Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-20
RoUNDHoUSE RACoNTEURS.
Some of the Tales with which Railroad
Men Pass the Time.

Speaking of Indian ScareS," said j. J.
NIullane of the Santa Fe. - | had ar expert
ence once while l was Il youncster that /
viii not soon forget. l was with Il train Of
wagons between San Antonio and the Rio
Grande. One day we crossed a stream
shortly before shutdown. The bank or the
south side was steep but on the north side
the rise from the waters edge was gradual,
the valley being wide ct that point. Just
above the ford was a deep hole that l
thought looked like likely spot for fish.
and determined L would have q cast that
night. We went on about a mile and went
into camp. After supper I slipped away
and found a nice location just in the edge of
the water. l had got my lines out and had
no thought of al Indian within a hundred
miles. Pretty soon l heard Il turkey call
from the bluff across the stream and almost
overhead. Then OFF to the right l heard
another, then one to the left. [ did not
think it possible that turkeys would be To-
Gated in just such manner and
thought it was Indians who were
trying 30 hem me in. 1 crept
away quickly to where had
lariated my pony, cut the rawhide, jumped
into the saddle and cut sticks for camp. [
don't know whether there were any
Indians there or whatever became Of my
lines. At any rate was Z little more care
Another scare had was when I was-a-
little tacller five or six years old. l lived
with my parents in San Antonio, and our
house was located on the plaza. One day l
was sent to the store for something and
had gone but little distance when l hap
pened to look around and saw an Indian
chief in war paint, feathers and all, Just
behind me | didn't like his looks and
walked q little faster. The Indian also
quickened his steps. l hurried on almost
ready TO cry, and finally started on q rum
l got into the store and had just time to
give in my order when l looked around Just
in time TO see my Indian come in the door,
1 was sure that he was after me, and let
out yell that would have done
credit to Comanche. In those
days the Indians used TO come to
San Antonio to trade, and this fellow was
on his way to the same store when I espied
him. -.
\ number of engineers were seated in the
shade in the yards the other day, SWAP
ping lies.n They told many wonderful sto-
rieS. One of them asked if they had ever
heard of the snakes in Chihuahua. We'll"
said he, they have some Of the d-dest
biggest snakes down there | ever saw One
day when l was on the Mexican Central
pulling construction train. had been up
to Paso for trainload of material, and was
near Oiocaliente when l thought saw the
track move. couldn't believe it at first
and looked again. The track was surely
out of line. l squealed for brakes and
plugged the machine, but when 1 got her
still the truck wheels were on the crooked
section. got out and went ahead, and as
l am q sinner there was big snake. The
track had not been surfaced and he had at
tempted to cross the road by crawl
ing between the ties. He had
got fast, and in Hopping around had
twisted the track. When the
engine stopped he was pinned fast and
couldn't move. His head was about foot
from the east side of the track and his tail
about two feet on the west side The con-
ductor put bullet in his head and finished
him. We had to tear up the track to get
him out He measured eleven feet three
inches in length and was foot thick in the
thiclsest part of the body. We tumbled him
onto fiat car loaded with rails and went
on 10 Ojocaliente. When we got there we
dumped him of. There was always lot of
Mexicans around the depot, and when we
dumped that snake OF he fell in the middle
of big crowd. Such . scattering you never