Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-08-24

hC INN IlIiIt CdlNi went lfllO Pllecl
on the Union Pacific last Sunday
and the passenger trains which used
to jog along at the rate of twenty
miles an hour now strike two minut.
gait, while freights which were fer
merly content to make eight or ten
miles an hour. now cover from eight
cen to twenty. This increased rate
of speed was being talked of the other
evening at the round house by party
OF engineers. who were relating in
stances of fast runs being made. on
special occasions, before the last
change was made.
You remember that run made to
Sherman with DIR. Harris, boys" re
marked Danny Breese as he bit off a
huge chew of plug and looked at his
watch to see how soon three was due.
That was a dandy. You see there
was something wrong with the agents
wife, and telegram come saying to
send DIR. Harris up by telegraph, if
possible. Id just got in with four.
and old 155 was feelin' immense:
BLOWN off SO loud you couldn't hear
yourself think. Baxter he cme ont
just as I'd started for the roundhouse,
and says he Danny, you've got to go
to Sherman quickern-we pretty
quick"a
Il says all right says l. and
KNOWN he wanted a quick run, told
the tiremen to uncouple the tender.
so as TO make my engine lighter, and
when Harris climbed into the cab
and took seat on the freman's box,
l threw the reverse over in the corner
and gave her steam. AWAY she
jumped like scard kangaroo. The
doctors eyes bulged out like pair of
porcelain drawer knobs as we rushed
ont over the plains toward the mount
aims. Rippity click we smashed along
over the switches and frogs at Fort
Sanders, and Harris hanging on for
his life, and looking like an uninsured
man sitting down to his first dish of
cucumbers. We passed Red Butte
like a thunder bolt and went flying
up the sides Of the mountain.
whats that-a post? asked the
doctor as Wa passed something in a
jiffy.
1T was the first shed west of
Harvey, $50 feet long, so you can SEQ
how fast we was goin'.
"Been settin' out hedge fence
along here, haven't they?' again asked
the doctor.
HE referred to the telegraph poles,
which did look pretty thick, l can tell
you, the way we was goin'.
"Who put in that irrigating ditch p
again asked the doctor.
That's Dale Greek canyon an
swered the fireman as he stopped half
minute from shoveling coal, just as
we swept through the last two sheds
this side of Sherman and made fly
stop at the station.
WED made the twenty-three miles,
up grade, in nineteen minutes. | set
NY coffee bucket ON the driving boxes
to boil, they was so hot. and while l
was eatin' out comes Harris and says
he.
Dan. it's twins-two boys, and as
fine little kids as you ever saw"
"Yes, that was a pretty fair rum"
remarked Billy Hodgman; "but 1 say,
Dan, what long armed fireman you
must have had"
"How's that?" asked Breeze.
"Why, to shovel coal in Sherman
from tender that stood on a side
track here in Laramie"
Breese remarked that he guessed
that was three pulling into the yard
and he'd better be going, aud he left.
'Any of you boys remember when
lightning struck the tank at Dale
Creek, AMI put hole clear through
her from side to side?" inquired Billy
Hodgman of his companions.
All of them recollected the time
we'll, and spoke of it as a wonderful
phenomenon-the thunderbolt pass
ing through the building from one
side to the other, instead of from top
to bottom.
We'll, sir, it wasn't lightning at
ALL" responded Billy, lowering his
voice to a confidential pitch. 1T
was a chunk of coal that did the
business. l was pulling freight then.
over the hill, and Harry Galbraith
was firing for me. We left Sherman
with big train, and for some reason
the brakeseys didn't hold her. In
about four seconds we were going
down the hill a mile minute, and
faster every second. Harry he climb
ed back to the tender to see what was
the matter with the boys OF top-and
all this time Twas whistling brakes
and just as we struck Dale Greek
bridge he kicked big chunk of coal
off: Dern my buttons if it didn't fly
for that tank like a cannon ball and
went right through it. We heard the
crash, but didn't know then what was
the matter The boys got the brakes
set just as we reached The Siding,
and we found that we'd made the six
miles in four minutes and half. 1t
rained in the mountains that after
noon, ard when we got to Laramie
they told us streak of lightning had
struck the Dale Greek tank and let
the water out Of it."
pretty good time," said Perry
Bickford: "but l don't believe any
one ever beat the run l made down
the mountain from Granite to Chey-
enne, last Winter, with four box cars,
and nary brake on them that would
hold a pound The train broke in
two just after leaving there, and be
fore | knew it we had left the lest OF
them way behind. Isent the fireman
to set the brakes, and in few minutes
he came back white IS sheet and
said mono Of 'em would work. i. BY
this time we were climbing, can tell
you, and when we passed Otto, all you
could see of the station was an in
distinct blur / knew we had to pass
seven at Colorado junction, and as
we rounded the curve 1 saw her Oh
the main track. All of a sudden al
idea struck me- You know you hit {
billiard ball on the under side. setting