The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1896-02-12
WILD RIDE IN AN ENGINE.
EVERYTHING WIDE OPEN AND
THE DRIVER STUPID DRUNK.
poozv Drummer for Fireman. Bell Cord
Tied to the Throttle. Every Pun from
the Passengers Sent the Train Faster.

the Passengers Sent the Train Faster.
From the New York Press.
Just once rode in an engine" he
said, "and that once cured me for all
time. You fellows try it if you want to.
Init IN sit back here, where I know
that there at least four Pullmans be-
tween me and eternity.
"When was it? Back in the old days
when first went on the road for the old
house, and when believed my sole mis-
sion in life was to drink all the rum
there was exposed between Omaha and
the Atlantic.
Il was on my way to Jacksonville,
Fla, and we got stalled at Washington
with hot journal, or something like
that. They held us up outside the caps
ital from 10 o'clock at night until l in
the morning. tried to amuse myself
BY putting the men of the train under
the table, and succeeded 50 we'll that by
y o'clock the porter was the only sur
vivOr.
"Then got it into my head that a
plain, ordinary sleeper was too plain for
me, l wanted to go where 1 could ride
fast, and know that was riding. SO 1
bought four of these little Pullman
TASKS Of rye, filed my pockets with
cigars and went up to the engine.
"Only the engineer was in the cab.
The delay had put him in a nasty hui
NOR. l jollied him along, however, Of
fered him cigar in my besC mahogany
top, fall design voice, and finally he
asked me to climb up into the cab.
whether it was because he knew we
were alone or because the long stop had
upset him, do not know. At any rate,
he accepted my invitation with alacrity
to have SMILE and while these four
TASKS lasted be more than kept his end
up.
With the assistance of the converse
tional water it did not take us long to
become chummy, and when brake or
hot journal was finally repaired, and the
tired out conductor came up with the
order ito start, my friend told me to sit
where 7 was.
" D that fireman. he said with a
leer that at any other time would have
warned me, 'he never was any good.
Well pull her out without him. You
and can shovel all the coal that's need
ed between here and Lynchburg.
II couldn't fire a chatting dish, but he
already had pulled open the throttle,
n d with the big frame shuddering with
every spin of the drivers, it was too
late for me to make any protest, and be-
sides l was in that condition where
didn't care whether Sunday school con-
vened or not
"'Let her CO. shouted across the
suffering row of valves and STOP
cocks.
Don't you worry about that, he
shouted back, 'Pm going to give you a
ride for yer money
He had jumped down from his perch
and was throwing coal into that fiery
furnace with might and main. Each
time the door opened and the lurid
glare lighted up his face l could see de
hnum blazing In his eyes, and instead
OF being frightened by it, / seemed to
catch the contagion, and urged him on.
Already We were racing through the
city, with its labyrinth of tracks, at
"hirlWind speed. The little red and
green eyes of the switch targets
Onnked wlckedly at US as we shot past
'nem-Just as if they knew our secret
and were jeering us on. tell you it
was fas' game. My friend sat there
with his hand on the throttle and with
a smile so grim and CHASTITY that, maud
hnly reckless as l was, it made me
Snudaer every time looked at him,
When I'VE crossed the Potomac bridge
with rush and roar that made the
neaVy trestles culver and shake, they
must have realized back In the. train
That something was wrong. There was
violent pull at the bell rope and the
little signal gong rang loudly. Ny
Tried heard it too and laughed.
We got 'em on fhe run back there"
NE said, jerking his head toward the fly
Ing coaches. Il bet Jim was never
yahked over that bridge so student be-
lore Oh, we'll show EN- a thing or two