The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-05-11
Runuine a Locomotive


running an engine" said long speci-
men Of the genus Yankee, putting sae
elbow on the bar counter and holding
his whisky straight up to the light, ''and
if it would amuse you I'll give yAn a
yarn or two"
"Stave ahead" said his compassion,
run n enGns from New York - Iesaa-
delphi2."
'sOh. you did," said the Yaakss.-
''Wdl that just amounts to RotAiA'. PVe
BEEN special snginsar for the lssk tan
year, and there 4in't z mile q tsack
atyees here and Frico h&vsnrt t.s<ea-
Cd ovar. Yoa ses us specials sps sensed
to be ready for anything at . n,esa~ak's
notice. and when We tFaFA We irsBt a.
right over the ground. sa( ds1t sSa
forget it."
I've mssle soaae preAty sas'a ame
myself." }" said the second sssfsess. Il
took q train through from Esv YeEA b
Philadelphia in eighty niHutss."
"Oh. that's ohil6s play. said IRE first
run myself. and with one piston-rod
gone at that. ia Just got back from a
special run up through the cosl regions.
when word came that one If the big
guns of the company wished b start at
once for Philadelphia 1 knew what
that meant, so 1 jumped aboard hong
legged Jim, hitched construction car
behind the tender, and drawing-r room
coach behind that and reported for duty.
| knew my engine, and ran up forty
pounds of steam more nor she was mark
ed to carry. When the word came let
H. IL l. / I
jumped in the air. Then he settled
down to his work. Everything was clear
in front of US, and let him out foc all
he was worth at the start In less 'en
five minutes you couldn't counted tho
telegraph poles they flew by us so fast
had two firemen un' just made 'em
earn their passage from the word 60.
Old Jim must have eat up two ton O.
coal inside of ten miles"
"Whatr' calculated the second en-
gineer.
.'Surer' said the first engineer "And
we hadn't been out Of the station fifteen
minutes before every blasted boiler pipe
was red hot, and we had to keep flood
ing the cab with water to keep from
burning the darn thing up. Oh, we was
just gettin there, my boy, and didn't
let up pound. Every time we took
curve the outside wheels would be as
least foot up in the air, and once or
twice the tender jumped clean on to the
ties, and old Jim would yank her back
again, and"
''Ain't you kind of stretching pointr'
asked the second engineer.
Not a bit of it, said the first en-
gineer. why, afore we was half way
to Philadelphia, both O. those stokers
was down on their knees praying, and
had to do the feeding myself until Iswore
'em back to their senses again. Well,
everything went well the first two thirds
O. the run, and was just whistling to
myself over the record was piling up,
when there came q report like rifle,
and 1 knew one of the blasted piston
rods had busted. There was nothin' to
do but stop, and / lost ten minutes fix
en- up. The big gun left the coach
and came down to see what was up
whats to be done?" said he. I've got
one piston rod left says !, and IN
take you through on time He knew me,
and he just Lit fresh Cigar and walked
back to the coach IS oontented rs o
lamb. Well, Just set those praying
irsmen to work for al they vas worth,
and had her UP TO sixty pounds over
the limit in less ZEN no time. Then Iles
her slide. Lord, Harry. thought old
Jim would jerk the stufEn' out Of every
thing behind him. We just played hop
scotch, and don't believe we touched
the rails more nor four or five times y
mile. / knew it vas 500 check or
nothin', and was after that check
Well, those firemen got to praying worse
ZEN ever, aad had to swear I'd throw
'em overheard afore they'd come to
time. l tell you we was just movin'.-
Why, the towns got runnin' all together,
and we had no more 'en got squint at
one station afore we was five miles past
the next one"
'.Hear! hearr' said the second en-
gineer, e'that's laying it on too strong"
''Trt,o as you're here said the first
engineer. I'd introduce You to the pray
ing iiremen, but they cut the business
after that run, and l kinder lost sight
of 'em. Well, we got within ten miles
of Philadelphia and l begun to stop
her"
''Stop her?"
Eyes; I knew / couldn't do it inside
o ten miles, and l didn't quite fetch it
at that; for when we ran into the station
we smashed in the bumpers and ripped
up about twenty feet O. the platform be-
fore old long-legged Jim would agree
the run was over, but | got the check"
and the Yankee engineer thoughtfully
drained his glass, as his friend ordered
the barkeeper to 'fset 'em up again.
Brookty1a Eagle.