The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-08-18
HAIRBREADTH ESCAPES.
An Old Engineer Tells Of Some OF
His Adventures.
An Unsuccessful Attempt ut Suicide BY Z
Man Now Prospsrous-The Closest Pos-
sIble Escape From . Terri
BILE Collision.

Alderman De Witt C. Kellogg was
not always a grocery man, or politi-
clan, more than he has always been an
Alderman. It has only been within
the present year that that Alderman
SHE'D iscastor 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 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 loss for words.
Coming into Detroit, and while APP
preaching the Grand River avenue
crossing" said he, ''you can see down
the street long way. One day / no
ticed fellow drive slowly toward the
crossing. footed the whistle to let
him know we were coming, and the
fellow took his whip and touched up
the horse with it. The horse was a
fine-looking animal, young and full of
life, and the buggy q 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 l
measured the distance and saw that
II both Of US kept up the same gait we
would surely come together on the
crossing. / jerked the whistle several
times to warn him; he looked at us
coming, but I'll be hanged if he didn't
touch up the horse again. On we both
raced, and about one hundred feet from
the crossing / saw we were going to
collide without a doubt. 1t was too
late 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
buggy, man and horse were pitched
crashing into the cattle guard and
ditch. stopped as soon as l could
and backed up. The fellow was just
crawling out of the wreck. His face
was as white as his shirt-bosom. The
horse was dead, with a spoke Of one
Of the wheels sticking through his ribs
The mans hat-a big white one
lodged on the pilot of the locomotive
Ipulled it OF and handed it to him
I His hand trembIed SO that he could
hardly hold it. M
"Didn't you hear the whistle?
asked him. Ak eiiu
"'Yes,' he said, but / thought
; could beat you across hs
Now here is where the rub comes
In. Railroad money seems to be re
garded as prey for any body who cal
getit A few weeks afterwards gen
tleman called on Superintendent Blodg
cit. In case an engineer strikes an,
thing he is required to make out
written report of it, with full particu
lars. had done so in this case. Tn,
superintendent visitor stated that h
had been struck by Lake Shore train
his horse killed and his buggy smashe'
into kindling wood. Hehimself, fortu
nately, escaped with his life. Tn
horse and buggy he estimated to b
worth $3.50, and he came to see If h
couldn't get little something from tn
company for their loss. He was viii
ing to come down to $3.50.
Ibid theengineer blow the whistle
asked Blodgett. II
".No, he did not said the man.
can bring half-a-dozen people who wi
swear that the whistle was not blowI
The superintendent called q cler
and sent for my report. He read to th
man his answer to my question as
whether he heard the whistle or no
and then the clerk was directed 1
show the gentleman how the doc
looked on the outside. He went an
the road was sued.
"A man who is now on the polio
force here" continued Aid. kellogg,
..had the closest escape from being CT
into mince-meat that l ever saw. E
got to drinking, then left his fami
and stayed away about q year. I