St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-09-23
Engineer Page and No. 6JS.

Ibid she behave well to-day on the
journey 7" he was asked.
"Behave well! | should say so. She
seemed to feel what was required of
her. This morning she glided away as
gently as lady's carriage horse, and
even when put her to her pace, and
she went along at she rate of mile in
fifty three seconds, the seemed to hold
her breath"
As engineers Page said this he lean
ed out of the cab, and looked at his
engine as kindly as Il rider would look
at his favOrite horse.
"Then you didn't limit the speed to
forty-tive miles an hour, as was origin
ally intended 2" he was asked.
''Oh, no; that, you see, would have
been only three-quarters of mile to a
minute"
'Did the doctors and the president
know you were going ut that rate ?"
"They didn't the first time let her
go. But III tell you how | came to do
it. We left Washington at 6.37 this
morning. We ran down to Patapsco,
thirty miles out, at the limited
rate. There we stopped three min
utes. This stop, like all the other
stops on the way, was made to change
crews, to water, and to allow the ply
sicians to attend on the president. l
saw one of the attendants - guess it
was Col. Rockwell coming down the
platform, and called out to him, Col
Onel, how is the president ? You see,
though | wasn't sure who he was, felt
kind of safe in calling him colonel"
Giles doing finely, Page came back
the answer.
"DOes he feel the motion ?" asked.
"'Not at ALL he answered. 'Why,
you're going us smoothly as IA carriage
over an asphalt pavement"
"Was it then you began to think of
running little faster ~
"Well, yes. But Bay View, our
next stopping place, was only eight
miles farther so | didn't try it until we
started from Bay View for Perryville,
seventy eight miles out from Washing
ton. There they sent me word that the
president had been doing better and
better, so | thought I'd watch the en-
gine, and if she went smoothly try one
mile little faster. Lamoken, where
we were to have the next halt, was
! forty six miles further on. The en-
gine behaved beautifully; so, half way
between Bay View and Lamoken,
threw open the throttle and let her go
one mile in fifty three seconds. | did
not feel ii jolt or a jar as she went tear
ing down the track, and | knew then
that if the President had mind he
might get the sea breeze sooner. We
stopped seven minutes at Lamoken.
called out to one of the attendants
|
when she was going SO fast ?
"'Why, no. was the reply. "Were
we travelling faster than forty-five
miles an hour 7"
"'Yes, SIR" says l, ''we went one
mile in fifty three seconds"
"'Well,' said he, Il didn't notice it,
and | am sure the president didn't
I'll go and ask"
''Pretty soon | saw him coming
] down the platfoom. whip her up,
IKE, whip her up he called out
TN president didn't feel any extra
mOti&. They were all delighted to
hear tllat we could get along faster
and tile president said
"Tell him to go ahead. | want t.
get there" A short time ago he said
Il feel as though | was on the road to
| recovery.
"After that | went pretty much at
the speed thought the best, accord
ing to my knowledge of the road"
81 suppose after this" said the re-
porter, ''your engine will be the most
famous one on the road 7"
eyes, sir; and she ought to be.
guess she earned a national reputa-
ton to-day"
Engineer Page has been for twenty
five years in the employ of the Penn
sylvania railroad company. He is
forty years old, weighs I60 pounds
has light blue eyes and sandy whiskers
He began as fireman with his father
Ralph Page, who was also for many
years trusted engineer on the road
and was selected to take charge of the
train that brought the body of Presi-
dent Lincoln to New York on the way
to its final resting place. After firing
for his father several years he was pro.
NOTED for faithful service, and has fol
several years had charge of the limited
Washington express train. - IN. Y