News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-08-13
ELOPING ON AN ENGINE.
A PeriIous Ride for wife-AIfnost il
Collision.

81 never see wedding party get on
my train" said an engineer to a Chicago
Herald man, "that do not think of the
time l got married myself That was
several years ago. Though an engineer,
was rather wild, and W hen / courted
the daughter of the section boss-as
old man objected. He said if 1 didn't
reform I'd be killed some night on my
run, and he didn't want any widow and
children on his hands. But the gal and
l made up our minds that we'd get mar
ried anyway, and trust to luck for the
future. That, you know, is the kind of
risk the best of 'em have to take. So I
made all the preparations for an elope-
merit. l had day run, but one night /
changed off with another engineer on
purpose. That ruin brought me to the
little station where the section boss
lived during the night. 1t was all ar
ranged that she should come on board
my engine, ride to the second station
with me, and there telegraph operator,
friend of mine, was to have minister
ready. Everything worked all right,
and the lass was soon seated behind me
in the cab. How the old locomotive did
run that night. She seemed to fly
through the air without touching the
rails, but even then she did not 60 fast
enough to suit me. At the next station
we stopped for orders, and the orders
were to side track three miles beyond at
the coal switch and wait for No. 6.
That was four miles from L, where
the minister was. 1t was pretty rough,
but orders had to be obeyed. We had
got nicely on the switch, and stood
waiting little while, when the brake
man came running forward as fast as he
could run, and from the top of the front
car shouted, The old mans coming on
sure enough. 80 irot'se away, hand-car
was coming with four men on it. Some
body had betrayed US. There was no
time to lose, AS quick as flash l de-
cided what to do. Shouting to the
brakeman to uncouple the tender from
the car, told my fireman to jump for
throttle. Just in the nick of time the
switch was turned, and we bounded on
to the main track The old man made
run for us, but he couldn't make it, and
then he returned to his hand-car and
gave chase. The question was now,
could l make L--siding before No. 8
left there2 If / couldn't, might have
collision. 1t was a fearful risk, but I
pulled the throttle wide open, and while
/ fired the lass kept her eye peeled along
the track. She was brave girl and
never faltered thoughwe ran so fast that
the engine bounded and swayed as if it
would leave the rails. Soon she called
to me, Il see light l looked and it
was the headlight of No. 6. But I
looked again and could see the switch
lights this side of her-she was standing
at L. 1 whistled fercely for the
switch again and again. l could see the
engine of No. begin to puf-they
were moving out. Again I whistled
and at last they heard me. No. 6
stopped putting, the white switch light
gave way to red one, and In few
seconds we glided upon the siding. At
the station was our minister, and in a
few minutes we were married. Then we
followed No. back to the coal switch,
and I moved on with my train without
the loss of any time The upshot of it
was that, when he heard of it, the su-
perintendent overlooked my wild run
for wife, and the old man came down
and did the handsome thing by us. l
never see wedding party, but l think
of that nights ride.