New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1892-06-22

$SA.h n
- hl& ton On q mission
@lz= zf r re- nsnde''pe4 We We
had passed Baltimore, and within
an hours time we would be at our
place Of destination. The conductor
had finished collecting the fares, and
seeing a vacant seat by my side drop
ped into it, as if for alittle rest at the
end of a tiresome days work. He
made an entry in hisnote book, closed
ut, placed it in his breast-pocket, but
toned his coat, folded his arms, and
then turned to me with a friendly re-
mark, as if he now felt at liberty to
day aside an official duty and be So
sciable. was glad to while away the
time as the train was rushing along
in the darkness, which concealed all
objects of interest without, and SO l
encouraged the conversation.
"You must have met with some
interesting experiences, and perhaps
with some great dangers, in the course
rof your life said 1, the conductors
grizzly beard showing that he might
have seen long service.
,'Well: perhaps the most exciting
time in my experience was the night |
WIS chased by ali engine a night
which this one reminds me off, said
he, looking out into the darkness.
"Chased by an engine?' said /, get
ting interested. "How did that
happen?" ~.
4tWell," said the conductor, settling
down in the cushion, and bracing his
knees against the back of the seat in
front, "many years ago [ was running
the night express on Long Island from
Brooklyn to Greenport, distance
ninety miles. the entire length Of
the road, The Long Island road was
then one-horse affair, having only a
single track, with switches at the
different stations to allow trains to
meet and pass. On the evening to
which. l now refer / started from
Brooklyn at ten o'clock with the old
Constitution, long since broken up,
but then the crack engine Oh the
road, with a baggage or freight car
and three passenger cars. The night
was just as dark as a pocket, or, if
anything, perhaps darker" he added,
as if he had accurately tested the
internal obscurity OF that useful
portion of the dress.
AIt must have been very dark"
said /.
"We were the only regular train
upon the road that night, with the
exception of the Greenport express to
Brooklyn, which was to start at ten
O'Clock and meet us at Lakeland
Station, in the middle OF the island,
switching off there to allowus to pass.
"Well, we were perhaps six or eight
miles on our way when Istepped out
~on the back platform Of the rear car
to see if it was growing any lighter.
We were then going over a. part OF the
row for q distance Of four or five miles
AS I was looking back over this
stretch I saw behind us, at the dis
tance OF three miles orsso, what |
aSnew was the headlight OF an engine,
.as it was too bright for anything else;
for OF course did not suppose the
Government had been putting up any
lighthouses along the road
"Probably not" said /.
tFYou may be sure was a little sur
prised," said the conductor, for
there wasn't an extra train once a
week upon that road, ard | knew
that there was none going out from
Brooklyn that night, anyhow. I
waited for a few minutes, until lsaW
that it was really an engine coming,
and what was more, that it was gain
ing rapidly on us, although we were
going at our usual rate Of speed.
When / was satisfied Of the fact ]
hurried forward and said to the en-
gineer, Jake, there is q train close be-
hind us.
"Jake dropped his oil-can and his
DOVER jaw at about the same moment,
and looked to see whether | was crazy
or joking.
"'Well, let the fireman attend to
matters here, and come back and see,
said I.
ssWe hurried to the rear, and in a
moment Jake saw as well as myself
that if there was any joke in the
matter we we're the victims OF one;
and OF rather a serious one, too, for
the train in the rear had gained on us
"a full mile while had been forward.
The red cinders werepouring out Of the
ssmokestack as if from blast-furnace;
the headlight threw a glare along the
sroad, Furnishing THERON rails to cur
very wheels. Close as he was upon US,
gvEha enuineerA Of the advancing train
had not given the slightest signal to-
warn us of.his approach, and madeno.
response to our repeated whistles OF
alarm. He was violating all railroad
rules, and if he had determined to
secretly run usdown he would act just
as he was then doing. Jake at first