St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-07


ing the road toward the store, and
made run for it. / had almost
reached the store, when l heard a
shout, and, turning, saw that the guards
were coming for me. | grabbed paper
bag, threw some crackers into it out OF
a barrel, seized plug of tobacco and
threw down a silver dollar in
payment. AS the two gunners were
| tOiling up the steep hill in front Of the
store | went out of the back door and
stood there until heard them enter.
Then made dash for the hill and ran
down it. was back on the train again
before my purSuers realized it. We
waited until the st. Louis train came
along. over another road, and then took
its Pullman car upon the rear of our
train. This car had one passenger, Jed
Thomas. Jed was good fellow, ac-
elImated to the South, and owed much
afterward to his advice.
stopped BY Ropes and Guns.
''At Medina. Tenn, the conductor
told US that there was shotgun and
rope quarantine at Jackson, nine miles
below, and that the train would not be
allowed to go through. We were now
in deep trouble. If we went South we
would surely be quarantined in the
woods above Jackson, and if we stayed
on the train at Medina we could
get nothing TO eat. Jed and l walked
over to cotton gin, and found that
we could get bed and have
supper and breakfast. Going back
to the train we arranged with the con-
duetor that he was to run down to Jack
| son, see how the situation was, and re-
turn for us early in the morning. But
he failed to do so. At g a. M. however,
three negroes came down the track on
hand-car. We bargained with them to
take us down to jackson. We found
the train side-tracked about a mile and
half above the town, in the woods.
The conductor had fearful story for
us. Both the engineer and the fireman
| had been attacked by the fever the
night before, and had been laid on beds
made of the cushions of the seats in the
smoking car. The authorities at jack
son would not allow the train to
proceed, and ropes had been stretched
across the track. The mayor and
committee, the conductor told us, had
visited the train the night before, agree
ing to send food and medicine to it, but
positively refusing to allow it to pass
either way. No food or medicine had
come, there was much need of ice and
fresh water, and the trainmen were in
a state of panic. Men armed with shot
guns. the conductor said, were at the
Jackson depot to prevent any one from
cutting the big ropes which hung from
posts on either side of the track. The
sick men became deliriOuS, and our sit
uation was really terrible.
''All the morning [ was busy medi-
tating on a scheme for our relief, and
finally l spoke out in confidence to Jed,
who at first pronounced it impracticable.
II was in short, that | was to act as en-
gineer, and run the train through jack
son at such speed as to destroy the
distractions when, or course, we need
not fear the shotguns. Jed shook his
head and said it was too dangerous; we
sides, how could [ run the engine?
l told Jed that my uncle was the
master mechanic of big railroad.
that he had had me in his shops almost
from childhood; that fired an engine
for six months, being compelled to give
it up because | was not strong enough
for the work, and of my experience
with all sorts of engines since then.
Then he thought the scheme was more
feasible. We took the conductor into
the plan. and he consented to it On con-
dition that l prove my ability to handle
the engine by running the train back to
Medina for more wood and water.
First. 1 said, 1 would walk down
as near Jackson as possible to
observe the number and charac-
ter of the distinctions. Jed went with
me, and we got close enough to see that
the two hawsers over the track hung
/ about twelve inches above the rails.
This pleased me, for | saw that the
ropes would not get under the wheels,
but would slip up over the pilot OF the
engine and against the front end of the
boiler, which naturally would gradually
stretch the ropes and snap them or else
break the posts to which they were fas-
tened. Besides the ropes there was a
big tar barrel between the rails ready
to be set on fire at nightfall.
Crashing Through the Barriers.
lit was 5 O'Clock that night when
had steam up ready to move. Jed was
helping me fire, and he worked at it
like an old hand. Somehow l felt per-
fectly safe on the engine, and when
ran the train out upon the main track
was as confident as ii / were working
telegraph key. We backed up to
Medina, filled up with wood and
water, and by cutting in on the
telegraph wire at the abandoned
depot 1 learned that there were no
trains to fear to the southwark. We
waited till dark, and then started South.
The sick men had cushions all around
them to break any shock at the ODstruc
items at Jackson. ran slowly Tor
mile and then began gradually to in
crease the speed of the train. We had
no headlight burning, and my idea was
to 60 through Jackson so fast that
nothing could stop us. Five miles
from Jackson the woods are ex-
tremely thick, but the track is as
straight as plumb line. When we en-
tered the level stretch put on all the
steam possible, gradually easing the
valves to reduce jolting. The woods on
either side now flew past like black
screens, while myriads OF sparks sprang
from under the driving wheels. Three
miles away we could see the Tar barrel
burning between the rails. / looked at
Jed. He was as white as a ghost, his
jaws were set, and his eyes were ON the
flames in the distance.
keep the wood going in lively now.'
/ cried, and tried to open the throttle
wider. The miles went by in minutes.
and we were almost upon the obstruc-
lions before realized it.
8. 'Look out. jedi l cried, bracing my
feet against the boiler. [ was con-
scious of seeing flying forms in the
darkness ahead. of sudden jar, of
sheet of flame and untold millions of
sparks enveloping us, pause, and
then the train shot on into the
darkness beyond the station as if fired
from cannon. We must have covered
miles of rail before thought to shut off
steam. As soon as l had done so
I looked around for Jed, whom l found
with his arms OIL the fireman's seat and
his head OH his arms. He had been
thrown against an iron bolt, which had
cut his forehead severely. He was I'M
conscious, but cup of cold water from
/ the tender, when thrown in his face,
|srevived him. He was not seriously
hurt, and was soon in jolly spirits.
Stopping the train, went back and
found that all hands were uninjured.
Then, after lighting the headlight, we
went on more lcisurely to the end of
the section. The officials were aston
|, ished to see a youth with high hat run
the train in, but they made great deal
of II afterward With the axcentian