, 1896-04-10
uiiy and wonderfully constructed

stream known as Bitter creek. Some
times the track skirts the bank 30
closely that a passenger looking down
from the car window gains i fair idea
Of the worst fluid on earth bearing the
lame Of water. On either side Of the
track. rising precipitately to n height
of from one to several hundred feet,
are rocky spurs whose sides hav been
blasted of just sufficient to permit the
passage Of trains. In places there are
curves SO sharp and with surroundings
SO perilous that old engineers never
pass these spots without a feeling OF
profound t~hankfulness when they have
left them behind. 1t is much the same
all the way to Rawlins, about midway
between which point and Green River
lies the Red Desert" Upton is the
third stopping place east OF Bitter
Creek station, and Red Desert the
fourth. either being nothing more than
a telegraph Office. a station gangs
headquarters and a water tank, the me-
cessity Of using one Of these three IN
v%eniences being all the call a train ever
has for stopping at one Of them.
The special, which included the 9O7.
passed Bitter creek all right. passed
Upton the same way. and was in a
fair way to have time to kill when. In
going over a hill the train broke in
two. In such cases the engineer pulls
out for all his engine Is worth. or
rather, the engineers do, for all trains
Of this sort are run as "double-head-
ers." This is to prevent the detached
section, which is left without SAFE
guard Of air brakes, from running into
the section in front and smashing the
Drawbacks. Well, this is what the en-
g~ineers did on this occasion, for it was
about l o'clock at night, dark as pitch,
and inclined to be stormy. The por-
ton of the crew on the detached sec
ton always know what to do on such
occasions. They set the hand-brakes
and jog slowly along until the train
comes to a standstill at. the foot of the
grade. where they we'll know the rest
Of the crew will be waiting for them.
The engineers "a like lightning that
night, for they were on the down grade
when the train broke in two, running
at the ate of go miles an hour, and
didn't know whether the boys would
discover the accident and set the
brakes at once or not. Around sharp
curves. across ugly gulches, skimming
along the banks of dry creek beds.
they rushed with the speed OF the
wind. until the safe hating place was
reached, and there they stopped The
detached section came leisurely along,
for the boys were on the alert md dis
covered the accident instantly. The
trains were once more coupled up and
made the remainder of the Journey to
Laramie without accident.
THE CAR MISSED.
When the number snatcher" al
Laramie made his rounds to check VI
the train he counted but IL cars. He
examined his way bills, and found they
called for the usual number-16. He
took another look over the train, Will
the same result. Then he examined
the car numbers on the way bills AND
compared them with those on the cars
Meantime engines and crews had beer
changed, and everything was in readi'
ness to pull out for the Sherman
Hills" They were losing time every
minute. and the engineers and conduc'
tor were furious over the delay. Thu
latter wanted to know what In perdi
ton was the matter. and when he wa
informed said the number snatchel
was a blanked idiot. Then they wen
over the train again. and lose more
time. without solving the mystery
There was no doubt of 1t. There wa
a car missing. and 1t was 907. Natter
were fixed up with the train dispatch
er, and the silk special went over tn
Sherman Hills one car short. 1t wal
supposed that . had been set out a
some way station on account Of a no
box, a fiat wheel or q broken axle, ant
that the conductor had forgotten t,
make a minute of it, SO the subject wa
dropped until the mex day.
When the conductor appeared tn
next day at the t~rainmaster's ONCE h
was called or the carpet" and request
, ed to explain. He couldn't explain. H
swore he brought the train in just a
. he received 1t from the other district
. Green River vas called up. and report
ed that 907 left there all right. Ever.
station from there to Laramie wa
queried. but no one had seen or hear
of the lost car. Omaha was notified
and for the next "a hours the wire
were kept red hot with messages relat
ing to the old Burlington car and it
precious cargo. In a month its where
abouts was as much of a mystery al
ever. Fine weather anne on. and tn,
track walkers had reported no wreck
age along the line, and, to make a lont
story short, the company simply wen
down in its pockets and advanced I,
portion Of the losses: they couldn't d.
otherwise. In six months the inciden'
had become a tradition to be referred
to now and then in spinning yarn
while lying on a sidetrack.
~Nrrn0xy,~ ~v~~~vy-~r