New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-08
FASTEST SLEIGH RIDE on RECORD.

II the story did not come 10 US from the highest
pos.iblc authority could not believe It. In
deed, we doubt if We coull accept all of il. any
how authority or no authority. we're it not for
the fact that long and. VIC trust, sympathetic
study of the Locally Marvellous as il manifests
itself In America has brought us to the point
where we can believe almost anything. We are
far from rejecting the account Of local occur
renee simply on the fiimsy ground that 1t has
every appearance Of being carefully planned lie.
I'm fine little town Of Swanton. Ohio. just west of
Toledo. lives young man named Arthur Plank
ctt He Is deeply enamored OF young lady
named Amelia Harrison. IT. further appears that
these young people are very fond of sleigh riding,
and the lady has an especial liking Tor riding
fast. 50 the constant cndeavor Of the devoted Mr.
TIunkctt has been to get the horse which could
make the hest time. Last Saturday afternoon
they started out for another ride Il do hope"
remarked Miss Harrison, that you haven't
rot II polScy horse this time. I've
oot the best horse old Wilkinson has,
returned the young man. proudly. They pro-
cccdcd five or six miles into the country at
good rate. though the young lady seemed to
think that they might well be going a little
faster. and then started to return. When about
half way back il necessary to cross the
railroad track II was deadly grade crossing.
of course and just as the horse got fairly on tn"
track the runner of the cutter caught on
plank of the approach and one Of the traces OF
the harness broke. At that very instant the
chicago limited came around curve not fifty yards
away The horsc plunged forward. broke the other
trace at his shoulder and dashed away the thlls
falling down across the track There was time to
even lump, and young Mr.. Plunkett clasped the
woman he had hoped to make his wife in his
arms and awaited the worst So far this is
plain Ohio tale which even child could
believe But now comes the really extraordinary
part which requires the trained mind OF the
specialist for its acceptance. The heavy train
rushed past, sweeping away the this and tossing
the ends Of the broken traces into the air just
as the last pasted, Of these traces fell and
in some way caught in the coupling chain which
dangled below the rear platform. The trace was
still attached to the sleigh, which gave lurch
and q bound, lighted fairly between the rails,
bounced into the air again and then settled down
and tore away along the track at the rate Of
sixty-fve miles an hour, the train being little
late and attempting TO make up the lost time.
A weaker young man would have lost his head
Plunkett did not. lie kept both arms tightly
cnspcd around the young lady and asked her if
she were going fast enough to suit her at last
Much that is valuable is often lost by rejecting
the simply improbable; the only safe rule is To
roget nothing. For two hours these interesting
Ohio young people skated along behind the
Ncw-York and Chicago limited. The heroic
Punkett never for q moment relaxed his hold On
the delighted Miss Harrison. We say delighted
because she was having a sleigh ride at gait
which she had long conceived " lie about right