Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-01

over eight or ten miles of road a day, but
under the new rules the inspectors were
expected to cover from forty to fifty miles
e day. As 2 result of the new order of
Things the inspectors protested to their
section bosses that 1t was not fair to hold
them responsible for small defects in the
track. as they could not discover them as
easily as when on foot. They claim that
through the working Of the machine, and
that unless something turns up in the way
OF washouts or broken rails to discover
the smaller defects will be almost an i'm
possibility.
The trainmen learned of this situation
and, Of course, felt shaky about going over
a road that had been inspected so care
lessly, but as no accidents had occurred
their protests went for naught.
Saving $1,000 Day.
Il learned through one Of the prominent
officials of the Santa Fee road that in abol-
ishing the track-walker or inspector, the
corporation got rid Of $50 men west Of FL
Paso and Ogden and south Of Portland, a
saving to the company of fully $1,000 q
day. The men discharged had been With
the company for years and their expert
ences would make thrilling reading.
The San Francisco officials claim that
the first man to ride railroad bicycle was
q discharged engineer named Ricney. and
that necessity brought about the invention.
relatives in Texas. but lacked the neces-
sary funds for transportation and was on
the outs with the railroad. which prevent
ed him securing free transportation. He
possessed an old bicycle and fitted 1t up
very much on the order of the one that
has been patented by the Michigan man.
''Richey was fully posted on the running
of trains and knew all the bridges and
grades. He started from Oakland one
morning directly behind an east-bound ex-
press and created lots of amusement by
his appearance. His machine in the first
place weighed nearly a hundred pounds.
the apparatus that held It on the track
fully twenty-five pounds more and besides
he weighed nearly two hundred pounds.
With this clumsy outfit and weight TO enc
expected Richey to last longer than a day
at the most.
THE engineer and trainmen Of the OK
press behind which Richey was pcdaling
laughed derisively at his efforts, the rear
fagn an going SO far as to offer rope as
a tow line. When Oakland was left be
hind the engineer started to pull out and
so increased his speed that he forgot all
about the single bicyciist. But Richey was
there and staid with the train until he was
arrested for trespassing at Fresno, but the
Justice discharged him on account of the
novelty of the legal question and the lone
bicyclist kept on toward Texas.
The Rear Drakeman's Story.
1.-The rear brakeman of the express which
Richey started out to follow gave a good
description of the trip from Oakland to
Fresno. He said at first that he expected
the new-fangled machine to go to pieces
on the first curve, and at the least come to
standstill on a steep hill. But Richey
hung on to the express with the greatest
esse, and a result several passengers
crowded out on the rear platform and
cEeered him on. Watches were held to
places the train ran as fast as fifty miles
an hour. and Richey was right behind US.
ION level stretches. the rear brakeman
said. Richey didn't seem to exert himself
he seemed to throw little more exer.ion
into his footwork. and as a result he could
have passed the train had he been on an
other track.
But en- the steep down grades, the
brakeman said. Richey did his best work
ard displayed an amount of Eerve that
dcmOnStra ted he was thoroughly familiar
with the railroad business. The train
would be drifting down the hill at a ter
rife speed and right behind came Richey.
coasting like thoroughbred. When We
would strike a curve he would lean over
just like professional racer on a curved
track and passed the ticklish place without
turning a hair. His work was SO re-
markable that the passengers grew en-
thrsiastic over his exhibition of skill and
nerve.
LAT a watering tank the conductor tele-
graphed to headquarters the exhibition
Richey was making Of our fastest train.
and as a result instructions were sent to
Fresno t. have him arrested. But the
next day Richey was on the road again,
and. as usual. kept right In the swim.
What made the bicyclist keep SO close to
the train ahead was that he knew it would
have to take a switch to pass a west
bound train, and he wanted to be up close
so as to do some switching himself. His
railroad training taught him this pre-
caution. green man might have loafed
along and been hurled into eternity by
the first west-bound train that was en-
countered.
Richey could be found counter claim
for patent rights would be made against
the Michigan ratentee on the railroad
bicycle. but as yet the pioneer. both as
to idea and practical use, has not appeared
as q claimant"