Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-12-06
crush NE Tiinouau.,
Jay Gould and the naiIrsad Ensi.
ncer.

Jay Gould once made trip 10 Mex.
loo 10 inspect the International and
Great Northern railway. IL was IN the
autumn oil 1878 AMI, as usual, IN,
millionaire was Ia hurry. Meeting
the gentlemen who had the sale OF the
road In hand, hcsald:
ppm a busy man and l want to be
back In New York next week. Rush
mo through"
A special train was made I'D and
put In charge VI Jske Lauer, one OF the
pioneers In Mexican engineering,
crush him" was the order, and Mr..
Lauer did some hard thinning. He
knew the rOadbed was In n terrible
condition and that 10 run over twenty
milos was taking desperate chances.
Lauor had lots OF nerve, but he felt tho
responsibility imposed on him by tho
officials In placing Gould In hls hand.
He concluded finally 10 use his own
Judgment, take no chances and stick
closely 10 this schedule time.
Between Marshall ana Galveston tn O
schedule called for 1926 miles TO be made
between dark and daylight. Jay G Juld
did not retire early and ON that night
seemed particularly wide awake. He
sat reading u newspaper by dim light
and every once In while glanced out
the window impatiently. II was evident
that tho great man was becoming
angry. Finally the storm burst. Turn.
ing TO one OF the oillcials accompany
Ing him he remarked testify: ar this
were a funeral train II couldn't pos
sibly travel In q more decorous man
ner. Steam up and let us get along"
The gentleman spoken to was aware
that the night ride had been specially
arranged In order that the condition OF
the roadbed could be- concealed from
Gould, but, thus forced, he had moth
ing TO do but to order an Increase Of
speed. The order was given, but the
train moved along mt the same speed.
"Send tho engineer 10 me,o said
Gould; "I'll talk to him."
At tho next stopping place Lauer
was summoned anu given 20 under.
stand that he was not capable OF driv.
Ing car horee, much less running an
engine.
"Get along! Push her! Let's see
what the machine can do" urged
Gould.
Lauer dcmurred and the railroad
msgnato concluded that he was afraid.
"He's acoward," he finally said; "put
another man In charge"
Lauer ovegheard the remark and
flushed up. "All right" he said,
we'll open her up"
In few moments the little special
was speeding through the night Mt the
rate Of forty.five miles IN hour. 1t
was n ride to bc remembered. The
cars rocked from side 10 side, creakinx
In every Joint and now aud then
lifting ns n about to leave the track.
Everybody chung TO some support,
those who knew the condition OF the
roadbed expecting to be hurled into
eternity every minute.
Jake Lauef sat at the throttle, look
Ing into the night watching the rails
as they cleaned like silver threads OF
moonlight. He was M pale ms those In
the train behind, but, as he remarked
In telling the story the other day, "I'd
have gone up with pleasure before l
would have given that little cusl the
chance To say was the squealer.D
Once no looked back ut the swnying
train and said, "He won't stand II
long"
Tho engineer was right. A..
particularly bad place the bell.cord was
jerked anu tho train brought to
standstill. Jay Gould was picked from
under o seat where he had been
thrown, and angrily faced the
engineer, who had come back to the
car.
"What In the name OF all that is
good and holy do you meant" he de-
manded.
"Do you want to kill US nll?"
"You said you wanted me to pull her
OPEN" replied Lnuer quietly.
Gould glared at the man for q
moment aud his manner changed.
"My man." he said, "you 10 back
there and use your own Judgment the
rest Of the trip. know how to manipul.
ate u railroad, but l guess you know
more than do about running an
engine" Then he was assisted to his
berth.
Jake Lauer Ia now 4 resident Of Los
Angeles. He was In the city on Fri
day when the news OF tho Wizards
death was sont over the world, and
then told this story.-San francisco
Chronicle.