Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-04
A DARING ENGINE RIDE.
How Charles Croker Saved the Gem
trail Pacific Railroad.

trat Pacific Railroad.
Written for The Evening Star.
Zone of the most exciting and dangerous
rides I ever had was made on LOGON olive
in California in the 66s,' said an old resi-
dent OF San Francisco to the writer, who
had been speaking of the remarkable cool
ness exhibited by two men while riding be-
hind runaway horse.
THE ride to which / refer happened
shortly after Charles Croker and few
other men inaugurated the Central Pacific
railroad. The tracks of the road had been
laid as far as Newcastle, and the company
was in debt and dependency, and l.. L.
Robinson, who then owned the old original
railroad from Frceport to Folsom, was
laughing in his sleeve at what ne called
the Dutch Flat swindle." The stages then
went from Folsom to the great mining
camps of Nevada. especially to Virginia
City, and it was the boast of the Freeport
ard Folsom road people that the Central
Pacific would never be built beyond New
castle.
We'll, one morning Charles Croker left
San Francisco on the steamer bound for
Freeport with three gentlemen, including
myself. When the steamer had reached
Freeport the mail and newspapers from
San Francisco for Virginia City We're i'm
medlately put aboard the Freeport and Fol-
som train. which then hurried away on its
Journey. A spirited team waiting for
quickly left the steamboat. got into the
coach and were driven rapidly off for Sac
ramento city. Arriving there, we found
an engine and coal tender waiting for us
at the Central depot, and Mr.. Croker gave
orders to the engineer to run the locomo-
tive at every pound of steam she could car
ry. to Newcastle.
When we started all of u.s. with the ex-
ception of Mr.. Croker, who stood at the
back of the engineer were seated in the
tender on various Jumps of coal and wood
and ii didn't take US long to realize from
the awful jolting and swaying of the en-
Sne. that the road was UNPUBLISHED, and in
"a very poor condition for speeding Much
to our relief, after had passed beyond
the American river and our arms fairly
acEed from our exertions to hold on and
Keep ourselves from being thrown out of
the tender, the engineer suddenly lowered
his rate of speed and at the same time in
formed Mr.. Croker that it would be ex-
tfemely dangerous to run any further at
the rate we had been going.
Mr. Croker looked annoyed and said ;.
nonsense. II you are afraid, you had bet
ter get off the engine
He then took hold of the lever and pull
ed II TO the furthest limit. OF course we
all thought that Mr. Croker was crazy and
that the engine would soon jump the track
but MIR. Croker would not listen to remon-
Strances. never moved muscle and stood
at the lever until we were all scared out of
our wits, and the engine, painting and throb-
blng like huge wild beast enveIoped in a
CLOUD OF escaping .team, reached New
castle. Here we We're hustled into a wait
ing coach and driven away. AT each ten
mics betWeel- that town and Virginia CITY
tnere was relay of horses. At various
points along the mountain roads even The
drivers were afraid to obey Mr.. Cookers
ORDERS and in two instances he tool, the
Ieins himself and whipped the teams into
lively galop. ''''0
The result of the whole exciting. wild
ana dashing race was that Charles Croker
of5ia
ginia City Enterprise a copy of the San
FRANCISCO Bulletin and some mail matter
twelve hours before the mail agent GU the
o opposition railroad had reached the city.
ana FOLSOM road and the salvation of the
Central Pacific" ~ 'te