The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-07
STRANGE INCIDENT OF TRAVEL
Train Lost and Caught Again-The Situation Was Very Ticklish and

Situation Was Very Ticklish and
 Harassing for While Upon the
 Travellers Nerves.
 "I did not look for anything exciting or novel or the trip homeward, having only to retrace the same ground, but will prove it otherwise. After bidding farewell to my new made friends placed myself in the keeping of gen. tleman with whom have travelled many a mile-James Wiley, who was always my advance man, having to erect the chimes and have all ready for my arrival. He was always very kind to me, procuring my tickets, handling my baggage and many other acts of kindness. On March 19 we started for Baltimore, my friend making complete arrangements for the journey. We had a tiresome ride to Cincinnatb which we reached on the following morning in time to get the next train for Pittsburg. My friend, desirous of good nights rest, procured tickets for a sleeper. I am not fond of being closed up in a close car, but on this occasion I sub- mitted to the arrangement of my friend. We were allotted our respective berths, No. and my friend No. g. I will never forget the numbers, and have been rather shy of odd numbers ever since. We turned in early, my friend going to sleep as soon as his head touched the pillow I rolled and pitched with every lurch of the train. It must have been an express train, for I re- member that we made but few stops; |. r ,tar fse long as live. It was rather longer thought than necessary, and finally put my head outside of the curtains to ask the porter where we were. He an- swered politely, Columbus, sir What time is it?' I next inquired. Twelve o'clock, sir was the answer. then de- cided that would get out to the next car and have good smoke The car was very close and warm, so ] simply put on my linen duster, smoking jacket and slippers. got into the next car without being perceived by the porter, lit my pipe and had a good smoke. Of course, there was the usual noise of pumping and banging that always ac- companies the arranging of cars about a railway station, which gave me no concern. Suddenly I felt a heavy bump, then. a smart pull and off we went at brisk rate, as imagined, to make up for lost time.
 Tickets, gentlemen said the con- ductor, as he advanced toward me. He looked at me in a strange sort of way when I told him that my travel ing companion in No, 9 of the sleeping car would give him my ticket. He asked, ina drawling manner, Were you a passenger in the sleeping car from Cincinnati?' I responded that T was, when he blurted out to my con- sternation: Sir, you have been left, Your sleeper pulled out ten minutes ahead of this train
 Gan you imagine my sensations? An unutterable woe was written on every line of my face, and I half-be- lieve that my heart stopped beating.
 "The conductor, seeing my dilemma, said to me very kindly: Old gentle man, I will talk with you after I col lect my fares and thus I was left to my own reflections. Imagine my fix; sitting in train, ten minutes behind one I had paid my fare on; my warm CT clothing becoming more and more | necessary every moment as we sped north; with the prospect of finally making my way through the city to my home clad in slippers and linen duster, hours after my ownerless grip, overcoat and possessions generally, had reached their destination. Not only this, but imagined my compan- ion getting up in the morning as he ,+ tn into No
 and not finding me there. Then he
 would imagine that had gone to the wash-room. and I thought of his con- sternation as he found that I was not there either.
 'sTo his inquiries the porter would | know nothing. beyond that he had spoken to. me at midnight as we reached Columbus. Then imagined that he would suspect that had fallen from the platform in the night; or, my heart stood still at the thought, would he suspect me of committing suicide? My reveries were getting anything but pleasant, and I, was relieved when the | door opened and the conductor en- tered. He. sat down beside me, saying; well, old gentleman, let's talk busi- | ness told him of my coming to the smoker to enjoy pipe load of tobac- co, and of the predicament was in. We'll said he you are in an ugly fix, and will do everything in my power to straighten things out
 "'Your train started ten minutes ahead of us, as I told you, and that means as many miles. Now l will get the engineer to try to gain little on her at every station, and we may catch the runaway yet!
 ''Then began the most exciting series of episodes that ever happened to me | in my long and adventurous life, and, | though ludicrous enough now. on that night the most miserable man in the | world was James Mellon, the chimer of St. Vfncent's. Some time elapsed l before the conductor returned. When ] he did it was with a hurried call oe, | This way, old man. l jumped like a
 youth and made my way to the plat | form. There she is, yelled the con- | ductor, who, by this time, was as excl ted as myself. We came to a stop one | hundred yards behind the train, and I | jumped from the engine and started at a dead run for my train, which stood
 five hundred yards up the track. while
 my friend, the conductor, frantically
 waved his light in an effort to hold the