The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-08-06
Select Story.
SENENTl-flNE MILES AN llOrR

SENENTY.flyE MILES AN HOUR.
| had spent a night in Il stage. da,
IN saddle, night in sleeping car
hall day doing business, half day II
Dcd' and was, after supper, enjoying
cigar and newspaper in the rcadn.
room OF the Redwood House, Faycttc
Ind. The newspaper was unintcrcstinr
or else was rather sleepy guess i
was little of both--so that | soon ne
elected ii, to watch the fantastic curling
OF the smoke from my fine favored cigar
| didn't tccl much like talking, and felt
still less like reading; but did feel as i
would like exceedingly well to hear 4
good story.
had barely come to this conclusion
and Commenced wishing for some one OF
my acquaintances to amusc me till tn,
time was up for the train which was tc
take me to indianapolis. when | rccog
nlzcd in the person who sat next to me
a icllow-Waycler in the sleeping car OF
the night before.
lie, too had laid aside his paper. and
was apparently, like me, watching the
smoke of his cigar. and wishing for ab
sent friends TO keep him company.
lie was a very agreeable blc-looking little
man. with a clear, gray eye, light hair,
sandy whiskcrs'and smiling mouth. In.
deed, he had much the appearance of
man that | would like to hear tell n
story, that thought Dame Fortune had
smiled upon me, when he recognized me
with genial How dye do, stranger!
/ returned his salutation, and asked
nm some commonplace questions about
now he had enjoyed the ride we had
together.
lie said something in reply about the
running being too fast for the poor track:
and from this the conversation ran upon
last travelling i'll general for some time.
At last | remarked that sixty miles an
hour was the most speedy travelling that
had ever done. Whereupon my friend
informed me, with pleasant, but know
ing smile, that he had Travelled consid-
erabIe faster than that, and, in fact, fast
cr than he had ever heard of. besides
VI course | was anxious to know where.
how, and when he had done it; and. af
ter modest assurance that he feared his
tale would not be interesting. my friend
relieved my anxiety by relating the fol
lowing story:
i am railroad engineer, Away along
in titty-scven, during the great panic. i
was running on the +. & c. Il. X. The
railroad companies We're going under in
all directions. Every day we heard of
new failures; and quite often in a quar-
ter where we least expected it. Our
road was generally looked upon as one
OF the most substantial in the nation; no
body seemed to have any fears that il
would tall to survive the general mash
up, But yet | did not fully share in the
general confidence. Wages were cut
down, arcaraLes collected, and great
many other little matters seemed to me
that the road had got into rather deeper
water than was agreeable all around.
Among other things the master mechan-
ic had told me in the spring that the
company had ordered four first quality
engines for the fall passenger business.
The road was put i'll the very best condi-
tion, and other preparations were made
to cut down the time and run the trains
through quicker than was ever known
before, wncn the new engines should
come. Well, there was but one of the
engines came.
i said there was but one engine came;
but she was, i'll my opinion, altogether
the best ever turned out of the Taunton
works; and that is saying as much as
can be said in praise of any engine She
was put III my charge Immediately, with
the understanding that She was mine.
III was Saturday when she came out
of the shop, and was to take Il special
train up to Y, The train was to
carry up the president and several of the
officers Of the road to meet some officers
of another road, which crossed ours
there, and arrange some important bu-
sineSs with them.
i had no trouble at all in making my
forty miles an hour going out. The en-
gine handled herself most beautifully. We
were just holding up at Y, when Al
drlch, the treasurer, who had come out
on the platform to put the brake ON,
slipped and fell, As we were still un-
der good headway he was very much in
jured and was carried off to the hotel in
sensible.
According to the presidents dircc
tions | switched off my train, turned my
engine and stood ready to start back to
u at moments notice.
'Aldrich's presence was of so much
Importance that the business could not
be transacted without him; so all those |
had brought out, except the president
lnd Aldrich went back to C on the
o'clock express train. This was the
ast regular train which was to pass over
he road till next Monday.
Early IN the evening | left the ma
shine III charge Of my fireman and went
over to an eating house to see if | could
not spendthe time more pleasantly than
IN my engine, The hours dragged them
selves away slowly. | was PLAYING a |
game OF dominoes with the station
agent, when in came Roberts, the presi- |
lent. in state Of great excitement
''llauy, said he to me, Il want Won
% put me down in C atl2 o.clockr |
AS is was nearly II o'clock then. and |
he tdlstance was seventy-five miles, | |
hought he was joking at first; but when |
We got outside the door, he caught me
~ the arm, and hurried me along so fast
hat saw he was in earnest.
Harry said he' If you don't set me |
lCnpn in G "a TO .,fnl,af. - ~