Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-02-13
THE ENRAeEp BULL.
An Incident Connected with Raflroading
In Old Mexico.
Icor. Express-Journal.I ]

In Old Mexico.
[Cor. Express-Journal1
A new railroad was in process of con-
struction, and a pass was secured, per-
mitting me to ride ON the engine, and i
reached the end of the grade in the after
noon Nearly a score of "Greasers"
claimed passage on the engine and tender,
and clustered like flies to the machine,
though repeatedly warned away. AS it
was, the cow-catcher was covered with
them, and we slid out into the cleaning
with all our passengers in front instead of
behind the engine. The fireman's seat
above and to the left of the furnace door,
was given to me-a warm location. The
sun went down, and into the darkness the
headlight threw saffron CLEAN over the
. rails, followed by ruddy glow, and then
broad shaft OF light projected far i'm ad-
vance. The red faded out of the sky, and
we sped into the dismal depths with rattle
and roar that silenced US all, and with q
jolting and crashing that necessitated a firm
grip ON some support. At intervals of
three or four minutes the active fireman
swung open. the furnace door with bang,
and shoyeled into its fiery throat fresh
fuel for its insatiate NAV. Not a word
was spoken, but at a nod from the engineer
the assistant attended to his duties like an
automatOn-hrst, to turn cock and let the
Kissing steam full into our faces; then to
pull the bell-rope; next to run out to trim
the headlight, and ever and again to jerk
open the changing door and rake up the
almost molten mass of living Goals
within. With one hand on the lever the
engineer peered out into the Illuminated
space ahead-to him familiar ground, but
to me mysterious aud unknown.
"That's the talk :" chuckled the engineer,
as headway was gained and we were dash
ing down the track at tremendous speed.
Just hear her now! Did you ever no.
tice, young man, that an ingine can talk?
Well, she can. Didn't you hear her puff,
and grunt, like a human, as we started off:
oh, pshawv she begins, what d'you
want: what d'you want?, choo, choo,
chose! ah, here goes! here you go! now
you have it! now you have It? How is
that: how is that? Give it to her! give it
to her! Break her hearti break her back!
break her
Jerusalem! Jim, look ahead! See
that internal old bun on the track,
right between the rails, and head on.
Jim, can't stop her Blamed if the old
woman don't mean fight! She means to
knock the stufffn' out of that built Heaven
help them Greasers on the cow-catcherl !
Hold on to something, boys! She will
fight! Dog-gone her old heart, but she's
bantami"
The lever swung over the entire arc of
the gauge, and the steam hissed in a
volume through the open throttle, but
the contrary old engine, though tremb-
ling and sobbing with the strain, shook
her nailed sides, taking the bits in her
teeth, and leaving our driver aghast.
"Santa Mariai Somos perdidos! We're
lost ~ waited the despairins Mexicans.
"Guess they be, muttered the fireman;
/" and I wouldn't want to insure our
own - $3.50 p ~-
Crash.
The foes had met. The bull, oh, where
was he? Ask the remains that now be-
strewed the track. Ask the sturdy old en-
gine, now come to a halt, her CORY front in
tact, and who was now snorting defiance
and victory.
"Jim! look down ahead and see'f she's
hurt. Hockey. amt it darkl'
Jim jumped through the cab window
G-IO 81 eAnOeitis <AS u0 QAu 50 ne stumbled
over body, and another, and three white
forms came out of the gloom to meet him.
''Guess it's all right" he shouted back
"What amt she damaged a bit:''
| "Kind o. bloody an battered, but fresh
| as a daisy. She aiD't lost even tooth"
"Ain't she a tearer?"
"You bet"
swell, comenp. Any Greasers killcdf''
"Guess not; seem to be all here"
"Any damageds"
"Don't seem TO be''-after a hurried
questioning. ''You see, three Of ,en
jumped, and t'other two crawled UP Just in
| time to save their shins."
"Is that so? Didn't know a Greaser could
be so spry. did kind of hope-but nc
matter; 'spose it would a-gone wuss with
us If we laid out any one. There'll be q
row about that old bull, as 'tis: and they'H
bring bin of $50 for his carcass; and I'm
ready to swear that them Greasers are
drivin' 'em up ON the track as fast as Lean
run 'em of! But she Just dispersed old
toro, didn't she, Jimsn