The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1897-12-22
WOtt6 patch,
PUBLISHED sEmi-wEgNLY
sd 90 Per Annum.
A DARING ENGlNz IT,.

Sd'tu bIa Genoa
Pacific Railroad.
one OF the most exciting and
dangerous rides | ever had was made
on a locomotive in California in The
sixties, said an cid resident of San
Francisco TO the writer, who had
been speaking of the remarkable
coolness'exhlbited by two men while
riding behind a runaway horse.
The ride to which | lefer han
pened shortly after Charles Croker
ind a few Other men inaupurated
the Central Pacific railroad. The
tracks OF Tie road had been laid as
a as Newcastle, and the COMPANY
was in debt ald dependency, 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 Vir.
ginia City. and it was the boast of
the Freeport and Folsom road peo.
pie that the Central Pacific would
never he built Leyond Newcastle.
We'll one morning Charles Crock
er left San Francisco ON the steam.
er lound for Freeport with three
gentlemen, including myself. When
the steamer had reached ~Freeport,
the mail and newspapers from San
francisco for Virginia City were
immediately put aboard the Free
port and Folsom train. which then
hurried away ON its journey. A
spirited team was waiting for Mr..
Croker and hiscompanions, and we
quickly left the steamboat, got into
the coach and were driven rapidly
oft for Sacramento 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 carry to Newcastle.
when WI started, all of US, with
the exception of Mr.. Croker, who
stood at the back of the engineer,
were seated in the tender ON various
Jumps of coal and wood. and 1t didn't
take US long to realize. from the
awful jolting and swaying of the en-
CINE. that the road was unballasted
and in II very poor condition for
speeding. Much to our relief, after
we had passed beyond the American
river and our arms fairly ached
from our exertions to hold ON and
keep ourselves from being thrown
out of the tender, the engineer sud
denly lowered his rate OF speed and
at the same time informed Mr..
Croker that it would be extremely
dangerous to run any farther at the
rate we lad been going.
Mr.. Croker looked annoyed and
said: "Nonsensel If you are afraid,
you had better get off the engine.
He then took hold of the lever
and pulled it to the farthest limit.
Of course we all thought that Mr..
Croker was crazy and that the
engine would soon jump the track.
But Mr.. Crocker would not listen to-
circumstances, never moved ii mus
Gle and stood at the lever until we
were all scared out of Il wits, and
the engine, painting and throbbing
like a huge wild beast enreloped IN
a cloud of escaping steam. reached
Newcastle. Here we were hustled
into a waiting coach and driven
away. At each ten miles between
that town and Virginia City there
was a relay of horses. AT various
points along the mountain roads
even the drivers were afraid to obey
Mr. Croeker's orders. and i'll two In
n he took the reins himself
and whipped the teams into a livery
gallop.
'sTbe result of the whole exciting
wild and dashing race was thai
Charles Croker presented in the
business office of the Virginia CITY
Ente1p prise a copy of the San Fran
cisco Bulletin and some nail matter
- hours before the mail agent on
+ba on,osition railroad had reached
the city, That was the deathblow
to the Freeport and Folsom road and
the salvation of the Central PACING
-WoshinyfOn Star