The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-31

The members of the Alabama railroad
commission are out on their annual tour of
inspection of the various railroads of Ala
bama
The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia
have purchased two new 63-ton engines
One is 20x24 simple engine, the other is a
compound with cylinders 24x20 inches, and
~ inches. In other respects the latter is a
duplicate of a simple engine.
With the rail way velocipede the railroad
public has long since become familiar The
next move toward rapid independent tran
sit of railway officials is the steam inspec-
ton car. They are now made cushioned
and deliberately comfortable, aud, no doubt,
will prove popular.
M. Slaughter, assistant commissioner of
the Southern Passenger Association, has
authorized cheap rates to the continental
cantonment Of the Patriarchs Militant and
independent Order of Odd Fellows in Chi
cago Aug. 3 to 10. Tickets will be put on
sale Aug. l TO 5, limited to Aug. 12, and not
good leaving Chicago before Aug Z.
Ground has been broken on the Andalusia
extension Of the Mobile and Girard division
Of the Central railroad of Georgia. The
work Of building fifty miles of the road in a
southwesterly direction will be pushed for
ward at once, and it is said that the line
will ultimately be pushed to Flomaton, on
the Louisville and Nashville road.
Owing to the great number of railroads
in the United States having a similarity of
initials railway managers now order cars
marked with the full name of their road, as
Central OF Georgia. Macon and At
lantic," instead of initials, as heretofore.
1t is found that lettering the cars in full
prevents many cars from being returned to
wrong roads,
Macon has got veteran in railroad
calamities George Ralston is his name,
and the Telegraph has dubbed him "CalanI-
ity George He is colored man, IS wears
OF age, has been twenty-nine years in the
service of the South western, and boasts that
he is the only colored man named Ralston
In Macon. George has been in sixteen
collisions and run-offs; in fact he has been
in every collision Of note on the road except
two. He has had his leg broken, his ribs
broken, his collar-bon broken and his skull
cracked. The skull was trepanued WITH
silver. As George says, "Tbere's good
silver half-dollar in my skull" He was in
collision etween two trains on a sixty-foot
bank four miles below Geneva as recently
as Feb. 6, last. He has ridden behind two
engineers who killed five white brakemen
in one winter. At an accident on High
Log creek, on the Mobile and Girard road,
where all of the train was wrecked except
the engine, he was dragged out from the
debris so badly injured that his death was
thought assured. His measure was taken
and an order sent to Columbus But there
was a carload Of barrels supposed to be
whisky, and is was literally poured down
Georges throat 1t proved to be alcohol
and this. he thinks, saved his life George
boasts that he carried chain for Cecil
Gabbett when Mr.. Gabbett was a suborii-
nate to Virgil Powers, at that time super
intendent of the Southwestern He was
afterward office porter for Mr.. Powers seven
years. George has such reputation as a
Jonah of accidents that the employees of the
Southwestern are positively afraid to go out
on the line of the road with him. As they
aver, he has so often csc ped amid the
wreck and ruin of train disaster that they
believe neither the devil nor the master
wants him. So George lives on his happy
life with CHEEKY word for every body, and
strong hope hat the Central, which he
swears by, will either pension him OF make
an easy berth for him in his old age.