The Lamar register., 1895-12-14
SAVED THE PASSENGERS.
An American woman who Is create
Than Joan of Arc of France.

ms VI experiences on the railroad.
said a New York travelling man, Il hat
slight serape one time on mountaii
road in Tennessee that may be worti
the bearing. We were coming down I
long grade OF ten miles in mixed train
That Is We had a gondola loaded witt
Ties as the end car, with our two pass
enger coaches and baggage car. and
should say we were making about TWEEN
ty miles an hour on n track that woulC
be treating us very kindly II 1t did no
sling us into eternity IL we dared Il
add hve miles an hour to our speed
when | happened to look out OF tn,
rear door and saw a wild train OF load
ed coal cars swinging down after us
They had evidently started at tippl
which we had passed only few min
utes before. and when | saw them the.
were going so fast that they distances
the men on the ground, who made 1
run to get on and stop their furthe
hight made wild rush for the con
duetor, but before l reached him hl
had ordered the engineer to let ou
his engine for all she was worth, and II
this way keep ahead OF our chasers
Fortunately we had no women aboarl
and the men could be kept In bette
control, though 1t was all we could d
70 keep them from jumping of. 1t wa
only short time until we began TO se
that our salvation lay In the pursuing
train flying the track. because we hat
reached our limit and our train wa
swaying and tossing so that everybod,
was scared out of his wits. l know
was. and I Just sat In my seat and hell
on. waiting and listening 10 the thun
der OF the train behind us. which wa
only 500 yards away and gaining ever:
second. II WAS far heavier than ours
and / knew that II anybody went OF
the track Il wasn't going to be the Goa
t-airN said moment ago that we has
No women aboard. l mean We had non
TO speak Of There was one. but sh,
was homely mountain girl, who didn'
seem TO know anything. and becaus'
she sat quiet In the corner and didn'
scream We thought she didn't amour
TO enough to count. was looking n
her In dazed kind of way. when all o
sudden she lit out of her seat as
she had been shot out of It, and, knock
ing every body out OF the way she dashei
out Of the rear door before anybodl
could touch her, and we thought sh
had jumped OF. but she hadn't. Sh
jumped for the open car. hanging oil
like cat, until she got TO the far en-,
of II. and in second she was tumblin,
those ties of at the rate OF a dozen !;
second. They would hit the track ant
bounce every which way. but she KEEP
pillng them OF coal train getting close
every second, and at last couple
them stuck up in cattle guard, ant
the next thing we knew there was /
terrific crash. rails and ties. and track
and coal cars flew, and the coal trair
rolled over itself and went down thu
hill in a heap. BY George, us that gir
stood there in her plain calico dres
and her old sunbonnet and watched tina
train pile up at her feet, / thought tha
Joan OF Are. Cleopatra, Queen Eliza
beth. Grace Darling and the lot OF then
weren't patching to her. and. as fa
as we were concerned, they weren't
She had saved our train and our lives
and we took her on with us in triumph
Then we made up purse for her bi,
enough TO buy farm with. and II
bet she's got more good clothes ant
jewelry and books and trinkets ant
things than any girl in the mountains
for we never forget her She doesni
quite appreciate some OF the fine thing
she has, but what do we care for that
We appreciate her, just the same"