Mexico weekly ledger., 1881-04-07
PUTTING ON STEAM.

l am a railroad engineer. Away
long in 1857, during the panic, was
snning on the F. and G. railroad. |
The railroad companies were going
lnder in all directions.
Every day we heard of new fail
Tres, and quite often in a quarter we
east 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
it would fail to survive the general
but yet l did not fully
share in the general confidence.
Wages were cut down, arrearages
collected, and a great many other lit
tie matters seemed to indicate to me
shat the road had got into deeper
water than was agreeable all around.
Among other things, the master
mechanic 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
quicker than was ever known
before when the new engines should
come. Well, there was but one Of
the engines came.
l said that there was but one en-
gine came but she was, in my opin-
ion, altogether the best ever turned
out of the Taunton works, and that is
saying as much as can be said Of any
engine.
She was put in my charge immedi-
ately, with the understanding that
she was mine. 1t was Saturday when
she came out of the shop, and l was
to take a special train up to Y.
The train was to carry up the pres
ident and several officers of the road
to meet some officers Of another road,
which crosses there, and arrange some
important business with them. Ihsd
no trouble at all in making my forty
miles an hour going out. The engine
handled herself most beautifully.
We were just holding up at y,
when Aldrich, the treasurer, who had
come out on the platform to put the
brake On, slipped and tell.
As we were still under good head
way he was much injured, and car
ried to the hotel insensible. Accord
ing to the presidents directions, !
switched off my train, turned my en-
gine, and stood ready to start back
to C at moments notice.
Aldrich's presence was of so much
Importance that the business could
not be transacted without him, so all
those had brought out, except the
president and Aldrich, went back to
c. on-the three o'clock express
train.
This was the last regular train
which. was to pass over the road un
til next Monday. Early in the even.
ing left the machine in charge o.
my fireman, and went over to ar
eating house to see if 1 could no
spend the time more pleasantly thar
on my engine.
The hours dragged themselves ava,
slowly. 1 was playing a game o
dominoes with the station agent wher
in came Roberts, the President, in :
state of great excitement.
Harry" said he, II want you t.
put me down in c. at IL q clock. >
As 1t was nearly eleven o'clocl
then, and the distance was seventy
five miles, I thought he was jokint
at first; but when we got outside th'
door he caught me by the arm an.
hurried me along so fast that l say
he was in earnest.
"Harry," said he, ''if you dom
set me down in c. at twelv
O. clock am a ruined man, and thi
road is ruined road. Aldrich
de:.d; but he told me before he die
that he had embezzled from time t
time $500, 200 of our money and hi
clerk is to start with it on the twelv
O. clock boat from c. for Canads
If we don't have that money on Mon
day morning to make some payment
with, the road goes into other hand.
and If you put ME down lnC-at th
the right time, so that l save money
you shall have $4,000. Understan
it, Harry-five thousand dollars"
i OF course l understood it. l sa
now the reason wages had been CT
down. l understood it all, and m
blood boiled. I felt that l woul
save the road, if l lived, and tol
Roberts so.
"See that you do it, Harry" h
replied, as he climbed up on the steE
OF the coach which was coupled
my engine.
L Isprang up on the footboard, g
mp the switch tender to help my fir
man, opened the throttle, and, ju
as we had commenced moving, lool
ed at my watch; it was just eleve
o'clock, 90 that had one hour
make my seventy miles in.
From Y to B there wei
few curves on the road, but the
were several heavy grades. I VI
perfectly acquainted with every re
OF it, SO that l knew exactly what
had to encounter, and when / ca
how the engine moved l felt very Ii
/ tie fear for the result. x. -~s
III The road for the first few miles W
an air line, and SO smooth that II
lengine few along with scarcely pc
ceptible jar.
was so busy posting myself
as to the amount Of wood and wat
aboard, &C., that we danced by t
first station almost before l as ava
+! of it, having been five minutes o
and having FIVE miles accomplishe
t'You are losing time," yelled
voice from the coach.
l looked around, and there sto
Roberts with his watch in his han
l knew very we'll that We wor
have to increase our speed by sol
4 means if we carried out our plans
4 reaching c. by midnight, a
looked anxiously around to see wi
:. 1 could do to accomplish the purpo
. She was blowing off steam fierc'
at one hundred and ten pounds. sc
turned down the valve to two ht
dred, for / knew we should need