Nevada County picayune., 1890-12-11
THE MAD LOCOMOTIVE.

"A story of railroad adventure ch?"
 "If you please" I answered the veteran engineer, as we sat in the cool shade to the east of a big Provi- tdence round-house. I may say that Peter Hank, the narrator of this ex- citing incident. is well known by me. and esteemed as a man of truth by every man that knows him.
 II never had but one son. All my l boys were girls. But when little Burnside was born, l tell you we were happy. Yet l never supposed that chap would save my life and lots of other peoples. That's just what he did, however. You know, l always run the express. We got a big engine. some years ago, on the road She weighed more than any machine we ever used before. l never liked her when I saw her in the shop, that giantcsS, No. 643. She never had any name. And that machine never liked me. All be- cause of this" The engineer took his pipe from his mouth to look me squarely in the eye. Il was in the shop one afternoon just to look over her. That's when they were paint ing her up. The painters and var nishers were crawling all over her. Of course he wasn't fired up. An other engineer and l were walking around her hngc body. l said: Jake. that crlttcr will heat the first trip, and hot box on her will mean lots of work. l hope l may never be asked to run her. Well, sir, be- Hevc it or not. l know she heard it and wa, mad. When l climbed into her cab, just to look at her there, naturally enough took hold of her re- ycrsc-lever. She threw that lever over, sir, quicIler'n lightning, and caught my leg just under the knee, taking out bite as big as walnut My! How she pained me, It wa, weeks before my stiff leg was al right"
 Then he resumed his pipe while that soaked into me.
 "Now, you newspaper men don take stock in such things, l know But no railroad man would say l was fool if thought hard of the ma. chine. And all railroad men have seen engines act just as if they had spirits in them. There ain't an en- zine on our road, or any other which will work as well for one man as she will for another. Every en- zine has her favorites for whom she will do anything, and her enemies for whom she acts like she demon. A fact, by the way, which the writer has since verified on consider ' able inquiry among locomotive en' gincers.
 "Wcll, sir, if you beheve me, that No 643 hadn't been out O the shol week before the master mechanic sent for me one night to take her. remember was eating supper. Il was my two-days' lay-off. Little Burnside was sitting in his chair be side me. He was just eight year' old the Thursday before. It was : very hot August night, l was aske ( to put the big engine through for ; special. There was party of big fellows from Washington who were returning from the White Mountains was to drive 'em down to Wickford : Junction for Newport
 .''God help mo, Susiel' l said tC my wife, pushing back my chair. ] don't know why, but I'd rather bc killed by pistol shot here at home than to go.
 "''lou foolish fellow, she replied what ails your
 "'l don't know said. But that machine hain't been run dozen times. Besides, she hates me This is to be a show-off run, like lightning and l know she'll kill Us all
 My wife she just rose up then. Being a good Christian church mem her, as 1 ain't, she exploded on me.
 "''Pete, I'm ashamed of you You re the best runner on the road