The evening world., 1893-12-20
FOOLED THE ROAD AGENTS.
The Train Would Not Be Held
Up and Dashed by Them.
Even n Tie on the Track Was No
Barrier to Progress.

"Speakin' Of the Lake Shore robbery.
did | ever tell you about the gang that
used TO hold up rains on the w. G.. and
~ queried the engineer, az he wiped
his hands upon "A bunch of waste and sat
down on the log beside the fireman and
conductor. while the train waited on the
siding for No. s 10 pass. says the Phila-
delphia Times.
You never did, Bill. Let's hear about
EN- said the conductor. helping him
self to a generous chew of the tireman's
plug.
"It was back in the seventies. | was
runnin' an engine between charlotte, y.
c., and Charleston, pullin' tho one pms
sc,1ger train Which they run each day.
Although the distance liz only about ON"
hundred miles. II took nearly twc.V"
houts to make the trip. Jack robinson
run the other engine which pulled the
up train, while We were goin' down, and
Vice versa. We used to pass about half
way down, ana as there was M tele-
graph line along the road, the .tindin.
rule was that one train must walt IN
the other came along, except that after
two Nours. In case the opposin Train did
not appear, the first one could 80 ahead
with a fiagman in front.
"Onc night we waited up to the limit,
and was just about pullin' out to run
the chances when We heard old No. 3
whistle. When she reached us she
stopped. md IA worse scared lot OF folks
you never saw. They said II dozen road
agents had held EN- up about ten miles
below and took every cent on board, in
cludin' the money in the express car.
What was worse, tho evidently In
tended waitin' for the down train and
givin' us a dose OF the same medicine.
we only had five passengers on board,
and three of 'em were poor white trash
that didn't have II shillin' between EN-.
Tother man was a fre-eatin' Texan, and
when he smelled fight he jumped up.
Knocked his heels together and crowcd.
Atlanta, who we tried to persuade to go
back on the other train to Charleston,
but she wouldn't have II that way. Said
she guessed II we could stand 1t she
could, and at the worst she hadn't any
thing TO lose. provided the conductor
would hide her ticket for her. She was
grit clean through. and We were proud
OF her compared TO the shaky lot on No.
The express messenger got out his
two Winchesters and pu, EN- in order
then him and the baggage master got
into mis- car. barricaded the doors and
windows and bored "a couple OF holes
in the sides with a two-inch anger from
the tool chest; We piled cushions from
the seats on the floor Of the one passen-
where, there wasn't much danger OF
stray bullets, and then, with the brake
man and conductor Mt the forward end
WI Nv ''h' anu INV fNHn III InP rear,
we pulled out. after putin out all lamps
includin' the headlight, so AZ to bewildcr
the. chaps. Me and Pete. the fireman,
had our horse pistols layin' besides us,
but II happened we had no occasion to
use erI.
In them days all the engines burned
wood. and most OF the locomotives were
rnttle-traps patched w after the war. !
knew II was impossible to get more than
twenty miles ali hour out OF her that
night, but saved steam. and Pete piled
hot and hilin' over when we reached the
turn beyond which We expected to meet
Then I let her out. and the old tea
teeth out of the mouth OF one OF the
Georgia crackers In the coach. We
nhnnt more than got around the hend
, WneRh a ab rsh LAMP hn was , Wayed across the
time blowing for brakes, Just az II I in
tended to stop; but we had agreed be-
fore We started that when | blowed that
way 1t meant there was fun ahead.
We came down the track lickity split,
n ] saw Mt least twenty men with
us to stop, When we were about a hun
dred yards off the gang realized we
didn't intend to linger. and they com
wsnt thr TO shoG the z a5b. zip Tns ZIP n the n ball, II
our. people behind replyin'.
Just as we were congratulatin' our
selves we were safe; | saw a tic ahead
on the track. put, there by the villains
To wreck us, ! thought II was all up
sure then, but the pilot struck the tie
sort of sideways, knocked 1t into the
middle of next week, and we kited
down the road. leavin' the maddest lot
of road agents behind you ever saw.
But the old engine got her crown
sheet burned that night, and had to go
boring into the cab as the distant
whistle Of No S came floating up from
lalnM.