The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-12
TOLD BY A RAILROAD MAN.
AN ENGINEERS CUNNING ATTEMPT
TO DO MURDER.

Narrow Escape of "a Fireman Who
Had Aroused His Enmity-Thrown
on the Cowcatcher While Going
Forty Miles an Hour-An Incident
of "a Railroad Education.
From the New York Sun.
Conversation had turned to the subject
of the perils of railway life. All the men
at the table were experienced railroad
men who had won posts of responsibility
through long and varied service, and they
had many a tale of adventure to tell One
related the history of hand to-hand bat
tie by night between a gang of track la
borers and a company of roughs hired by
a rival road to drive them off a stretch
of embankment which was in litigation.
Another recalled race between his train
and a landslide coming down a Western
mountain. A third told of the toilsome
heroism of two trainmen who went from
a snowbound train 100 miles 10 the nearest
station for help; and fourth described
vivldly the pursuit of locomotive down a
steep grade by a loaded fiat car which had
in some way got started from the summit.
One story suggested another, and the
whole range of adventure of the railway
mans life was run through; but it was
noticeable that all the "reminiscences were
of events that occurred years ago,rand
mostly in the new West
There aren't any such chances and dan
gers nowadays in this part of the coun-
try" said the senior member of the group.
THE establishment of railroading as an
exact science has done away with the peril
and romance" agreed another. Now,
TN wager that Mr.. c. here, who hasn't
been in the business more than a few years
has found II a monotonous enough rou-
tine.
He turned to the youngest member of
the company, man who graduated few
years ago from the University of Penn
sylvania and went into the service of one
of the large railroads, where he had earn
! ed rapid promotion. The young man hesl-
tated moment, then said:
I've had one little adventure that was
| exciting enough for me- and 1t was right
within few miles of New York.
go on said half dozen voices "You
have the floor"
This Is a story I've never told before,
| because / can't prove the allegation that
80 I'll give an alias to the other party
in the affair Directly after my graduation
/ went into the employ of what I'll call
| the Interstate Railroad Company, and be-
| gan at the bottom as a general assistant
in roundhouse, as 1t was desirable for
various reasons that I should know the
business from the bottom. From that I
rose TO be a locomotive fireman. They
switched me around good deal, aud
found the engineers whom worked under
as fine lot of fellows on the whole as
man would want to associate with a
rather earnest, anxious sort not much
given to idle talk, but true and courag-
eous, and conscientious clean through.
Such was my experience until came
to be put on engine No. 10, under an en-
gineer whom will call Mclean He ives
a good engineer, sober, efficient and de-
pendable, but as a man he was pretty far
below mark. BY nationality heoewas
| Scotch-Irlshman. He was about 10 years
| old, square built, with a stolid, stern face
a gowering disposition, harsh manner
and heart of black hatefulness.
" He'll make your life he'll 10 you, will
Mclean, some of the other engineers
| warned be. He's a hard man.
L guess I'll get along with him by do
ing my work and keeping my mouth shut,
said confidently.
But l did not know my man. From
the first he hated me because he knew
was college man and because he once
| saw me in the street in evening clothes He
was man of little speech. but that little
was bitter venom. Before had been there
! a week / discovered what had 70 expect
His every order was accompanied by a
jeer. He took deep relish in haunting
me, as 1t were, with Is authority.
Hustle along there you young dude
! he would say; you'll be none the worse for
little grease on them hands OF your'n.'
| Or II would be: Take your college eduea-
ton out there on the engine and oil her up
in hurry
My resolve had been always to recog-
nize my engineer as a captain and to yield
accomplishing acquiescene to his
discipline. This l did with Nc
! Lean, until one day he did
what. In Justice to him, never saw
him to do before or since me called me a
foul name. The impulse to have it out
with him then was strong on me, but /
controlled myself
"'I'll be transferred from 10 one of these
days, Mclean / said. And that dav
you'n stand up to me man to man and TN
make you swallow that word
1T was that, / have no doubt, that nut
murder into his heart. Al the time he
made no reply only scowled at me- and
for several days thereafter he spared me
his taunts. About week iater we were
hauling a light train up from Philadelphia.
There was stiff wind blowing and we
were travelling easily forty miles an hour.