The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-02-12
THEY OBJECTED TO TIE RAILROAD.
And Enphssised their objection by . Little
Train Wrecklag.

Train Wreckiag.
"The death OF tho venerable George Coz,
one Of the first men to run q psssenge loco
motive on the New York Central Railroad"
said an old resident OF Saratoga county. "re-
calls an Incident in the early history Of the
Central road that will show with what cor
diality the advent Of the road was hailed by tho
progressive citizens Of that part OF the State.
and how close their methods OF showing their
JOY came to making q murderer out Of ono Of
the most peaceahls Of men.
This occurred in the vicinity Of Tribes Hill.
where certain property owners refused to sell
right Of way to the road. and the property had
to be taken by the company by sppraissment
The property owners. after the route for the
road had been laid out By process OF law, har-
assed the workmsn In hundreds Of Ways while
the road bed was being graded and the track
laid. Whole sections OF smbsnkment or grade
would be destroyed by them In a single night.
and track torn up as fast 1t could be put down.
The work had to be completed at last under Q
strong guard OF special oonstables or police
men. After the road was finished through that
locality 1t was supposed that the persistent op-
position to the work would cease. but the first
train that attempted to run through tho dis
contented Locality ran into . pile OF heavy logs
and other Instructions. and the engineer and
coNVAhA VoAv vAASocly IQJuIou
That was undoubtedly the first successful at
tempt at train wrecking In this country. There
was no doubt In the mind OF any one who the
them were men Of q good deal Of conssTaenee
AGAINST thsm, that warranted their arrest.
tn. f rosd n .ss 'e on TIN ssaf io %ts qsn te on t 1onI Rs1 Ind d
the engineer and fireman discovered a pile Of
sot thro% tho os wood voc it of o. the ! 'e rails ' SO they N o nSIi
proceed. but they had only pulled out around
q great stack OF straw on the track. Suspect
was concealed in the stack. the engineer and
no other obstruction. During their work, how.
eyer. they and the train, were assaulted by
showers Of stones and clubs from the bushes
Several days after that the train found
straw stack after straw stack piled on the rails,
stop, for fear that more solid obstructions wers
inside the straw. None being found. after q
Into G@s thu Ias .t snfi1 70 a sesst.r v sSsm run AZ Fl 3 s snsin 5sss
dashed into a straw stack without lessenine bis
up and q narrow escape from death Of those on
the train; The straw had on that occasion
tIs! had been S1 poiled on the trac dG'1o'' f0'KS
With al sorts Of distractions and In each train
After a time the roads. enemies became more
bold, and In the case OF the evening train going
LlOJ buOpt1u " uON0l llou u OUSbTuCtlOn.
4 Number Of them seized q hand car Belonging
70 tho construction gang. and loading 1t with
% n s.ef Eli. s ana there isn It waited a aP' for Sot tx: 's s1a. Of
hand car dumped. several, rocks out on The
car was then started for the station. and ali the
way, ct short intervals. rocks were dumped
e obstru Il; %!asip wien III a rsaSireS SG bours 70 r ,ns %
and delayed traffic disastrously. Several ar
iffe a were made. but for some reason oonyic:
until q number Of persons were detscted.fin set
ting fire to the railroad bridge near Amsterdam
= thrt the company determined to take the law
"a lumber Of trusted employees were select
60 ama stationed dI; 2 at different rem rain GSaints on the dan.
ROAD at night, and with orders to shoot, on
ss1Sht any person or persons DETECTED ip plac-
men was George Cox. lie was stationed east OF
tribes EN-. 1t was quite q dark pight that he
Snah on a not far Hf fr P!acs she nl raiiroa oHn ana. s SO Re
Said aiterward. praye! that he might not be
Sayied 8, on h to carry out the ,t orders Esan , that had been
however, whom to his dismay he heard some ono
Gpproachipg the track from the other side.
men as they drew noarsr, and, could see that
thny were CARRYING between them somsthing
, ,ha wa" Ssu,S very x h sIaDs in Th a few W's m, 6U1aa
;snS,oaehsdi II silence; WEE ,GGsy rsssEsd ~
ielt himself turning cold, but he also felt that
it WAS his dnty 10 net. He raised his rife and
nimed at one of the men, His finger was on
he trigger But somehow he could not pull II.
solved to take the men into custody instead OF
dered them 10 rin al their peril. Wien he
came M TO tho men he Iougi them terror
P%enters, who had heen working for the Erie
S SSsnali b and 1,1s who we're &c ca ,no Fsib bhsir d hisfayy tool
where they intended 70 take The oars. The
down a. they had to rest themselves, without
u tllought OF endangerins any train.
The thought OF how nearly he had come to
killing III cold blood an innocsnt and unsus-
man so affected Cox that he had to DO
carried home, and for weeks he lay between
life and death from severe Ho M. nervous u'n.x shock and
enthusiastic sportsman. being one Of the best
wing shots in the country. he never couhl bear
look AZ, II sun after that nights experience.
lei lipae handle one,
Bur that little close call of his put an eni to
the railroad around Tribe's HljI.
The prospect Of being filled with an ounce or so
Of cold lead while engaged In their diversion Of
train wrecking was moro than the progressive