Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-04
SCARED TO LIVE HERE.
FACT AND FANCY BRIGHTEN AN ENG.
LIsHMAN TERRIBLY.
He Made a Break for Old England
Charming Disciples of Ananias On
Highwaymen and Cyclones.
from the Chicago Herald.

bad habit made between them a bond O.
sympathy, and after time they grew talk
alive. There was in the party young
Englishman, travelling for pleasure; {
drummer. selling cigars; an agent for {
famous circus; newspaper man from Bos
ton; the Pullman conductor, and your
humble servant.
The Englishman remarked after the
weather and the crops had been exhausted
"Ah, isn't than some danejah in travel
ing in this country? Eve been told as 'ow
a train is 'eld up now and then by 'ighway
men,"
| His peculiar manipulation of the letter
"h" convinced US at once that he was al
least an English peer and possibly related
to the royal family. Perhaps he was
seaching for a wealthy Haymericau
gyurl."
you're right" broke in the Boston
journalist. "Our train between Boston and
Springfield was stopped in deserted local
ity one day last week by mounted desper-
ADDE'S from Worcester. Some of my fellow
| passengers lost their watches and our con-
ductor lost his head"
'My heyesw cried the lordling. $50 far
beast, too~
'That is nothing" commented the Pull
man conductor, whose thin face betrayed
no appreciation of humor. GAS / pulled
out of st. Paul a few nights ago somebody
slipped note into my hand. 1t read ::
Look out for the Harding gang. They
intend to give you the razzle dazzle to-
night"
whats that?' asked the Briton.
otis an Indian phrase, meaning a gen.
eral massacre" explained the Bostonian.
bah jovew
"Well," continued the conductor, II did
J not pay much attention to the warning. l
knew the Harding gang by reputation, but
was not afraid of them. 1 had run
trains in Texas, and have often had my
lights shot out by cowboys. l did not,
therefore, dread the semi civilized outlaws
of this part of the country. We had
reached this vicinity that evening when
the train suddenly stopped. l rushed for
ward to see what was the matter and was
confronted by masked robber, who told
me to hold up my hands. | did as he d.
rected. There are times when prefer de-
feat to death. This was one of them. /
threw up my palms toward the lamps and
the outlaw emptied my pockets. His pals,
seven in number, went through the train
in the good-natured way peculiar to their
kind and gathered in vast deal of booty.
Then they bid US farewell, and we moved
on through the night. | have more re-
spect for the Harding gang than | did
month ago." The conductor tipped me a
| solemn wink.
The Englishman was growing very ner-
vous.
perfectly lawful" he exclaimed.
"Did they catch the bloomin' crooks ?"
NO. In fact we have reason to believe
they contemplate another attack"
Milford lighted fresh cigar. / noticed
| that his hand trembled.
GLOW far west are you going?" some
body asked him.
Him not quite certain" he replied. ~
thought of seeing San Francisco"
'eYou take your life in your hands,
stranger" remarked the commercial trav-
eler. who seemed annoyed at the vile odor
of the Englishman's cigar. 'There is no
end to the dangers incident to travel be-
tween here and the coast"
ats not so much highwaymen l fear as
cyclones" broke in the circus agent.
| 'Why, do you know it was only about ten
miles west of here that funnel-shaped
cloud took hold of our tent, few weeks
ago, and lifted the whole concern, includ-
ing the elephants and the living skeleton,
into the next county. 1t saved car fare, OF
course, but if we had struck mountain it
would have been a bad thing for the
| show"
"Bah Jover exclaimed the Briton,
aghast.
"You were in great luck" remarked the
conductor. 81 had an experience between
St. Paul and Omaha that was not so fortu-
nate We were booming along at the rate
of forty miles an hour one morning when l
noticed a storm coming on us from the
south Suddenly everything grew black
as night, and l felt the train rise from the
track on the wings OF relentless wind.
We were carried northward about twenty
miles, when the wind loosened its grip and
the train sank, by wonderful chance,
upon the tracks of parallel road The
wheels of the engine where still revolving
| and rushed on toward Omaha. We were
on the wrong side of the road, however,
and ran plump into an express train bound
| for St. Paul. Only thirty were killed
fortunately, and ! escaped without a
scratch"
I The Englishman had grown very pale.
'Have you got hanything to drink ?" he
asked of the porter, who had just appeared
after a three hours nap.
'This way, sab. May be able to give
you flask, sah."
When the Briton returned there was
more color in his cheeks. We had been
indulging in quiet laugh at his expense.
but had regained our gravity at once in
| the hope that he would pass around the
flask he had just purchased. He seated
himself calmly, however, wiped his mouth
with silk handkerchief, and seemed to
feel that he had been thoroughly hospit-
able.
"Ah, by the way" he began, "are these
cyclones as frequent as they seem to be de-
structive?
Il should say So" answered the news
paper man. II spent week here in Min
nesota once and we had a storm every
evening at 10. Let me see, it's now halt
after o. ! should not be surprised if we
struck cyclone Wltnin the next ten miles
should like to have you see one. They
are one of the proudest products of our
land"
Thanks" returned Milford. 81 should
like very much to have some acquaintance
with them"
The train slowed up just here, and then
came to a dead stop. The conductor had
disappeared. l saw the Euglishman put
his hand on his watch and glance at the
door in a nervous way. He had not for
gotten the tales of the highwayman he
had Just heard. When we had resumed
our journey, the commercial traveller re-
marked:
Il do so much travelling that my nerves
have become dulled, but there is one form
Of disaster that is never in my mind"