The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-02-01
A HIGH RATE OF SPEED.
Running Seventy i've Miles in One
Hour and Saving . Railroad
Company from . Loss Of $780,
600.

! From the Railroa.ier.
l am q railroad engineer. Away
along in 1857, during the recent
panic. / was running on the F. Il C..
railroad. The railroad companies
were going under in all directions.
Every day We heard Of new failures,
and quite often in q quarter 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 fail to survive the general
smash-up; but vet / did not fully
share in the general confidence.
! Wages were cut down, arrearages col
lec.ed, and great many other little
matters seemed to get into deeper
water than was agreeable all around.
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 fail
passenger business. The road was
put in the vary 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.
said there was but one engine
come but she was. 10 my opinion, al
together the best ever turned out of
the Taunton works, and that is say
ing as much a. can be said Of any en-
CINE. She vas put in my charge i'm
mediately, with the understanding
that she was mine. 1t was Saturday
when she came out Of the shop, and /
was to take a special train up to y.
The train was to carry up the presi-
dent 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 nv
forty miles an hour going out. The
engine handled herself most beauti-
fully. We were just holding up at
y, when Aldrich. the treasurer,
who had come out on the pratform
to put the brake on, slipped and fell.
As We were still under Roadway he
was much injured. and carried of to
the hotel insensible. According to
the presidents direction, switched of
my train, turned my engine, and stood
ready to start hack to c. at q no
ment's notice.
Aldrich's presence was of 80 much
Importance tina. the business could not
he transacted without him, so all those
l had brought out, except the presi-
dent and Aldrich, went back to c.
on the 3 o'clock express train. This
was the last regular train which was
to pass over the road until next Mon
day. Earl in the evening I left the |
machine in charge OF nv fireman, and
went over to an eating house to see if
l could not spend the time more pleas
antly than on my engine. The hours
dragged themselves away slowly. / |
was playing a game Of dOmiDoes with
the station agent when in came
Roberts, the president, in o state of
great excitement.
Harry" said he, IL want you to
put me down IN c. at II o'clock"
As il was nearly IL o'clock then.
and the distance was seventy-6ve miles,
] thought he was joking at first; but [
when We got outside the door he
caught me by the arm and hurried
me along 80 fast that l saw he was in
Harry" said he, "if you don't set
me down in C--by II o'clock, am
q ruined man, and this road is a ruined
road. Aldrlch is dead; but he told
me before he died that he had embez-
zled from time to time $500. 900 of our
and his clerk is to start with
it ON the IL o'clock boat. for Canada.
If we don't have that money on Mon
lay morning to make some payments
with, the road goes into other hands, Il
and If you put me down in ca
The right time. so that / save my
money, you shall have $1,000. I'm
lerstand it, Harry, Eve thousand dol I
ars." Ii
Of course I understood it. / saw
now the reason Why the wages had .
been cut down. ] understood il all Z
md my blood boiled. felt that I 1
would save the road if I lived. and / {
old Roberts so. Il
''See that you do it. Harry" he re-
,lied. as he climbed up on the steps Of 9
he coach which was coupled to my 4
'ngine.
/ sprane up into the footboard, got
Up the switch tender to help my c
ireman, opened the throttle. and, Just e
IS she commenced moving, looked at my q
ratch; it was just IL o'clock. SO that :
had one hour TO make my seveuty.6ve o
niles in. From Y--to C-there .
sere few curves on the road. but there 4
rere several heavy grades. l was q
'erfectly acquainted With every rod 2
i u, so tnat 1 Knew exactly what
ad to encounter. and when / saw how p
he engine moved | felt very little Y
ear of the result. The road for the &
rst ten miles was IN air line, and 50 8
mooth that nv engine few along q
nth scarcely perceptible jar. Wa 81
, busy posting myself up a. to the q
mount Of wood and water aboard, q
-, that We danced by the first sta q
on almost before / was aware of it, G
aving been five minutes out and hav- 9.
g Eve miles accomplished. q
"You are losing time" yelled q 81
dice from the coach. looked
round and there stood Roberts with el
il watch in his hand. q
I knew very we'll that We would "
ave To increase our speed by some al