Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-24

hat time, as all old ra lroaders will
/ remember, the only pilot or cow
/ catcher in use on locomotives was a row
/ OF iron spikes about four feet long and
placed about one foot apart, one
| foot above the track, the structure
being made fast to The bumpers
on the engine. This structure L never
liked, as while running on the road had
several dIsagreeable and dangerous eX-
periences In connection with it. Once
we caught a cow on one OF the spikes in
the niaht time between Sprin. field aud
Spring Valley. The spike entered under
the fore shoulder and dragged her over
the ends of the ties until we reached
Sprln- Valley water station, where we
discovered what had happened. Nothing
remained OF the apimal but her head and
shoulders. In those days we had no head
lights on the locomotives, and no part OF
the road was fenced in, so that run.
nlng over stock was a nightly
occurrence. Old and decayed trees
Standing near the track were
often blown across 1t and made travel
on one occasion. One stormy night on
our down trip, when was on the Little
Miami, we ran into fallen tree near
SniVely's, wood station a few miles be-
low Aenia, and | was thrown from the
engine into woOdpile. Both my legs
we're broken, and l was otherwise Sc
yerely Injured, so that, even at this late
day, often feel the effects OF that fall. In
this day it is customary to sue the rail-
road company for heavy damages in such
cases, but then we took all such things
as incidents OF the trip. But with all the
wooden rails and other crude equip
ments we had but few ac-
cidents, and but one really serious.
That was the gripping for life
OF an engineer whose train coiided with
another; but he and his family were well
day, 40 far as | know, for they were when
last heard from them. These things set
me in q constant train Of thought as to
now l would improve the pilot, which
could not be used long as it was tnen
constructed. One day, with my mind
running in this channel, l noticed
farmer plowIng in field near the rail-
road, and the manner In which the mold
board Of the plow threw the earth to one
side caughtmy attention and gave me an
idea which finally developed into the
plan OF the modern cowcatcher. 1t
seemed just the thing for a locomotive,
except that ii was one sided, and | soon
came to the conclusion that this could be
remedied by putting together two struc-
lures like the moldboard, which | did,
making cOwcatcher exactly like every
one used in the United States to-day. The
first one made was put on the old l0cOmO-
tive Paterson, Of the Columbus and Nenia
road, and on the first trip Superintendent
Medberry accompanied me. On the
down run we went through a flock of cat
tie, and they were thrown to right
aud left so beautifully that
MIR. Medberry Immediately ap-
proved the arrangement and ordered
that every engine on the road be provided
with c0wcatcher. which was done as
sOOn Is possible. On one of my trips to
Xenia Mr.. Clements, of the Little Miami,
told me | ought to have had the invention
patented. L think so now myself, but at
that time | was so busy that l could
scarcely get whole nights sleep, there
being only four engines on the road to do
all the work. | have never received a
dollars benefit from the inVention-not
even free ride on the old road-althOugh
| could have had that ii | had asked tor
it while the road was in the old hands"