The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-07-12
HAIRBREADTH ESCAPES.
An Old Engineer Tells Of Some of
His Adventures.
An Unsuccessful Attempt at Suicide by n
Man Now ProsperOus-The Closest Pos-
sible Escape From n Terri
BILE Collision.

Alderman De Witt G. Kellogg was
not always Grocery man, or a politi-
cian' more f.nan he has always been an
AlaermaA. 1t has only been within
the p4esent year that that Alderman
SIZED his castor into the political arena.
For twenty years previously he was
one of the most reliable locomotive en-
gineers that ever leaned out of cab
window and raced over the earth from
town to town, from county to county
and from State to State.
The engineer Alderman sat in the
Council chamber yesterday morning,
entertaining a cluster of his brother
Aldermen with stories of narrow es-
capes during the years he was on the
road. They were intensely interesting,
as the speaker was full of animation
and not at a loss for words.
Coming into Detroit, and while ap-
preaching the Grand River avenue
crossing" said he, ''you can see down
the street long way. One day 1 no.
iiced fellow drive slowly toward the
crossing. | footed the whistle to let
Nun know we were coming, and the
fellow took his whip and touched up
the horse with it. The horse was a
hne-looking animal, young and full of
lie, and the buggy a new one, alto
gether very handsome rig. The horse
trotted faster toward the crossing and
we were pounding along at good
speed ourselves. As we got closer
measured the distance and saw that
II both of us kept up the same gait we
would surely come together on the
crossing. Ijerked the whistle several
umes to warn him; he looked at us
coming, but I'll be hanged if he didn't
souch up the horse again. On wo both
raced, and about one hundred feet from
the crossing l saw we were going to
collide without a doubt. 1t was too
ate then to stop. just as we dashed
upon the crossing his horse swerved
around, threw the buggy on the track
IN 'front.' of us, and the next moment
ouggy. man and horse were pitched
crashing into the cattle guard and
altch. l stopped as soon as I could
ana backed up. The fellow was just
crawling out of the wreck. His face
was as white as his shirt-bosom. The
morse was dead, with spoke of one
q q the wheels sticking through his ribs.
Inc mans hat-a big white one
,oaged ON the pilot of the locomotive.
lpuiled it off and handed it to him.
MS hand trembled so that he could
hardly hold it.
Didn't you hear the whistler
asked him.
Yes he said, but I thought l
could beat you across
Now here is where the rub comes
- Railroad money seems to be re-
sa1oeo as prey for any body who can
a. II. A few weeks afterwards a gem
euian called on Superintendent Blodg-
=. .s In case an engineer strikes any
lug ne is required to make out a
s'i'1en report of it, with full particu-
had done SO in this case. The
saperlntendent's visitor stated that he
aaa been struck by Lake Shore train,
ia. ,s uorse killed and his buggy smashed
an klndling wood. Hehimself, fortu-
aasely, escaped with his life. The
.s ss ana buggy he estimated to be
un 1850. and he came to see If he
uion get little something from the
sapany for their loss. He was will
V % come down to $3.50.
uid the eengineer blow the whistler
ssed Blodgett. 81
40 ne did not said the man. 4
s I. o1lag half-a-dozen people who will
-. 1nat the whistle was not blown.
- Inc superintendent called a clerk
~ as Tor my report. He read to the
sas.a - answer to my question as to
= 'aer ne heard the whistle or not.
nen the clerk was directed to