Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-06-22

Francisco Call. 1t was running on
wild time on account of the washout
near Bakersfield, and not many people
were standing around the station. But
those who We're saw a strange sight.
The train had no sooner stopped than
Il man jumped from a car and ran
rapidly toward the station, and an
instant later a lithe-loOking animal of
some kind jumped out after him and
started in pursuit.
Dawn was just breaking, but all the
! byStanders could see that it was some
ferOcious beast that intended to make
a meal of the man. Some ran into
! the station, but others ran to the mans
assistance, and by throwing Il few
/ heavy objects and firing a couple of
shots at it made the animal change
| its mind about having breakfast.
1t growled a few times, and then
seeing it would have no show i'm the
fight, ran into a small tule marsh near
the track. 1t came out on the other
side, and when last seen was running
along the track of the branch road to-
ward Hanford. No one went in pur-
suit
! The man, exhausted and trembling,
was helped to the nearest saloon, where
Il good big glass of whisky soon put him
in Il fair condition. He had several
ugly scratches on his arms and a few
on his face, but he was not seriously
hurt in any way.
According to his story his name was
Mat Humphrey, and he was a laborer
on the Southern Pacific Railroad, and
worked on Bakersfield section. During
the storms he had been kept up good
deal at night, making repairs. On the
night of his adventure the work was all
done, but the boss would not allow him
to go home until the south-bOulnd pas
senger train had arrived.
Humphrey was very sleepy. so he
crawled into a car Of a freight train
that was waiting for the passenger
train to pass, SO it could proceed north
ward. He knew he would hear the
train go by and wake up so as to be
on hand if he was wanted. He tried
to close the door of the car. but could
len the boards so that it would not
bulge. 1t did not make much differ
ence anyhow, as the inside of the car
was perfectly dry, and that was what
he wanted.
The car was loaded with all sorts of
stuff, including some machinery, but
Mat found a warm corner and was soon
asleep. The passenger train must have
gone by without his hearing it, because
when he awoke the freight train was
in motion up for lost time.
Mat went to the door and looked
out, but could not see anything to let
him know where he was. A dense fog
had fallen, and that, combined with
the darkness, made the outside world
a perfect blank He saw no way of
getting off, so he sat down n corner
to wait until the train came to u sta
ton, so he could find out where he was
and fix things to go back to his work.
The freight train flew at passenger
train speed and twice went by q couple
Of lights without a stop. At last there
was a slackening UP and soon the train
came to a halt and Mat jumped off.
He looked around, but saw no sign of
a house or light Of amy kind. He
thought he would 60 and ask the en-
gineer where he was and started to-
ward the forward end Of the train,
but had not gone more than half the
distance before the cars commenced to
bump together and a rattle went from
one end of the train to the other. Mat
was railroad man, he knew the train
must have stopped at some weak cul-
vert, and the engineer, after assuring
himself that it was safe, had started
again. He also knew that it would not
do to be left out On the plain in a fog
on such a night, so he had barely time
to get back into the car before the
train was again running.
But this time he was not to travel
alone. He had just about got comfort
ably settled when something jumped
in the door and commenced to growl.
Just what sort of an animal it was he
could not tell, but thought it was a
panther. It had evidently got scent of
him when he was on the outside and
followed him in to eat him at his
leisure.
Mat was unarmed except for a single
pocketknife that would have been about
as effective as a pin on the animals
hide. It was some time before the
creature had him located, and even
then it seemed a little scarey about |
oil q
This gave Mats brain a chance to !
work. and he began feeling around for
something with which to defend him
self. He got hold of all sorts Of things, /
all of which were so tightly fastened |
together that he could not get one of /
them loose. The corner in which he |
sat was slightly protected on one side !
by some sort Of agricultural implement !
He felt the iron wheel. and at first |
thought it was a mower, but careful .
rake. He passed his hand over the |
long, curved rods and wondered if he |
couldn't get one of them out, as it |
would be a good weapon. He COM
menced to twist it to different sides,
and it really seemed as if he was to
succeed in his efforts.
While he was engaged in the work
the train stopped at a station, which
he knew was Tulare by the number
of people he heard outside. He hoped
some OF them would come down to-
ward his car and assist him to get rid