The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-02-07


they are half seas over. The story is
strictly true, because i related it to the
manager next day (he was suffering
from headachel and he admitted its ac-
curacy.
He implored me not to tell the story,
and will not. merely write it. Hang
man who won't keep his pledged
word with even railway manager!
The railway runs through wild part
of North Carolina, and Tompllins had
been manager of it for some years. 1t
is picturesque line and gets itself tan
gled up among the mountains in the
most bewildering way. The train puffs
and staggers up awful grades, winds and
twists and doubles on itself in the most
confusing fashion, goes round and
round cuplike depressions, and seems,
in general, not to know where it is GO
ing; but, like the person in the song, it
"gets there-j just tho seme. ''---sy- = ''~sys
The road passes through some pretty
rough settlements, but there are civiliza-
tion and wealth ut each end of the line,
and these enable the railway to pay
good salary to the manager, although l
never heard that it SO far forgot itself
as to pay any dividends to the share
holders.
Well, one day there were lot of ma
bobs going east, and as the manager
was also travelling in that direction he
ordered his private car hitched to the
noon express, and away they went.
A private Car, the manager tells me,
differs from an ordinary coach and is
superior in some respects even to tho
aristocratic Pullman. A good deal, of
course, depends on the manager. If the
manager is a prohibition man-but,
then, what is the use of discussing the
improbable? Tompkins knows them all,
and he says railway manager is con
tent if the engine drivers and trainmen
are teetotalers without carrying the
temperance fad to extremes. By ex-
tremes Tompkins means the rear end of
the train, where the managers private
car is coupled. Anyhow am given to
understand that the interior decorations
of managers car are very fine and ex-
pensive, including artistic effects in
Burgundy, dry champagne, fine, deli
cate brands Of old Kentucky, cigars
from Havana and things of that sort.
The time of this memorable trip was
O few days before Christmas, and peo-
pie were going east to see their folks,
many of the travellers having considera-
BILE amounts of money on them. Besides
this there was $400, 900 in the safe Of
the express car going through to New
York. This fact made the manager q
trifie anxious, and it was one of the
causes that were bringing him east.
However, the train would be out of the
mountains while it was still daylight.
so the manager felt no real anxiety.
All the nabobs who amounted to any
thing were in his private car, and they
were enjoying themselves. as people
should during that festive season, but
not, if l understood Tompkins Alright,
entirely by admiring the scenery, al
though doubtless that added to their
pleasure
Just as they were in the roughest
part Of the mountains there was a wild
shrek of the whistle, sudden scrunt
of the airbrakes, and the train, with an
abruptness that was just short of an ac-
cident, stopped
whats up?" cried everybody
81 don't know" said the manager,
getting little pale around the gills.
"You all stay here, and I'll go out and
see.
1t need hardly be said that none OF
the passengers knew of the money in
the express car.
The manager stepped down from his
private coach at the rear, and the mo
ment he looked toward the front of tn,
train he saw his worst fears were real
lied. Just ahead of the locomotive, OF
the rails, was huge pile of logs ant
railway ties. Standing around the en-
gine and the express Car was group O
the most villainous looking mountain
GERS the manager had ever seen, deter
mined and desperate men. who coult
put bullet in man half a mile away
ALI were armed with their long rifies
and two had their weapons at thei
shoulders, whilo the trembling express
messenger and the engineer stood will
their hands above their heads.
whats wrong?" cried nabob VIII,
had followed the manager out
"Everything's wrong. We're hell
up, that's what's wrong. Go back an,
tell the rest to conceal their valuables
know what they're after. There
nearly $500. 900 in gold ON board. III
! 20 forward and parley with them a
long as possible, 80 as to give you time