Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-28
a FRIGHTFIJL Ride.
Whizzing Through sutro Tunnel Behind a
VIVID Blazing Mule.

Through sutro Tunnel Behind
Wild Blazing Mule.
Dropping into an uptown hotel yester-
day, three or four old-timers were found
who were "heaving the Ratchet" in a
rather reckless, alarming manner. The
question of fast time made by horses now
adays was casually mentioned, when one
of the boys of "'49 " tilted bis chair back
and said
"Talk about fast time, what do you
think of mule making six miles in fifteen
hitched to a car and having six
and driver ?'
The rest of the boys eyed him in doubt
ful and suspicious manner, but none OF
them seemed disposed to tell him what
they thought, viz: That he was telling 81
Anglo Saxon fabrication.
"Fact, boys,n he said :. was one of the
I'll tell you how it was. Last
summer / thought | would take scoot
through Nevada. In doing so dropped in
on an old friend, Charley Bernard, down in
Sutro. Well, he got to blowing about the
great Sutro tunnel, and nothing would do
but / should go through it. So, after a
snifter or two at an adjoining liquid re-
freshment Office, to brace up our nerves for
the occasion, we strolled up to the mouth
of the tunnel and into the Superintendent's
Office. where we put on waterproofs and
prepared to board the superintendent
car. The car we found occupied by four
passengers. On the left sat gentleman of
undoubted Jewish descent, from San Fran
cisco, while opposite to him sat prim
schoolmarm, religious-lo looking lady from
VirUipia Citu. r1ayt IN hpr eat iOilv-lOnl-
ing black-eyed girl, who seemed in for fun;
opposite TO her fat Dutchman, fresh from
the fatherland in front sat the driver and
Bernard, while / sat in the rear seat.
We were all ready and waiting for the
boy to hitch up the mule, but no mule APP
peared. After half an hours wait he at
at last showed up, being led by red-faced
boy, who had had darned old time as
he said, in catchin' that blamed mule.
Ye need not blame me, mister he said,
when he caught me looking at him, Jim
there told me to oil Jerry and turn him
out, and l did, By the look of Jerry, there
was no doubt but that he had oiled him,
and instead of rubbing few drops of coal
oil over his NANCY hide, the lad had liter
ally washed him in coal OIL
1.-The driver produced two torches, and
hung them one on each side of Jerry's col
lar and off we went into that wonder of
the world-the Sutro tunnel. We travelled
on behind Jerry at good trot. first strik-
ing cool blast of air, and then one sitting
hot; then cold, and again hot. Gentlemen,
hot was no name for it. | glanced up at
our friends in the car. and that silent old
Dutchman, who now looked like boiled
lobster, wanted to know if it would get any
hotter, and was comforted with the reply
from the driver that it had not begun to
get hot yet.
Great Scott were we to be cooked
The Jew had not yet said anything indeed
he looked as if he was passed saving it.
When we arrived at the siding leading to
where the men were at work on the Bur-
leigh drills, six miles from where we entered
the tunnel, and heaven knows how many
feet under ground. the temperature was at
boiling point. After looking for a moment
at the men at work Oh the drills we were
compelled to start for the car, as the ladies
were on the point of fainting, on account
of the heat.
Well. boys, we got on board the car
again and started for home, silent and
boiled-out looking crowd. All went well
for few hundred yards when Jerry, in
giving his head g shake. brought the fam
ing torch in too close proximity to his
shoulder, and, with the too liberal applica-
ton of coal oil, coniagration was the re-
suit
Great Jupiter with a plunge away
went that mule, flying mass of fire. The
ladies screamed, and well they might.
That mule was going as he never went be-
fore, or since.
Hold him? The devil himself could
not have held him. Away he went through
the darkness like a flash of lightning,
when suddenly the car struck a piece of
falling rock and precipitated the now thor
oughly frightened Jew into the arms of the
prim, religious-looking lady from Virginia
City, exclaiming, as he tried to extricate
himself, Mine Got, vat will become of my
Rebecca% When the lady whose lap he
had SO unceremoniously appropriated cleo
tritied us with the exclamation, Oh, damn
your Rebecca Leave go of my ear
The Dutchman had Jared no better;
he was sent flying head-foremost under the
feet of the dark-eyed beauty from Sutro.
and was heard exclaiming: Got in Him
mel, Why did l leave the old country
gives all gots, everything in the world,
to get safe out of here"
Bismarck, too quickly suggested Nora
of Sutro, half-petulantly and half-enjoying
it.
"'Tam Bismarck, yelled the Dutchman,
as the car gave another lurch
"On we went, blaze of fire and smoke.
when | thought | noticed the mule slack
ing up. and then all of a sudden out went
the burning mass, and we were going like
mad in total darkness. Not q word was
spoken nothing to be heard but the roar
of the car aud the dropping of water, as we
plunged through the darkness. Suddenly
we were startled by the voice of the driver,
IS the car gave another lurch, who ex-
claimed, in voice that seemed miles away.
= We are switched off onto a side-track.
and mile further on there is an open
shaft 500 feet deep
Good heavens here we were going like
creased lightning in that darkness on, on,
like the wind, drawn by mad mule We
could not jump out. There was not six
inches of space on each side of the car, and
a hideous yawning chasn 500 feet deep in
front. The Jew cursed the Dutchman
prayed as he never prayed before. Then
thought l detected something like a
smothered laugh from the dark. eyed Nora,
and in raising my head towards where the
sound came from, what should l see but
CLEAN of daylight, which rapidly grew
broader, and we suddenly flashed into
broad daylight at the mouth of the tunnel.
and the driver sitting in front with broad
grin on his face, as he exclaimed
ga Well, boys, you have had the fastest
ride ever made out of this or any other tun-
mel. We have been just fifteen minutes in
coming out. Six miles in fifteen minutes
how is that for fast timer"