The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-11-05
SEVENTY MILES AN HOUR.

am a railroad engineer. Away along in
81, during the great panic, l was running on
the f. d G. railroad. The railroad compa-
MES were going under in all directions. Ey-
cry day we heard of new failures, and quite
often in quarter where we least expected
it. Our road was generally looked upon as
one of the most substantial in the nation
nobody seemed to have any fears that it
would fail to survive the general smash-up
but yet l did not fully share in the general
confidence. Wages were cut down, aTTear-
ages collected, and a great many other mat
tiers seemed to Indicate that the road had got
into rather deeper water than was agreeable
all round. Among other things, the master
mechanic had told me in the spring that the
company had ordered four first-quality TauE-
ton engines for the fall passenger business.
The road was put in the very best condition
and other preparations were made to cut
down the time and put the trains through
/ quicker than was ever known before, when
the new engines should come. Well, there
was but one of the engines came.
1 said there was but 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 in praise
of any engine. She was put in my charge
Immediately, with the understanding that she
; was mine.
4 1t was Saturday when she came out of the
shop, and was TO take special train up to
Y. The train was to carry up the Pres
ident and several officers of the road, to meet
some officers of another road, which crossed
ours there and arrange some important bus
mess with them.
/ had no trouble in making my forty miles
an hour in going out. The engine handled
herself most beautifully. View just hold
ing up at Y, when AIdrich, the Treasur-
er, who had come out on the platform to put
on the brake slipped and fell. As we were
still under good headway, he was much in
jured and was carried off to the hotel insen-
sible
According to the Presidents direction
had switched off my train, turned my engine,
and stood ready to start back to c. at a
moments notice.
Aldrich'S presence was of so much import
ance 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 c. on the 3 O'Clock
express train. This was the last regular
.
until the next Monday.
Early in the evening I left the machine in
charge of my fireman and went over to an
eatng-house to see if 1 could not spend the
time more pleasantly than on my engine.
The hours dragged themselves away slowly.
| was playing a game of dominoes with the
statiOn-agent when in came Roberts, the
President, in a great state of excitement.
'IIarry," said he to me, 81 want you Ia
put me down in c. at IL O'Clock"
Asst was nearly IL O'Clock then, and the
distance was seventy-five miles, | thought he
was joking at first but, when we got out
side the door, he caught me by the arm and
hurried me along so fast that 1 saw he was
in earnest
"Harry," said he, ''if you don't set me
down in c. by y O'Clock | am a ruined
man, and this road is ruined road. Aldric
is dead but he told me- before he died, that
he had embeZZled from time to time $500, ,00C
of our money, and his clerk is to start Will
it on the II O'Clock boat from c. for Can.
ada. If we don't have that money on Mon
day morning, to make some payments with
/ the road goes into other hands and if you
put me down in c. at the right time, SC
y
Understand it, Harry. Five thousand dol
lars -
OF course l understood it. saw now the
reason why the wages had been cut down
felt that L would save the road if | lived, and
told Roberts so.
''See that you do it, Harry 20 he replied as
he climbed up on the steps of the coach
which was coupled to my engine.
Isprdng up into the footboard, got up on the
switch-tender to help my fireman, opened the
throttle and just as she commenced moving
looked at my watch-it was just IL o'clock
so that had one hour to make my seventy
five miles in.
From y toC--t there were few curve;
on the road but there were several heavy
grades. / was perfectly acquainted with ev
erv rod of it, so that knew exactly what
had TO encounter, and when ] saw how tn,
engine moved l felt very little fear for tbs
result.
The road for the first few miles was an al
line, and so smooth that my engine flew alon:
with scarcely a perceptible jar. | was s.
busy posting myself mp rs to the amount o
wood and water aboard, etc, that We dance'
by the FIRST station almost before was awar