Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-07-17
a Race With a Snake.

"That was n terrible experience
Charlie Lockwood had once. the time
the big blacksnake chased him and
his engine down the Summit grade,
west of Deposit. on the Erie, and
there amt any mistake about it,"
said man from Delaware countytO
a New York Sun writer Il didn't
see the race myself. but heard Char
lie tell about it at the time. and I've |
heard him tell it several times since.
He always tells it just the same, and
so there ain any doubt but whatit's
true. Charlie says he had just clear
ed the Summit to make the run down
the hill ia Deposit when he saw a
blacksnake rise up out of the brush
alongside the track, not more than
three feet from the engine cab. Char
lie was hauling heavy train, but
the size of that snake and the way it
poked it's tongue out at him and his
fireman and his engine made him II
little scarey, and he said to his fire
man that he guessed he'd run away
from there considerable lively, and
away he tore down the mountain.
He thought, of course. that they
would run right away from the big
snake, but ntler they had gone a
mile or SO Charlie looked out of his
cab window and there was the snake
keeping right along with the engine.
Charlie was knocked almost back in
to the tender the sight gave him
such shock, but he saw right away
that the snake had made upits mind
to get into that cab lift could. Char
lie said he whistled for the boys to
let up some more on the brakes. but
of course they didn't know what was
the matter and as the train was
whoopin' her up then easy forty
miles an hour they wouldn't take of
another brake.
Charlie says that he had always
heard that just before one OF those
big Summit blacksnakes made q
Jump for anything his eyes began to
bulge. Finding that he could not
run away from the snake, and feel
ing sure that it would make an effort
to capture him and his fireman be-
fore they could reach Deposit, even
at the terrific rate they were going.
he scratched his head for an idea and
soon found one.
l'll Just watch this snakes eyes.
Charlie says he said, and when
seeem bulge I'll be ready fer him
"There was the snake sailingalona
half the length OF the tender back o
, the cab at the rate Of forty miles al
hour, and doing it easy. Charlie
kept his eye on him, and pretty sool
! he saw the snakes eyes begin tt
bulge. Charlie said to his fireman
so he says:
; "'Jim, he said. open the iurnac
) door and scroOch down to the sid
, o your cab
"Jim opened the furnace door ant
. scrooched. Charley says that b.
and by the snakes eyes stuck on
+ nearly half an inch, and it was plai1
: that it's jumping time had arrived
He gave a spring and shot forwar
/, toward the cab ike skyrocke,
Charlie jumped to one side. TIL
4 snake had to duck his head to get
e the cab, and he shot square into til
!. furnace through the open door. an
g g he was going SO fast that he neye
stopped till his head struck clea
e against the far end OF the furnace
It Charlie clapped the door shut as ia
y as he could. He couldn't get it IA
,, the way shut for six feet of the snak
n were still on the outside. They chol
r ped off that part, and the rest OF tt
> snake was burned up. Charlie sa,
. he has run twenty-five years on Il
p connective and had some close shave
but that was the narrowest escaI
I. he ever had.