Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-05-15
AN ENGINEERS STORY
His Strange Passenger on q
Southern Railroad.
An Incident Of the War in Which Prom
inent Confederate Figured

Over in Jersey City one day last week,
says ''Halston" in the New York Times,
two or three locomotive engineers sat
talking over strange experiences, and
this was the story that one of them told:
Il was u young man working on South
erin railroad as fireman when the war
broke out Before the war was over
got al engine of my own; but before |
was regularly promoted the engineer OF
my train fell sick all Of sudden and l
was ordered to take the engine out my
self. | shipped brakeman to do my tir-
ING and started away at 6 o'clock in the |
morning, pulling one, passenger and
! half a dozen freight cars. There wasn't |
any fighting along my line, but there was
a deal of bad feeling everywhere, and
lots of lavless deeds were being commit
ted. The track on this road had been
torn up in two places only week before,
and there was a good bit Of talk about
tranwreckers and the like. At about s
o'clock at a way station | got telegram
from headquarters to drop all my cars
and hurry right on to the end of the line
with only my locomotive and tender. 1t
was a queer order, but knew that it
was official and made ready to obey or
dors, when a little man with brown
slouch hat, who did not look as if he
weighed over hundred pounds, climbed
up into the cab and said to me that he
wished | would let him ride in there
with me, he was SO anxious to 90 forward
as far as he could. | told him that my
orders were to let nobody ride, and ex
, planned that didn't think l could let
him 90. Don't you expect me7 he
asked. | told him | didn't 1T will be
: all right he insisted, but when | asked
him what was his name and what was
- his business he couldn't be induced tc
tell me. Then its all up, said |; I'll &C
right along without you Then he sug
gested that he was willing to pay m'
we'll for letting him remain aboard, but
wasn't taking any chances and | tolc
. him so. l was only waiting till my fire
, man attended to some business that b.
. had gone down the track about, and thel
| was going to shoot ahead and lcav
- everybody behind. You ought to hav
seen the sparks in that little mans eye
you needn't wait for your helper, h
said in that kind O quiet tone that had
,1>o1 hot 1aEa al
." You needn't wait for your fireman. L
'.S do his work. Go ahead.n | looked at hin
~ wondering whether or not he was crazy
= when he calmly took out a shiny pistol an
81 tapped gently on one Of the brass rods
~ the cab seat, and he repeated once NOR
Go ahead. | was knocked clean ou
What could the stranger mean7 Th;
" sparkle in his eye grew brighter an
- and brighter, and seemed fairly to dane
49, like a diamond under the sun. DO yc
understand" he inquired in the qui
tone that pierced me like bullet. C
- ahead, say l went ahead. On, o
and on we dashed. through the fell
and forests and BIZ the villages, stoppiI
- nowhere, my passenger-I felt that
49, was madman-kc ping close wat
on me all the while. was scared. Th
j. pistol was still in his hand, and like t
80 little hand OF a watch its rata -tat-tat
- the brass rod kept counting off the ST
! :, onds and the minutes till | grew almf
~. crazy myself. | was ratified. A sort
DIV, film kept coming before my eyes. He So
-a, not one word, but felt that his scare
inc gaze was on me all the while. 4
IL finally | could stand il no more. Tn
was a rush # blood to my head. st;
gcrcd and fcll-with the town | y
bonnd for just in sight What | RENE
n;ol her next was a buzz Of voices over me
lay in a doctors office Aside fror
nervous shock | had suffered nothll
!, = Ny engine had brought nc into town
,,;,a right. and had come to q halt al the s
ton as gently and aimahly as any
!, family horse The man who had r
down with me had known enough
- govern her. but he had waited at
Old i,
:. depot after arriving only long enough
7. tell bystander that was in need
.;o, help in on the engines floor A W
1,n,, aftcrI learned the reason for the stra
order that had been given me 70 hurry
with rny locomotive and no cars, an
learned too the name and the mission
Pop my passenger \ telegraph operator
: the hlundcred. NJ dispatch should b
ven- read Take on little man with hrt
,the' slouch hat: drop all cars and rush
had ward with no stops The operator
nen' ca-elessly left Of the first phrase al
the little man with brown slouch
b the and given me only the last part OF
oricr- The mAa. He was A!e1ar