The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-28
SAID he VAS SCARED TO DEATH.
Engineer McCarthy's Joke in Railroad
building Days In OreEon.

Ono Of tine most popular and best knewn loco
motive engineers on the Southern Pacific Rail.
road on its branch from San Francisco to Port
land. Ore, is Dan Mccarthy, who has a daylight
run through the famous Rogue River Valley
In the southern part Of Oregon. He has been
with the railroad ever since IL was built, and. in
fact, helped TO build 1t up through all that coun-
try where the Modocs used TO roam in full
mastery. Mccarthy came from the East, but
now nothing would induce him TO return TO his
old home except for a brief visit He owns one OF
the finest fruit richards in all that country,
probably the best valley In the world for fruit
growing. lie also owns q gold mine all to him
self which has just been opened in q cut In the
railroad through which he runs every day. and
this worlds affairs lcok somewhat rosy for him.
Mccarthy has maay interesting stories Of his
early experiences In railroading in Oregon. and
the one that amuscs him most occurred Mt a
place called Phunix in the Rogue River Valley.
not far from the prosperous town Of Ashland,
where he lives. When the road had got as far
as Phunix, about ten years ago. there gathered
one Sunday from miles around no less than
1900 persons. Many Of them had never seen a
locomotive. They came ON horseback and in all
sorts of conveyances, and 1t seemed as II there
could not be that many persons in all southern
Oregon. The curiosity and excitement over the
- ANaAhcFN 'o' Us
the'company had a large force at work building
the road, and as work there was easy. IL was
necessary for the citizens to move quickly II
they. would see the road 60 through and be on
hand To See the first locomotive that came up.
The spectators tied their horses to the frees
that had been felled and there was great con-
fusion in the thrGng. As fast as the rails were
while the people gathered around TO watch his
machine and its wonderful workings. They
but that was M't anaVoidsbie .'iMSr Finally ii S ONE old sSf Hnn
came mp close to the engine and asked IL he
distinction. Mccarthy gave his permission. and
soon the old man was sitting IN the cab. He was
In raptures and could rot hold himself In. He
exclaimed in the hearing or nearly all those who
were present:
Thank God, I have Lived to see this day. I
locomotive again. I am an old Forty-niner. and
have not seen a locomotive since I left The East
locomotive. Thank God thank Gnd."A VI 'H0
tim me s oid m nan Wen, On in ihis way for a long
cheeTed the locomotive with great 2est. The
crowd was Interfering with the work. and No.
Carthy thought he would have "a little joke and
also see II lac could not clear tGe tracks to some
extent lie tipped the wink To his fireman to
man was beginning his fourteenth Grafton to- thu h.
spectators when with the noise of a tornado and
a %terrife shh' the engine began 70 snort and
roar. Panic seized tho entire thrOng. The
trees. hid themselves. behigd boulders, ran hat
iHp y il4l'lIti- VI sdTus. crashed lhTOAED
debris, plunged through streams, and painting
and frightened disappeared in the undcrbrusn
across tho valley. TWAS every man Tor himself
and horses and wagons might go to perdition.
The last day had come for scores OF them,
Some dr9pped in the attitude OF prayer aud
others fell fiat on their faces in tie hope Of e..
Gaping some Of the missiles that they were sure
would soon begin 70 hy, The old man who
thanked God that he had lived To see that day
simply fell out Of The cab window and lay he
side the engine unable 10 get up, and waiting
tor the end, which he hoped would he without
prolonged agony. No such stampede was ever
seen in that country, and the memory of IL lin
gers yiNidly with those present To this dry.
At last the extra steam became exhausted.
and by degrees the crowd began TO return,
They came cautiously at first and kept a re-
spcctful distance. The old man Was 50 bruised
that he could not get away very far. lie soon
plucked up his courage TO approach Mccarthy
and TO say, standing on the ground this time:
"Seighbor, ! am an old Forty-niner, and
have seen many hardships and have had ali
sorts OF close calls. ! fought all through the
Modoc war. and know what danger Is from
Indians and wild animals, I tell you I have
been in some pretty tight fixes, hut want to
say | was never scared TO death before"