The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-09-09
( with Alexander about Insurance.
EXANDRIA LA. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9 1896
BOOTHBY'S HARD RACE.
he Kept Ahead Of the Train That Was
Pushed by an Earthquake.

BOOTHBY'S HARD RACE.
he Kept Ahead Of the Train That Was
Pushed by an Earthquake.
Boothby told us another story
about phenomenal natural disturb
ance. He said he felt tender about it
because he had figured prominently
in it himself. The story concerned
habit engineers on the Vandalia and
the Ohio and Mississippi roads had
of racing. just east of East St. Louis
Is the crossing of belt railroad, and
from there On to the bluffs, seven
miles away, is straight streak Of
parallel track. AS the outgoing pas
senger trains all leave East st. Louis
at about the same time, it was the
regular thing tor Ohio and Missis-
sippi and Van engineers to hammer
for their lives over these seven miles,
while the passengers yelled defiance
at enc another and whooped and got
excited. The Ohio and Mississippi
had one engine, the 60, which was
able to walk away from everything
ever rut up against In. She had
humjliated all the Van engineers
excepting Boothby, and he fairly
ached to getat her. One day, just as
he bad whistled for the crossing, he
heard another whistle, and, looking
over, saw the Ohio and Mississippi
abreast. The engino's number was
60.
Eoothby Strengthened up for the
race of his life. Tenderly, notch by
notch, he opened the throttle, while
tho fireman kept the oM kettle just
Off the popping point. Over the belt
TRACKS they went, the GO alongside.
To his joy, Boothby saw he was
inching eway from his opponent.
Like a statue be sat, coddling the
machine, and at the FIRST milo he
was two coach lengths to the good.
His passengers wero shrieEing their
joy wbilo those On the Ohio and
Mississippi We're dumb. The Ohio
and Mississippi crew, too, seemed
astonished, and gathered on the plat
forms to lock over 1T tho Van 8 new
racer. It was Bcothby's race in a
walk.
Suddenly the Van engineer saw
something was happening. Looking
over his shoulder, lie found the Ohio
and Mississippi train only half car
length back and surging along like
lightning. It scared him, and he
pulled still wider open. Then did
that noble ,le2 engine respond. She
leaped through the mir, hardly SEEM
ing to touch the rails. Right at her
shoulder was the 60. Boothby gave
her more. They were both going
within mile minute. Boothby
said be never saw a locomotive go
like that GO, but he knew his ma
chine WIS as good as the best. They
plunged forward more furiously
than the wind. Three miles, four,
five, and then-ob, joy the 60 be-
gan to fall hack. At the sixth mile
she was two coach lengths behind,
and as tho trains swept away from
each other ct the base of the bluffs
the Ohio and Mississippi was three
train lengths off to the rear.
at Collinsville Hank Hubbard,
white faced, came rushing up to the
1872 as she lay under tho water tank
getting water.
"Great heavens. Boothby," cried
the conductor, do you know what
you've been running against"
1.-THE Ohio and Mississippi's hot.
test stuff, and I cooled it for EN-"
eyes, you have. You I've been run.
ming against an earthquake. The
Ohio and Mississippi train was pick
ed up by it just out of town. A hill
20 feet high followed her last Pull
man, and she was running down hill
the entire way, being pushed for
ward all the distance. -
'say, Hank" said Boothby, "did
that earthquake help US any?"
mo. We were 100 yards ahead all
the time."
Boothby climbed back on his box
and Hubbard returned to the train.
But although Boothby's achieve.
men% brought glory to his round.
house he would never race again.
He said he didn't mind whipping an
ordinary engine run by ordinary
steam, but he didn t want to combat
a thing that "laid up" with devils
and was in league with Cyclone,
storm and earthquake. - Chicago
News.
Snake That Swallows Eggs.
The Hydraci yeti is native of
South Africa, and, taken all around,
he is a ouriousity in the reptile line.
Unlike the regulation snake, he has
no teeth in his mouth, but has full
set of grinders in his stomach
These dental wonders grow from
the center of each vertebra. They
pass through the walls of the stom-
ach and are each crowned with
enamel. Hydraci is the champion
egg sucker, and the teeth in the