The Philipsburg mail., 1898-11-18
RACE WITH LOCOMOTIVES
Many Wild Animals Make a Trial y,
Speed at Night.

Many Wild Animals Make a TrI., ~,
Speed at Night.
| Running through the forest and
swamp lands Of Ohio and Indiana the
engineers and f1remen who watch
ahead OF the great engines that haul
the Tying express trains see many wild
animals dashing along the track, and
! frequently senizens of the forests als
| run down and trackmen fnd thsil
mangied remains in the morning.
coone, wildcats, rabbits. and some
times wolves, are caught by the fast
hylng limited trains, and even sly
fevpard. with all his cunning, is often
ground up under the wheels. For
many miles the Baltimore & Ohio, Fort
wayne and Lake Shore roads run
through Wild swampy woodland
country in western Ohio and Indiana.
Ihese denseiy wooded swamps are al
mos: impenetrable, and they harbor
nearly all kinds OF indigenous wild
animals and birds. In the moonlight
or by the aid of the headlight the ami
maIs can be seen scampering across the
tracks, and often the foolish rabbit
taxes to the middle of the track be-
tween the rails and races the locomo-
tive for miles until he plunges into
culvert Or bridge at has occurred
TO me several times in my railroad ex-
perience," said the old engineer, that
the American skunk can make him
self conspicuous longer and louder
than any other living thing. FIRE.
quentiy as We fly along sixty miles an
hoHr through the gloom of night, a lit
tie wobbling body, dark and gray, is
seen by The glare of the headlight run
n1ng dlagonally across the track. The
animal may possibly by quick action
an0 a sklilful maneuver escape the
wheels. and distantly our nostrils are
salnted with an overpowering scent
which almost makes us faint. We are
2oo YARDS away from the cause Of the
smell in an instant, but it cings to us
for miles, and the passengers in the
cars who are awake wonder what kind
oi Oil is burning in the supposed hot
boxes. If we happen to kill the little
animal his memory clings to us still
for at least five miles" One night
few weeks ago as the flying fast mail
On the Lake Shore was making I'D lost
time across the Indiana swamps, a big
red fox dashed out ahead of the loco
motive and took the straight. level
track right ahead of the train. In an
other instant great black and tan
hound with his tongue protruding, and
bis long, lanky body stretched out at
full speed, took the roadbed just fifty
feet behind the fox. More steam was
turned or. and with their heads out the |
engineer and fireman watched the con-
test OF speed 1t was a grand race be-
tween the two animals, with the mighty !
engine coming close after them sixty |
five miles an hour. and the headlight |
showing the feet fox straining every |
limb and muscle, and his enemy slowly |
falling behind. The old hound ap- |
peared TO know that there was danger
in his rear and took the westbound
track, and in another minute the rush
ing train was past him, but the fox
taking advantage of the complication.
disappeared in the woods again. On
the pennsylvania railroad, east of Al
toona. few weeks ago, the track in
spector found the remains of a wildcat
en- the track, and On the PHILADELPHIA
x Erie, away up beyond Lock Haven,
last winter a large black bear ran out
i'll front Of & freight train and was
killed. Deer are often seen crossing
the Philadelphia & Erie tracks in the
Pennsylvania mountains, and in the
wild. lonesome places where the trains
stop to water, If the attentive passen-
ger who is awake will put his head ous
OF the window and listen he will hear
the scream OF the panther and the hoot.
ing Of the owl.--Pittsjurg Post.
ENGLAND MAN IN SPAIN,
When it became imperative that
Spain ShOn(I Sne for poaco oil c,,o,