The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-27

Ruwasng Sevcnsy.nvc Miles I'M 1--WE
Ho~r. mna saving ka.ro"" 49,
10Y sru,. : g.css Of eSso;VOo.
sRai,soader.l

.Rai,roader.l
lam n railrosd engineer. Away along w
1Sk- durtnQ the receut panic, was run
ming on the A.. and g. railroad. The rail-
road companies were going under IN all d.
rce,jops. Evcgy day we heard OF new tsm-
urcs. aud,Quite Often In aqwsrter where We
east expected Il. Our road was eenershv
looked upon a. one Of the most substantial
in the naiiou. aotody seemed to have any
fears that II wouid fail TO survive tpe gen.~
raj smash-up; but yet 1 ava not LUIS
share in the general confidence "asee
were cut down, arrearaees col'eeteo, anu y
great macy other little matters secineu 20
inike,te To me that the road had got 'h'o
cos,,er water than was agreeable all around.
Among other tslngs, the master mechapic
had told me IN the spring that the eompan!
had ordered fouc first.qualiiy Taunton Gu
pines for the fall passenger business i"e
road was nut 10 the very best cono'ioo,
and other preparations were mace 10 cut
Aexvo che time and put the trains through
nuirle.. than ever wasknown before wnen
thc new engines should come. wen, tbere
was but one OF the engines came.
,aid there was but one engine came;
Int she WAS, In nv opinion. altogether the
hest ever tufned otk.o OF the Taunton works.
and that Is saying as much A. can De|saiiu oi
any engine. she was put in my charge in'-
mcdls,ely, with the understanding mat sue
was mine twas SATURDAY when she. ca'ne
out Of the shop. and was 10 take specla'
train up TO y. The train was 10 carry
ND the president and several oihcers Oh Tue
road TO meet some officers OF announcer io"u'
which crosses ours there, ana arrange
some important business with them.
had no trou.Je at all in making my 1ortS
miles en- hour going out. The engine nan
died herself most beautifully. We were
inst holding up nj y, when Aldrf0.
The treasurer, who had come out on the
platform to put the brake on,
SLIPPED AND FELL.
As we we're still under good headway' he
was much injured. and carried OH 10 tne
bo,ol ipseasjble. According 10 the presl-
dents direct switched oil my Tram,
turned my engine, and stood ready to start
hack TO G. at a moments notice.
Aidricb's presence was OF so much I'M
rortance that tue business could not be
transacted without him, so all those had
brought out. except the president ana Al
diicb, went back To c. on TIE 8 o ciocA
express train. This was TIE last regular
train which was 70 pass over the ROAD uh'lI
next Monday. Early in the evening i ieit
the machine IN charge OF nv fireman, ana
went over 70 an eatlng-hOuSe 10 see II
could not spend the time more pleasantly
than on the engine. The hours dragged
themselves away slowly. was playing
game OF dominoes with the stauon-asent
when in came Roberts, the president. IN
state Il great excitement.
"Harry," said be, ~ want you TO put
me down IN c. at IL O'Clock"
As il was nearly IL O'Clock then, aud the
fra p1itps 1 tUOHOht
he was Joking at first; but when we got
outside the door he caught me by the arm
ard buried me along so fast that saw he
was in earnest.
"Harry." said he. off you don't set me
down in c. by II O'Clock ana a ruiaed
man, and this road is a ruined road. Aldrlch
is dead; but he told me before he died that
he had
ENBEzzLtD FROM TINE TO TINE $500, 600 OF
OUR MONEY,
and bis cerk is to start with it on the II
O'Clock beat from c. for Canada. IL we
don't have that money on Monday morning
10 make some payments with the road goes
into other hands; and II you PIT me down
i'm c. at the right time, so that save my
money, you shall have $1,000. Understand
il. Harry $1,000"
or course | understood it. | saw now
the reason why the wages had been eat
down Understood 1t all, and my blood
bolled felt that l would save the road If
lived, and told Roberts so.
"See that you do it, Harry" he replied,
ms he climbed up on the steps Of the coach |
which was coupled TO my engine.
sprang up into the footboard. got up the |
switch.tender to help my fireman, opened
the throttle, and, just as she commenced
moving, looked Mt nv watch; II was just II |
O'Clock. so that had one hour to make my
seventy. five miles in. From y 10 c |
there were few curves on the road, but
there were several heavy grades. ! was
perfectly acquainted with every rod OF it, |
so that knew exactly what | had to en-.
counter, that when | saw how the engine |
moved ! felt very little fear for the result. !
The road for the first five miles was an
airline, and 50 smooth that my engine |
flew along with scarcely perceptble
ar. | WAS 30 busy posting myself up as 10
the amount OF wood and water aboard. etc., |
that we danced by the first station almost
before was aware Of it, having been five |
minutes out aud having five miles accom- |
plisbed.
" You are losing time" yelled voice
from the coach. | looked around, and
there stood Roberts with bis watch IN his |
hand.
knew very well that we would have to !
increase our speed by some meaps II we !
carried out our plaus Of reaching c. by |
midnight, and looked anxiously around to |
see what could do to accomplish that pur- |
pose. She was blowing off steam fierccly |
at ITO pounds, so
TURNED DOWN The VALVE TO Two HUNDRED, |
for knew we should need 1t all 10 make |
some OF the heavy grades which lay be- |
tween us and c.. II was three miles to |
the next station. With the exception OF |
few curves The track was as good as the last. |
As we started around what COMMONLY |
seemed rather long curve az the station |
but which was " our rate OF speed short |
enough. looked az my watch, ana we had
done II in two mkautes aud half.
"Gainlng," I shouted hack to Re8erts,
who was Standing on the platform oi the
corch.
~Look Ov, iOr the heavy grades,o he re-
pied, aud ~e,ft inside the ear.
The next SIX niles rose gradually from
kvel 10 ten and half feet grade, The last
which Law between us and the next station.
My firemsn kept her full and nov she be-
gan TO got hot. The fur1ace.door was red,
and the steam raised ,csntinualy, so that
she kept her-speed, and passed the station
like streak of eight iufye minutes. Now
came u,&e miles like the last, owsr which
she KEEP. p1ce with her'tsme, and passed The |
station N, seven and bali minutes. Here
for ten 'Riles We had IL twenty-foct grade 10 |
encagnkr, but the wot Il OF IL all was att
this piaoe we would be obliged 10 stop for,
wood. was juct going'so speak'to Roberts |