Arizona republican., 1897-09-17
A DARING ENGINE RIDE.
How Charles Croker Saved the Gen.
 tral Pacific Railroad.

'One of the most exciting and da--
 gerous rides I ever had was made on
 a locomotive in California in the
 eos" said an old resident of San
 Francisco to a Washington Star writ
 CT, who had been speaking of the re-
 markable coolness exhibited by two
 men while riding behind a runaway
 horse,
 'The ride to which refer happen
 ed shortly after Charles Crocker and
 few other men inaugurated the Gen.
 tral Pacific railroad. The tracks of the road had been laid as far as New
 castle, and the company was in debt
 and despondency, and l.. l. Robinson,
 Who then owned the old original
 railroad from Freeport to Folsom,
 was laughing in his sleeve at what
 he called the Dutch Flat swindle'
 The stages then went from Folsom
 to the great mining camps Of Nevada,
 especially to Virginia City, and 1t
 was the boast of the Freeport and
 Folsom road people that the Central
 Pacific would never be built beyond
 Newcastle,
 Well, one morning Charles Crock CT left San Francisco on the steamer
 IT, tlemen including myself When the steamer had reached Freeport the mail and newspapers from San Fran cisco for Virginia City were immed- lately put aboard the Freeport and Folsom train, which then hurried away on its journey. A spirited team was waiting for MT. Crocker and his companions, and we quickly left the inro +1,a were driven rapidly off for Sacra- mento city. Arriving there, we found ! an engine and coal tender waiting for | US at the Central depot, and MT. I Crockea' gave orders to the engineer to run the locomotive at every pound of steam she could carry to NeMcas- tie.
 When we started all of us, with the exception of Mr. Crocker. who stood at the back Of the engineer. were seated in the tender on various Jumps Of coal and wood, and it didn't take us long to realize, from the aw- iul Jolting and swaying of the en- zine, that the road was unba1asted and in very poor condition for speeding. Much to our relief. after we had passed beyond the American river aud our arms fairly ached from our exertions to hold on and keep our- serves from being ahrown out of the tender, the eeng1e9r suddenly low cred his rate of speed and at the same time informed MT. Crocker that It would be extremely dangerous to run any farther at the rate we had been going.
 MT. Croeker looked annoyed, and sald: Nonsense! If you are afraid you mad better get off the engine
 lie then took hold of the lever and pulled it to the farthest limit Of course, we vall thought that Mr Crecker was crazy, and that the en- slne would soon jump the track. Bur Mir. Crocker would not listen to re- never moved a muscle and stood at the lever l5trtti;If~ 7z4a.-zrs-, | all scared out of our wits. and inc engine ~ps-aSinl2A and throbbing like huge wild beast enveloped in cloud Of escaping steam, reached New castle. Here we were hustled into Waitlng coach and driven away. At each ten miles between that town and Virginia City there was a relay of horses. At various points along inc mounfadn roads even the drivers wera afraid to obey MT. Crocker,s orders and m two instances he took the 'elns hlmself and whipped the teams into a lively gallop.
 The result of the whole exciting w Wlld and dashing race was that Jnarles Crocker presented in the bus mess office of the Virginia City En- a copy of the San Francisco 3ulletln and some mail matter twelve hours before the mail agent on the opposition railroad had reached inc :lty. That was the death blow to inc .reeport and Folsom road, and the Of f'e4e Central Pacific