The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-01-27
LIGHTNING SPEED.
Running SeVenty-flve Miles in
One Hour and Saving
a Railroad Company
From a Loss of
100000.
From the Railroader.

From the Railroads..
am railroad engineer. Away
along in 1857, during the recent
panic, l was running on the F. d G..
railroad. The railroad companies
we're going under in all directions.
Every day we heard of new failures,
and quite often in q quarter where
you least expected 1t. Oui road
was generally looked upon as one
of the most substantial in the ma
ton; nobody seemed to have any
fears that it would fail to survive
the general smash up; but yet |
did not fully share in the general
confidence. Wages were cut down,
arrearages collected, and a great
many other little matters seemed to
indicate to me that the roaI had
got into deeper water than was
agreeable all around. Among 9th
er things, the master mechanic tolG
me in the spring that the company
had ordered four first quality Taun-
ton engines for the tall passenger
business. The road was put in the
very best condition, and other pre-
parations were made to cut down
the time and put the trains through
quicker than ever was known be-
fore when the new engines came.
Well, there was but one of the en-
gines that came.
| said there was but one engine
came; but she was, in my opinion,
altogether the best ever turned out
of the Taunton works, and that is
saving as much as can be said of
any engine. She was put in my
charge immediately with the under
standing that she was mine. 1t
was Saturday when she came out OF
the shop, and L was to take a spe'
cial train up to y. The train
was to carry up the president and
several officers OF the road TO meet
some officers of another road, which
crosses ours there, and arrange
some important business with them.
| had no trouble at all in making
my forty miles an hour going out.
The engine handled herself most
beautifully. We we're just holding
uD at Y. when Aidrich, the treas
urer come out on the platform to
put the brake on, slipped and fell.
AS we were still under good head
way he was much injured, and car
ried off to the hotel insensible.-
According to the Presidents dlrec-
ton, | switched off my train, turn
ed my engine, and stood ready to
start back to C. at u moments
notice.
Aldrich's presence was of SC
much Importance that the business
could not be transacted without
him, so all those l had brought, ex-
cept the president and t. Aldriehr
went back to C. on the three
o'clock express train. This was
the last regular train that was t.
pass over the road until next Mon
day. Early in the evening L lei
the machine in charge of my fire
man, and went over to an eating
house to see if 1 could not spenC
the time more pleasantly than or
my engine. The hours dragged
themselves away slowly. wal
plaving a game of dominoes will
the station agent when in came
Roberts, the president, IN state o
great excitement.
Harry" said he, 81 want you t
put me down in c. at l:
O'Clock"
AS it was nearly IL O'Clock then
and the distance was seventy nv
miles, thought he was joking a
first; but when we got outside the
door he caught me by the arm ant
hurried me along SO fast that say
he was in earnest.
Harry" said he, "if you don
set me down in c. by II O'CLOCK
1 am a ruined man, and this road
a ruined road. Aldrich is dead
, but he told me before he died ths
he had embezzled from time to tim
: $5OO,OOO of our money, and hi
clerk is to start with it on the L
e o'clock boat from c. for CAnad;
If we don't have that money o
Monday morning to make som
payments with, the road goes int
other hands; and if you put N
) down in c. at the right time,
that 1 save my money, you sha
have $4,000 dollars"
OF course, 1 understood it.
o saw now the reason why the wage
4 had been cut down. l felt that
would save the road, If lived, an
Il to ID Roberts so.
= "See that you do it, Harry"
!. replied, as he climbed up on tt
: steps Of the coach which was cou
!. ed to my engine.
e l sp-ang up into the footboar
n got up the switch tender to he
O nv fireman, opened the throttl
n and, lust as she commenced moviI
( looked at my watch; it was ju
n IL O'Clock, so that had one hol
Ie to make my seventy-five miles
. From Y to c. there we
/ few curves on the road, but the
,e were several heavy grades. W
lie perfectly acquainted with every RI
l. of it, so that / knew exactly VIII
had TO encounter, and when
N saw how the engine moved l f
i very little fear for the result. i
in road for the first few miles was an s
Sc line, and so smooth that my engi
al flew along with scarcely percep
a BILE jar. l was so busy posti
s; myself up as to the amount
n. wood and water aboard, ETC., th
c. we danced by the first station
er most before l was aware of 1t hs
q. been five minutes out and havi
d: five miles accomplished.
al You are losing time" yelled
liz voice from the coach. l look
er around and there stood Robe
70 with his watch in his hand.
it 1 knew very well that we wol
&c have to increase our speed by so
. means il We carried out our pls
ig of reaching by midnight, a
tt looked snxious'g around to +,
ur what could d 80 accomplish Il
as purpose. She va blowing off fer
ne ly at ITO pounds, SO | turned do