Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-05-09
The HYPNOTIC Engine.

The Hypnotic Engine.
1t was true that the train was hypnotic.
1t runs twice day over a recent pur-
chase of MIR. Russell Sage's-the Pough-
keepsie and Eastern railroad Passen-
gers have declared that they frequently
experienced little puts and calls Of cleo
trio fire running down their spines in
passing over the thirty-nine miles of
rail between Poughkeepsie and Boston.
Now, If there be ghost trains, why not
hypnotic trains as we'll?
1t appears that the Poughkeepsie and
Eastern railroad owed the town of
Aucrain $S4I for taxes. This amount
was two weeks overdue last Saturday
and Tax Collector Hoag, of Aucrain,
who gets per cent commission on what
ever money passes through his hands
determined to protect himself and his
commission by levying warrant of
attachment upon one Of Mr.. Sage's hyp-
motto locomotives.
Mr.. Hoag proceeded with deadly cum
ming He knew that the last train of
the week would arrive at Boston Cor.
ners from Paughkeepsie at six minutes
past S o'clock on Saturday aftern Don
He got out his attachment papers, Sc
cured a swift horse with a buggy and
started for Boston Corners with deputy
to gather in a locomotive, or, if need be
the whole train.
The remainder of the story is best
told in the words of the fireman, who,
like "the gifted Mooney" of the late Mr.
Dickens, can talk as well as lawyer.
alt might a BEEN said he "a half
mile from the station, and We a-drivin'
along under all steam, when the engi.
neer says TO me sudden like, Joe says
he 4 can't make out what's come over
this engine And, strike me dead, the
words was no sooner oufen his mouth
when she begin to slow up of her own
accord, the throttle, mind you, bein'
wide open.
II was just about to say prayer when
the conductor pulls the bell, and we
shuts her off altogether. As soon as he
could get alongside the conductor he
points TO cloud Of dust close BY the
station and, pale as death, he says, les
that tax collector and our name is
coal dust
1--WE caught on directly, but all the
same that don't explain how this here
engine had the inside tip Back her
down, Joe says the engineer, while I
keep watch on the son of gun-meanin'
Hoag.
"Well as soon as the collector tumbles
to our game he dashed up his boss and
begins chasin' us, shoutin' like mad for
us to stop.
We'll, pretty soon we came to the
horseshoe, and there ! thought he had
us, for the grade is heavy and there's
short cut by which he could run through
the woods and board us easy The pass
engers was eussin', too, and could see
the engineer gettin' nervouser and ner.
vouser aud nervouser.
| never knew how we got By that point.
and then the engineer says to me, he
says, zoe, I'm goin' to run over 10 that
Harlem railroad sidin', and now | think
| have got him
a wasn't on, but | followed orders
and in about a minute we wuz bang up
on the siding and stopped short Hoag,
he comes bustlin' along and begins read
in law paper. Eli attach this here
locomotive, he says, for them taxes.
fright says the engineer, but what
county may that there paper read from p
Columbia county iaybird, says Hoag
don't you know what county your own
town is imp
"frhen,' says the engineer, very dig.
nifed, yer out of it. for this here engine
now stands in Duchess county
"'It's lief roars Hoag, but he was
soon convinced, and the thought made
him SO mad that he swore he'd put a
writ on the rails in front of the engine,
SO that she couldn't move out for her
trip Monday mornin'.
"'Look here, Hoag,' says the engineer
you're gettin' gay, Don't yer know
them rails belongs to the Harlem rail
road companyf
"Well, sir, never see man so fab
bergasted as that there Hoag. He went
OFF with his deputy, cussin' and swearin'.
But the passengers, they just gathered
around our engineer and shook his hand |
sayin' they was glad to walk to the sta
ton, on account Of his dom the col
lector so brown"
II is understood that the tax has not |
yet been paid, but ii is thought that Mr. |
Hoag will not tackle that hypnotic loco
motive again. a