Wichita eagle., 1889-12-18
ON A HONDURAS RAILWAY.
A ROAD ON WHICH THE TRAIN
STARTS W4EN "JIMD FIRES UP.

The Train Waits While the Men in Chars,
Cook and Eat Their Dinner-The Lin.
One Rail Short, but That Only Cause, {
Slight Delay.
Commuters and others accustomed to Ere
quent railway trips in the United States Vii
find something to interest them in the nc
count given by well known New York law
yer of his railroad experiences in Spanish
Honduras. This gentleman had some bust
ness which required his presence in the int
rior of Honduras, about three hundred mile
from the coast, and almost the entire dis
lance had to be made on horse or mule back
The only exception to this tiresome mode O.
travel was at the beginning CT the journey
where. according TO the maps, there was {
railroad running between two towns, forty
miles apart, the only railroad in the coun
try.
On landing in Honduras, the gentleman
took his family to the little native hotel
kept by a mulatto woman In Central Amer
lean style, with frijoles and tortilas for ths
principal food and canvas stretched over
frames for beds-and then started out to fine
the railroad, hoping to catch the morning
train. After a long search through the
town, he came upon single track in the
outskirts, which ended in dilapidated
wooden shed, but nobody was in sight and
there was no sign of train. He smade in
quiries and learned where the railway super
intendent lived That officer of the Hondu
ras trunk lin- came out of his house when
summoned, and was Immediately asked wher
the train would start
''The train?" he repeated, in Spanish, Of
course.
Yes; what time does it go?' his auestioner
asked; lit has not gone today, has itf"
mo; don't think it has gone today; no.
I'm sure it hasn't gone today"
"Will it go this morningf'
'No, don't think it will go this morning. "
"Will it go this afternoon?'
'Quien sabe' But | don't think So No, ]
don't think So How can l teHs'
You ought to know if any body does" the
New Yorker replied, las you are the super.
intendent"
While they were talking the officer was
shading his eyes with his hands and looking
across little bay in the distance
Can you see across the bayf' he asked
my eyes are not as good as they used to be y
The New Yorker looked, and replied that
he could see across the bay distinctly.
DO you see any smoke coming up out OF
the trees!' the superintendent asked.
No, there was no smoke
Then l guess Jim won't fire up today he
went on; II sent him out in the country yes
terday to repair an engine on a sugar estate,
and most hkely he hasn't got through yet
But I'm pretty sure he'll fire up tomorrow
Just come in on the steamer? And got a
family with youa Well, you'll find it very
comfortable down at the hotel, and l think
there'll bea train out tomorrow; yes, think
there will"
There was nothing for it but to wait, for
the chance Of deducting forty miles from the
long mule ride was not to be lost. Next
morning the New Yorker was out bright and
early watching for a smoke across the bay.
The smoke was there; evidently Jim" was
firing up. He FASTENED 70 the superin tendent
with the news and asked wha: time the train
would start
About o'clock, if she goes" the officer
answered; may be little earlier, may be a
little later; but you may as well be on board
by s, to make sure"
Shortly after 9 o'clock the train was ready
to start. 1t consisted of an engine of the
style OF forty years or more ngo, tender
containing some wood and one of the earli
est passenger cars made, with no glass in the
windows, bench running lengthwise on
each side, and boxes of old iron on and under
the benches to give the car weight enough to
keep it on the track There were number
of passengers, and when all was ready and
no oOnAua+cr. hol cbCr-+aj oh
Spanish and the engine bell had begun to
ring, one OF the passengers, a merchant in
the town, clapped his hand to his pocket and
exclaimed that he had forgotten to write
some letters. and jumped off and went back
to his office to write them The train start
ed with vast amount Of whistIing and bell
ringing, and began to dash furiously across
the country at the rate OF seven or eight
miles an hour. 1t had not gone far before
the wood gave out, and TIE engine stopped
and the fireman and another trainman went
into the woods with an ak to cut fresh sup
ply. These stops to cut wood were made
about once an hour throughout the journey.
At the first station, which was reached al
about II o'clock, the man who had stopped
to write his letters came galloping up on a
mule, which he gave in charge of a friend,
and resumed his seat in the car.
When noon arrived the train was stopped
and the engineer, fireman, conductor and the
two or three other men employed on the road
made little fire near the track and placidly
proceeded to cook and eat their dinner Thu.
nearly an hour, and everything
vert slowly but well till o'clock, when a
little stream was reached, crossed by an old
wooden bridge. Here the engine was stopped
over the middle of the stream, and the fire
man got off, and, without any hesitation, re-
moved all his clothes. The New Workers
imagined that he was about TO take a bath,
but he was strictly in the performance Of his
duty. He lowered himself TO the bed Of the
shallow stream, with pail III his hand, and
the other tralnmen made hne to the tank
Of the engine which they proceeded to I'll
with water from the brook, ha2ding up pail
after pail and pouring it in.
Ii was not till the middle OF the afternoon,
however, that the most interesting part Of
the journey was reached. The train came to
4 stop without any apparent cause, and stood
Sill for some time. The New Yorker at
ength got out to see what was the matter.
he found that short distance ahead Of the
engine a rail was missing; il the train had
gone two rods further il would have run Of, /
without the renotest chance of getting back
gain, for there is no machinery for such
lass IN Honduras The engineer had taken |
,rowbar and walked hack past the rear end |
If the car, and was feeling about with the |
BAR for a loose rail. Presently be found ODE I
o suit and pried it up, and he aid the other (
nen carried it ahead and spiked il down in I,
he place Of the rail- which was missing Then |
he train went ahead, leaving. Of course, one I