Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-06-10
He Never Saw a Tunnel.


Creighton, at Manitou. His face and
hands were badly scratched where
they had come in contact with the
sharp gravel, there was bruise over
one eve where his head had struck
against fragment of Pixies Peak, one
elbow felt "like tarnation wildcat
had clawed it, and there was gener.
al feeling of soreness pretty mnch
everywhere, as he explained it to the
doctor, but he was alive and thankful.
John had Jumped from the platform
of Colorado Midland passenger train
at the entrance to the first tunnel
above Manitou, while laboring under
a mistake as to the destination Of the
train, which appeared to be plunging
into the mountain side.
You don't catch me lettin EN- run
me into the ground with any of their
gol darued trains, when I've got a
through ticket to Cripple Creek in my
pocket, he remarked as the doctor
took another stitch in his scalp and
adjusted an artistic court plaster SHIN
gle on the swelling dome over his right
eye. I'm pretty badly peeled up,
but you bet I'm still on top, and that's
where I'm going to stay" Aud John
DuHer took a good-sized bite out of
mammoth piece Of navy plug which
he dug up out of his pocket aud re-
lapsed into momentary silence, though
his Jaws worked faster than ever.
You see, Doc, said the Missounan,
as he deluged the gas log in the doc
tors fireplace with the overflow from
his lips, Il was a-going over to Cnpple
Creek to see what those gold mines
look like, where they shovel up the stuff
into wagon and let her go at that,
and find chunks Of gold in the rocks.
I had my grip and bucket of grub
in the cal, and Just after the train left
the depot went out on the platform
10 look at the mountains. Down on
one side was holler, and up on 10th
er side was hill that | couldu see TO
the top Of and on all sides wac noun
tains, and couldn't see how the train
was ever going to dodge them all.
The little shelf the train was running
on kept wriggling through them hills
like snake in a plowed field, and then
| looked ahead and saw where a hill
had been split plumb down to the
ground to let the railroad through, and
that was all right, because ! could see
daylight on the other side. And then
when the train went through that split
in the hill it switched around kinder
to one side, and could see the track
ahead of the engine, and then ] saw
big white mountain all covered with
snow sticking clear up into the clouds,
and nobody knows how much farther,
and the next thing knowed the en-
CINE give screech like she was most
scared to death, and | looked quick
and the whole business was going
plunk into a hole in the ground. And
then ! Jumped. Came near getting
killed, but | fooled them that trip.
You don't catch me running up against
any game that don't know nothing
about, and / amt going into anything
that ] don't know the way out oi.
Then came down town to get patched
up, and I'm going to Cripple Creek
some other way, even if l. have 10
walk.
"And what became Of the trainy
asked the doctor, who had been feeling
Of buffers ribs to see if they were all
in place. Didn't they stop for youY"
q
stop nothing The last saw Of
the darned thing it was still going
into the hole, and didn't care wheth-
er it ever stopped or not. wasn't
on it. Say, do you reckon could
get nv bucket back if they get them
out ?"
1t took considerable time and the
testimony Of several witnesses TO con-
vince Mr.. Duifer that the entire train
and It's contents were not hopelessly
buried in the interior Of Pixies Peak,
and quite little crowd accompanied
/ him 10 the station, where agent Dun
away telegraphed TO Cascade to re-
turn one lunch pail and grip labeled
John Dufer. Pike county, Mo-
And as he left the station TO fill up
on free soda bling right out Of the
ground" Mr.. DuGer explained once
more:
when the train went into that hole
/ thought we'd never see daylight
again, and my only chance was to
jump, and 50 jumped. I'm from
Missouri, and you'll have to show me.
,srr - NJ C1onrtt, az dim