St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-05-10
A Stirring Railroad Story.

| was young fellow just out of
nv teens when The Weekly Chronicle
dienited me with the title of local
man"-that is to say, was taken
on the paper as local reporter. my
duty being to keep keen lookout for
ANYTHING which might happen in the
community or vicinity and to set
forth the same in as attractive a
manner as possible for the benent OF
the readers of The Chronicle.
During the year 1856 new line
of railroad was built from Simonds-
vile up the valley OF the La Platte
river to Stowe, where it formed
junction with the main line of the l..
Nj. and o O railroad.
When the first train was run over
the new road, | was instructed by my
superior on the editorial staff of The
Chronicle to acc )mpany the party
and write up the excursion. The
management of the new La Platte
Valley railroad had invited all the
prominent citizens along the line, all
the stockholders and Of course all its
owo officials and employees to take
part in a grand excursion over the
road. Dinner was to be served at
the Stowe House, after which the
Stowe party was to return with the
train and sup at Simondsville hotel.
Editor Marsh OF The Chronicle was
to accompany the excursionlsts, OF
course, but he had to hopnop with
the dignltaries and make a speech at
the banquet | was TO take my pad
and pencil along and do the less
snowy but equally important work
OF reporting.
will not describe the perils and
diScomiorts of that first tri p over the
rough new rOadbed further than to
say we were all glad to get out and
walk across the two railroad bridges
over the La Platte, which the eau
tious management refused to trust
with the combined weight of the
crowded train and passengers. We
had a good dinner at the Stowe
House, and enjoyed it all except the
oratory. The speechifying was over
at length, however, and | hurried
down to the station to see il Bert
Wilson, the engineer, would let me
ride back with him in the cab. He
readily consented, and | jumped
aboard just as the Colonel Mer'
Ram" was started for the turntable
There we swung the big engine
round and pointed her cowcatchel
homeward.
Would you mind staying in the
cab and watching her for about five
minutes while me and Bill run up tC
the store?' asked Bert.
"CertainIy not" l replied. 81
should enjoy the responsibility"
"Well, | reckon you know enough
about an engine not to touch any
thing" was Bert's rather equlvoca
compliment as he and Bill. the fire
man, started on a dog trot for The
store. | could not help smiling a
Bert's caution. My father had beer
an engineer on western road, ant
had fired" for him on the biz
mogul engine of the day express
What he had not taught me abou
locomotives certainly was not wortl
knowing. But of course Bert wa
ignorant of all this. He was quit
justified in supposing me to be
green hand so far as locomotive en-
glnes were concerned.
sat down on the leather cushion
ed seat on the right of the cab ant
began to imagine myself an engineer
How fine it would be-" thought
Ito run this engine wild back t.
Simondsvile! | would make her ri
so she would never feel the cradl
holes in the roadbcd."
The great dam of the Ellis Spoc
company lay below me, and the sta
ton where the excursion train stoo
waiting on side track. The dar
held back an enormous body {
water, making a miniature lake full
a mile deep and half a mile wide.
mad heard it reported on the author
1ty of good engineers that this dal
was unsafe; that in order to accom-