The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-31
GOULD CHANGED HIS MIND.
On Second Thought Ee Didn't Want to
Ride Fast Texas Road.

GOULD CHANGED HIS MIND.
On Second Thought Ee Didn't Want to
! Ride Fast Texas Road.
jaw Gould once made trip to Mexico
| to inspect the international & Great
| Northern railway. 1t was in the aut-
| umn of 1878, and, as usual. the million
aire was in hurry. Meeting the gen.
tleman who had the sale of the road in
| hand he said:
I'm busy man, and I want TO be
| back in New York next week. Rush
me through"
4 special train was made up and put
in charge of Jake Lauer, one OF the pio-
neers in Mexican engineering.
Rush him." was the order, and Mr.
Lauer did some hard thinking. He
knew that the roadbed was in terrible
condition and that to run over twenty
| miles was taking desperate chances.
Lauer, had lots of nerve, but he felt the
| responsibility imposed on him by the
officials in placing Gould in his hands
He concluded finally TO use his own
Judgment, take no chances and stick
closely to the schedule time.
Between Marshall and Galveston the
schedule called for SOS miles to be made
between dark and daylight Jay Gould
did not retire early, and on that night
seemed particularly wide awake. He
sat reading a newspaper by dim light
and every once in a while glanced out
the window impatiently. 1t was evil
dent that the great man was beco ming
angry, Finally the storm burst, Turn
ing to one of the officials accompanying
him he remarked, testify:
''If this were q funeral train it
couldn't possible travel in a more decor
Gus manner. Steam up and let us go
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 nothing
to do but to order an increase of speed.
The order was given, but the train
moved along at the same speed.
Send the engineer to me-" said
Gould ''Ill talk to him"
At the next stopping place Lauer was
summoned and given to understand
that he was not capable of driving car
horse, much less running an engine.
Get along! Push her! Let's see
what the machine can do, )" urged Gould.
Lauer demurred and the railroad
magnate concluded that he was afraid.
Hes a coward" he finally said; put
another man in charge"
Lauer overheard the remark and
flushed up. ''All right" he said, well
open her up"
In a few moments the little special
was speeding through the night at
the rate of forty-five miles an hour.
1t was ride to be remembered. The
cars rocked from side to side, creak
ing in every joint, and now and
then lifting as if about to leave the
track. Everybody chung to some sup
port, those who knew the condition of
the roadbed expecting to be hurled into
eternity every minute.
Lauer sat at the throttle, watching
the rails as they CLEANED like silver
threads He was as pale as 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 cuss a
chance to say / was a squealer."
Once he looked back at the swaying
train and said: He won't stand it
long"
The engineer was right At par
ticularly bad place the bell-cord was
jerl1ed and the train brought to stand
still. Jay Gould was picked from under
a 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 mean?' he demanded.
"Do you want to kill us alp
''You said you wanted me to pull her
OPEN" replied Lauer, quietly.
Gould glared at the man for moment
and his manner changed.
MY man." he said, you go back
there and use your own judgment the
rest of the trip. know how to manip-
ulate a railroad, but guess you know
more than I do about running an en-
CINE" Then he was assisted TO his
berth.-San Francisco Chronicle.