The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-21
STORIES OF THE ANTELOPE.

The engineer called ''time.n rang the hall
ana zoe wolf was left, still tangled in the
wire fence. - VIC
STORIES OF THE ANTELOPE.
Inc antelope still wanders, sometimes.
Town INTO the section of wire fences. Bein 2
unable u escape, this fleet animal runs from
the train, making one Of the prettiest races
Ia tne west. One engineer told a story of
10" ~ Eastern Wyoming a pet antelope
was Kept on the ranch Of a stockmau. The
owner had two fine deer hounds, but they
anu tue antelope were great friends. Often
from hls cab window the engineer had seen
the antelope and the hounds playing to-
gether.
incidents were related by some of the
party OF the slaughter Of birds. In the
spring time prairie chickens, on a wet
morning, often sit on the rails and are
sometimes killed by the engine. Quail also
meet similar fate. Thousands of snow
birds are also killed. An engineer related
an interesting incident OF a meadow lark
tnat was pursued by a mouse hawk The
frightened lark took refuge on the running
board, having less fear of the engineer aud
fireman than It's enemy. II remained with
the engine till safe from the hawk, and
then left its perch on the running board.
Owls and mouse hawks are sometimes
Killed by breaking through the glass win
dows OF the cab.
THE FLEEr-FoOTED SWIFT.
Engineer Willard again resumed, saving:
1 tnlnk the swift Is one Of the most inter-
estlng animals on the plains. | saw one at
AKRON, Col, that was about Is inches long
and 10 inches high. 1t was reddish in color.
had white belly and bushy tail. 1t is
very heet, as II name signifeS, and can out
run deer hound. Walter Baxter at Akron
mad one which he sent to New York. They
iced mostly on birds l have seen meat
held out TO this one, but the swift would
not touch it. But turn your head and tie
swift would grab the meat 10 a second. I
never heard of a swift being killed by an
engine. Prairie dogsa Well, they are pretty
thick, but thsy nearly always get out Of the
way of an engine. The prairie dog,n said
the engineer philosophizng, sis being driven
westward. like the Indian, by the march OF
civilization. The cultivation OF the soil ia
gradually driving the prairie dog from the
plains toward the mountains"
PET MoUsE.
A story was then told of Engineer Hurd
and his pet mouse, when laying the track
from Holyoke to Cheyenne. The mouse
found Its way into the engine and made It's
home in the waste-box. Two or three
times day 1t would leave its cosy nest and
feed on the grease of the swab OF the piston.
The engineer and fireman made pet of it.
The mouse was with this engine about three
months. 1t would run and play around
the cab and then seek its place in the waste
box.
AS the railroads on the plains begin to
near the Rocky mountains the light atmos-
phere extends the vision and you can see
further than in the murky, moist weather
or the east. An engineer from an eastern
read is at first greatly deceived as to dis
tances. At one section Of the Burlington,
in Eastern Colorado, headlight can be
seen forty miles. A tenderfoot would think
1t was not more than two or three miles
away. "In this clear atmosphere said an
engineer, when 1t seems that am close to
headlight, look to see If the reflection of
the opposite light is on the rails"
THE RARE ATMOSPHERIC.
At Stonham. Col, a station on the Chsy-
enne branch Of the Burlington, there is a
straight track Of eight miles, where trains
meet half way for the side track. 1t took
some new engineers long time to GET used
to 1t, for at first they would slow up their
trains long before they were near the on
coming train, when at first seemed so near.
Stories have been told Of how new engi-
neers have whistled down brakes on the
plains, in installing the morning star for a
headlight. There may be more truth than
romance in 1t.