Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-08-05
How she Gar Built a Railroad.

ernor Curtin, "were among Tho FIRST
railroad builders Of Russia and tho
story of their. fortuuc-making. there
reals like romance. They FIRST camo
10 tlie no,icesof ile-czar' from, con,
tract WhicRIhcy took TO build o bridge
across. the river Ncva. In building
this bridge they found that The current
was mucli-swifter than they supposed
and the fivcr was deeper, and the re-
suit was fliat-they lost about SIS. COO
on the Job. About tic time the Bridge
was completed the car came down 10
sec it. lie was told that the Arieri-
tan contractors had lost on il, and he
knew the amount of ihoir loss. He
offered toJeiinbrrse them but they re-
fused, AMI said that in their county
men stood BY their contracts; and that
if they had made S150.000 instead of
losing $50, 900 rubles they would have
saidnotliing. about it, and they would
have considered ita fair business al.
rangement.
This reply pleased the czar very
much. 1t showed him that the VII
Eaus were honest business men, and
the manner in which they hal made
the bridge showed him that they wera
good civil engineers He then told
them that he wanted this road built,
and q survey was made for the pur-
pose. The surveyors laid out the road
in sort of zigzag line; taking in the
biggest cities and the best. grades
This survey was shown TO the czar
Nicholas. lie looked at il and then
said: sThat is not what l want and
taking down q map of Russia he laid a
lead pencil upon it, resting one end of
lhe pencil on the city of Moscow and
lie other on St. Petersburg. There
is where Iwant my road to run, said
he; 'it must be in a straight line from
one city to the other, ands the railroad
will make other cities between its chief
points The Winans built the road,
and through Latrobc got this twenty
five years contract to run it.
"After twenty years had passed the
Russians had learned all about the road
and its machinery, and they wanted to
take it out of the hands of the for
cigners. was minister to Russia at
the time, and the Winans hearing of
this disposition of the car came to me
and asked ME what they should do. l
replied, "lf the car wants the road
you had better sell out 10 him and fix
n price on it when lie oflera to buy.
If you don't he will take it OH some
pretcxt or other, and the chances are
you viii have 20 take what they choose
10 give A few days after this
Winans was asked 10 sell the road to
the government. lie fixed his price
at $4,000, 900 aud got it without a
NNAh' LSbiNde5O fAtl dIb.
--sa An Erpert on an-IEdidn Trdfe
q party following an Apache trail
during The Indian difficulties of 1888
suddenly came 70 a ledge of barerocK.
Tie officers Of the troops examined it
Carefully, bat could see nothing to in:
dicate where the tribe lad gone. But
the scout led Them for two miles
across ii as nnerringly as though tho
traii had been made heavy grass:
When asked what told him the way lie
called attention to fine moss which
covered the rock and that by, close
scrriny gave evidence Of having been
pressed by tho foot, an Indication sd
slight that it would have. passed nn:
noticed by ninety-niue out of q hum
dred, yet his Keen eye detected every
footprint rs easily as could be wished.
In the grass trail can-be seen for 8
long time. as tho blades will be benz
in the direction followed by the party;
and even after it has recovered its nat
nral position an expert trailer will de.
tect q slight difference in the color Of
the grass that has been stepped on and
that growing around It.
So tire appearance of the tracks will
also show him the gait at Which the
psrty was travelling, and he thus knows
how to regulate his pace in order 10
oyetiake them.
II is rare to find q white person who
can retrace his steps for any great dis.
tance in the open country, but it is
simply impossible to lose an Indian.
No matter how circuitous may be tho
-oute by which you have reached q
certain place, an Indian will find his
way back 10 the place of starting by
the most direct route, and without
hesitating a moment which course to
pursue
fyou ask him how he does it,, he
may possibly shrug his shoulders and
reply: "Quien sabe?" or .'Who
knows" though the chances are that
he win not reply at all. No matter
how aiTable and entertaining he may
q. -. l.