Of holses. lie told me he over
took them one day on a straight, level
stretch several miles long, and instead
of being frightened oil the track with
the whistle and bell, up went their ears
and straight ahead they bolted. Tom
said he was tray ling all, if not
not more than thirty miles
an hour. He had 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 first class
train, lie had to skip along lively TO do
it. He couldn't slack up speed a bit,
for, If he did, he'd hold the first class.
SO with blowing every quarter minute,
he kept on, with the horses on clear
run ahead Of him. He said he ran on
that flat stretch for miles and miles, and
every little while the horses, as If angry
with the wonderful speed he was max
ing them 90, threw up their tails def
antly, and kicked up their heels furious
ly, just like they invariably do in I'M
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 of the track when
A bridge was reached, over which they
could not go. Part of them went of On
one side and the rest on the other side,
and then he went on and telegraphed
back to the nearest Office 70 send out
track men to put them Of the track ii
possible, before the express came along.
Fortunately the express.was little late,
and they got out of the way in time.
Tom also said that the horses were AZ
white and wet with foam as if they had
Just been lathered with soap He didn't
believe deer could do what these horses
did, and he always recommended the
owners Of running horses, if they want
ed TO get railroad speed out other run
ners, to frighten them good with loco
motive whistle and bell, and they clean
the deck.
"Oh, that's nothing" flcetiousg re-
ms rod Clrpanfor tsJule Parker once