Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1880-10-30
SEVENTY-FIVE MILES an
HOUR. st

in ~, during the great panic, I was
running on the F. & c. railroad. The
railroad companies were going under in
all directions. Every day we heard Of
new failures, and quite often in quarter
I where We least expected it. Our road
svas generally looked upon Is one Of the
most substantial in the nation nobody
seemed to have sny fears that it would
fail to survive the general smash-up /;
hut yet did not fully share in the gen.
elal confidence. Wages were cut down,
arrearges collected, and a great many
other matters seemed to indicate to me
that the road had 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 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
put oneof tie snaines 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.
II was Saturday when she came out of
the shop, and I was to take q special
train up to =. The train 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. 80 a.
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 mp at y, when
Aldrich, the Treasurer, who had come
out ON the platform to put the brake on,
. .slipped and fell. As we were still under
r good headway, he was much injured
and was carried of to the hotel insensi-
BILE.
According to the Presidents direction
50 I had switched of my train, turned my
engine, and stood ready to start back to
i, O. at moments notice.
40 Aldrich's presence was Of so much i'm
portance that the business Of the road
could not be transacted without him 30
al those had brought out, except the
President and Aldrich. went back to
O. on the o'clock express train.
This was the last regular train which
. vss TO- pass over the road until next
y Monday.
Early in the evening I left the ma
( din> il change of my fireman and went
over to "A eating house to see Il I could
q not spend the time moro pleasantly than
on my engine. The hours dragged
4 themselves away slowly. was playing
a same Of dominoes with the station
agent when in came Roberts, the Presi-
dent. in great state Of excitement a
'ih' " Harry" said he to me. II want you
IN uut me down in C-at IA O'Clock. :"
As il was nearly II o'clock then, and
tha distance was seventy-five miles, 1
thought no was joking at first; but.
vhen 10 got outside the door, he caught
No BY the arm and hurried me along 20
s..t thst fssw he was in earnest
"Harry," said he, I" If You don't set
=. m lovn in Oily 12o'clock am q
d ruined man, and this road Is . ruined
rod. Aldrich is dead; but he told me,
besors he died, that he had embezzied
,.,,front time 10 time $500, 900 Of our money.
and his clerk is to start with it on the ~
O'clock boat from c. for Canada. Ii
v. don't have that money on Monday