Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1890-10-09
MAL0NES LAST RUN.

tIdlil udllOlS were luDnp Lne J1IQe away
until the hour should come when the
engines should be brought out to haul
the two sections of fast line, ssNo.
A." over the middle division to Har-
risburg. There was yet long time to
wait, for the bell on the machine shops
had just tolled II, and the train was not
due until after midnight. The crowd
on the Logan house porch, that great re-
sort Of Mountain City inhabitants, was
thinning out, and as the air grew more
chilly the lively conversation halted and
the men on the tool box became silent
and thoughtful.
Suddenly one of them exclaimed:
Here comes old John Malone Let's
get him to tell US that story about the
last run he made. Hi, therer' he CON
tinued in a louder voice. "John, John
Malonew
The passer stopped and peered in
through the ratings.
''Oh, is it you, Billy" he calculated.
81 couldn't make out who was calling
me. Ny eyes and ears are not as good
as they were ten years back"
Billy soon had the gate open for Ma
lone to enter, and as the two drew near
the others the old man asked, "What are
you sitting here for, and what do you
want with me:"
'sThe same old thing, Johnny; we're
waiting to take ont first section Of four,
and to pass the time we want you to tell
us again of that trip you made back in
the eighties which made you leave the
footboard."
The old man took a seat, filled and
lighted his pipe and puffed away vigor-
ously for while before replying.
'tWell, boys" he said at last, II don't
particularly like to talk about that run,
and it is hardly the right kind of story
to spin to you as you are going to take out
the same train | had that night, but if
you want to hear it I'll go ahead.
s.It's been a good many years ago, but
can see the whole thing as clearly as
the night it happened, and it was no
dream, though everybody thought so.
needn't tell You fellows that fast line
was the first east bound passenger train
after the mail express, which left here
about o'clock. We generally got the
train from the Pittsburg division about
half an hour to an hour late, bus as we
only tagged at Tyrone and Huntingdon
we always came into Harrisburg on time
TO the second. This was easy on a down
grade and hundred and thirty mile run
without a stop. The way we used to
yank the coaches along the river was a
caution, and many's the time we ratified
over the Juniata at a mile a minute, not
even slowing down for Spruce creek
tunnel.
eat that hour of the night we nearly
always got the white light from the
towers. Now and then the green would
be given and we had to reduce speed,
but rarely the red. Well, this thing of
running train like four with clear
track, no stops and nothing to see but
the ballast and trees alongside of the
rails makes fellow grow Indifferent,
and | won't say a little nervous. 1t is
wearing on man to speed along through
those mountains hour after hour in the
middle of the night, never seeing light
except in the tower, and feeling the cold
air blow in on him from those hills ris-
ing hundreds Of feet overhead. An en-
gineer cannot tell what instant he's 60
ing to crash into landslide. [ tell YOU
night run is enough to make man
feel elmighty solemn when passing through
Jacks Narrows, or half dozen other
barren rocky spots, such as can be found
between here and the Susquehanna, all
of which you boys know we'll
"The night was speaking of we left
here thirty minutes late, and a hot
box on the smoker held us fifteen min
utes more at Tyrone Forges. When we
got started again pulled her wide open
and let her rip. We had nine cars on,
three of them sleepers, and that was a
heavy load for one Of the old style en-
gines, but we bumped along at lively
rate. Beyond Huntingdon we fairly
hummed along the canal, depending al
together ON the towers, for it was SO
dark we couldn't see even the Juniata
right below u.s. We had no further
trouble as to delays. The east bound
freight and coal trains were all side
tracked, and we did not even get a green
light until we reached Lewistown juno
ton.
Somehow or other | was not feeling
myself that night, and | don't believe
the fireman and had half dozen words
in the first hundred miles. AS we run
through the Narrows leaned out Of the
cab and kept an eye on the track for
rocks. 1t was impossible to see any dis
tance, however, and as turned around
to look for the tail lamps on the rear
sleeper thought of the scores of people
behind me riding in fancied security,
while the only safeguard from wreck
was in Providence. Straight up on the
right rose the mountains for nearly a
thousand feet, and ON the other hand was
the Juniata, dark and unreal in the way
ering glare of the headlight.
"On and on we went. past little vii
lagos and farm houses, shooting over the
road crossings and crashing by empty
stations, all Of which knew by instinct,
for there were no lights to tell us.
'As we drew near the Susqnehanna
the air became clearer, and when we
came within sight of Duncannon the
great flaming stacks Of the iron works
shone ahead Of us like immense torches.
We were again on schedule time when
we passed through the town, and as we
ran along the bank Of the Susquehanna
| slowed down little. Away across the
water could see the tall switch signals
on the Northern Central tracks. BY and
by | caught a glimpse Of a headlight
and then the faint glow of car windows,
although so far distant that the train
was scarcely visible through the slight
mist rising off the river called the
fireman's attention to the train, remark
ing that the Northern Central connection
of four was late, and that no doubt we
would get the red at Rockville tower, as
the other train should clear us at least
seven minutes, but Jimmy, after taking
long look, said he couldn't see across
thafivar an account Of the fna