The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-10-30
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old Burlington engineer told President
story that has not often been heard and
that certainly has never been printed.
At the time Rutherford b. Hayes and his
party were making the grand swing
around the circle in 1873 they came to
Chicago and were put under the care of
Gen. a. Med. McCook, of the army. The
general was very anxious to smooth the
way of the commander-in-chief of the
army, and he did everything that could
be done to render the trip successful.
He had made perfect arrangements with
the Burlington Road to carry the party
West, and everything got out of his way.
The train was running smoothly at about
fifty miles an hour near Galesburg, when
the general left the Presidents party and
went into the baggage car forward with
one of the officials of the road to arrange
something about the transfer of the car
at the cOmpany's western terminus, so
there would be no delay. Sitting there
i'll the car, that was comfortably filled
with the trunks of the notables, the gen.
eral brewed pitcher of toddy that was
about as good thing as he wanted, and
the two, with the messenger in charge of
the baggage, discussed 1T at their leisure.
Gen. McCOok knew the good of courte-
sy to an engineer, and he called colored
waiter who had been assigned to the par
ty and told him to fill the pitcher and
take it out to the engine for the driver
and his stoker, as the English would say.
The darkey was the most radiantly clean
man that ever stepped on train. His
white was the white of snow, and it COW
cred him utterly from head to foot. Over
immaculate shirt front and dazzling
trousers he wore an apron that promised
to remain unsullied forever. His brown
face shOne from the polish of soap, and
his teeth were poems in white. He was
the cleanest man on the train. He took
the pitcher and walked to the front of
car. AS he opened the door the general
thought he felt jar, as if the train had
NAOooNA WV llNS VI a SMlIClls DuO JllClO
was only one jolt. The rest of the cars
did not seem to feel the break. And in
an instant that darkey came back the
most horribly soiled man that ever went
out to service. He was covered with
blood and sand and cinders, patches of
hair and fragments of hoofs, little bits of
masticated grass and more on less oil
from the cups at the front of the engine.
He was sputtering and pulling horses
ears and tie splinters from his clothes
and swearing in a grieved, uncertain
way.
Arrived at Galesburg the train stopped
a moment for water, and Gen. McCook
got down and went to the engineer.
"What did you hit back here?" he
asked.
"Oh, nothing" replied the veteran en-
gineer.
"Oh, but you did. You struck some
thing, and you might have thrown the
train from the track. What was the
matter?"
"Well, general" replied the driver,
don't say anything about it to the
President. 1t might annoy or frighten
some one in his party. But just as we
came to the crossing back there horse
walked uD on the track. had whistled
for the crossing, but l whistled again for
him, and he walked across the track. |
thought it was all right, but I'll be
darned if that fool horse didn't whirl
right around and gallop back on the
track. l saw no engine on earth could
stop the train, and 1 just grabbed that
lever and give him all | had. The pilot
hit him and he come bang up on the
beam. The two ends of him just whip
ped around both sides of the boiler, and
it broke him to pieces. That's all-only
your colored man opened the door just
in time to get what was left of the horse.
But--did-' the man wanted to ask
something, but seemed timid. 'Did-do
you suppose any-do you think very
much animal got into that toddy?n
cGgO Herald.