The sun., 1899-04-23
OLD DAYSOF RAILR0ADING.
,rRsIsTENT TRIM WRECKfN9 FIFTY
YEARS 400.

How They Obstructed the Movement of
Trains-High speed Rare In Those Days.
GRITTY wears ago worked at the building OF
-..,is now portion Of the New York Central
psrroad." said veteran ex-railroader. and
: don't believe there was ever In tho his
,,,v Of railroad building in this or any
Thar country such II struggle between peo-
rIe living along the line OF railroad
the company building 1t as there was
- that one This was especially the case
w. ,he vicinity Of Tribes Hill. where GER
.,ir property owners refused to sell the right
y, wny for the railroad. and the property had
- no taken by the company under the law OF
.r,inent domain. The property owners. after
a.. route for the railroad had been fixed by
.,ooess OF law harassed the workmen in
,,,ious ways while the roadbed was being
.,,lsd and the track laid. Whole sections OF
.hortment or grade would be destroyed by
,hor in n single night. and rails torn ND
.Ir,ost as fast AS they could be put down. Tho
.orL hai to he completed at last under a
,troug guard of special constables.
after the railroad was finished in that local
tv II was supposed that the persistent opposi-
,on TO the work would cease. but the fret train
chat attempted to run through that hostile
neiehborhood ran into pile OF heavy logs and
ether distractions. and the engineer and sew
raj
rasundoubtedly the first successful attempt
.ttrain yrecking in this country. There was
no doubt in the mind OF any one who the per-
ne,rators OF the outrage were-and some OF
tbsm were men OF a good deal OF consequence
IN those days but no one was arrested.
THE engineer Of the next train that ran on
that mart Of the railroad was on the look out for
trouble, and discovered an immense pile of
cordwood on tho track. 1t took him and the
,sst OF the tralnmen an hour to throw the wood
clsar O, the rails the train could proceed.
They had only gone a few rods when. on round
ing a curve, the engineer and fireman dis
covered an immense stack OF straw on the
track. suspecting that something more for
midable than straw was hidden by the stack
the etranmen tore it to pieces and scattered the
straw, but found no other obstruction. During
the work Of removing the stack. though. tho
men and the train we're assailed by showers ot
stones and clubs from the bushes and high
banks on either side OF the railroad.
Several days after that straw stack after
straw stack was found piled on the rails. and
each time the engineer would bring the train
N a stop. for fear that more solid and dan
gerous obstacles were inside the straw. After
A score Of these stacks were torn apart and no
dangerous Instructions found concealed in
them the engine was kept moving and made
10 scatter the straw without stopping the train
This bunting Of the stacks down with tho
engine was at FIRST done with caution and
hy running It slow. BY and by. however
the engineer put aside his caution and
went whizzng through the stacks with
out Stacking the speed OF his train This
Is probably what the opponents of the road
we're waiting for. At any rate one day the en-
gneer rushed his locomotive against large
straw stack and instantly found himself in a
disastrous wreck. The engine was rolled
down the bank and two cars were smashed.
The fireman was seriously hurt. but the enGi-
neer miraculously escaped with few scratches.
severul ot the passengers were hurt. That
ot huge stones which the farmers had rolled
For week the track continued to be strewn
with distractions of various kinds. and with
each train men We're carried whose duty It was
TO clear the track OF these obstacles. After Il
hold and adopted a novel plan Of obstructinG
end delaying the evening tra that ran west,
oe shed Where he 81
and stole a hamdcar from the company, This
hey of4d 9Th hT stones and t9 the
coming, OF the train, When tho train came
along the men on the handcar dumped several
hig stones out OF the track. This brought the
train to standstll and the gang on the
handcar started on. ! he car was run Il few
hundred feet where il was stoned again.
from the track and Ri" train started ahead. it
t9on came III SIG ht OF the handcar again. when
the gang dumped more stones Oh the track and
wenton. And so for miles the train was ha-
rassed in its progress. causing hours Of delay
and hard work Tor the men. Several persoE !;
were arrested. charged with being concerned
with this last bold "frnrt to hamper traffic on
the railroad bat they were all discharged. The
COMPANY was at loss to know what course tn
pursue 10 put stop to these outraEes. hut at
last when number Of persons were discovered
n e the act 9ct Of burning the railroad bridge al at
the law in their own hands.
A number oi trusted employees were Sc
lncted and stationed at different points on the
dangerous sections of the railroad, armed with
siieS k sand and they had orders to shoe, on sight
one Of IN sss cn %ss hS ts
George Cox. the pioneer. locomotive engineer
Si,hs New YORK GentTa He was stationed
duty as an armed guardian Of his employers
property was quite dark. and objects could
fee, away. Cox placed himself behind some
be satd a.terward. prayed that he might not
received. He had not been long on guard
When TO his dismay. he heard persons APP
He psered from behind his bush and presently
could distinguish the forms OF twomrn; As they
drew nearer he could make out that they, were
CARVING something between them. which was
would be along there, in ten minutes. accord
ssitement, as, the men silently approached the
track with the heavy object they We're carry
Ing: When they reached the track and DELHI
erateIy placed that object between the rails
Hox th telt himself turning cold. but he also lGl'
IInat II was his duty to act, and to act promptly
ne raised his rife and aimed at one o
Ihe men. His finger was on the trigger
5ut somehow he could not pull it
ne was prevented Iy something from
shootng. and he resolved to take the mer
INTO custody instead of having their blooC
on MS hands. He advanced upon them ant
warned them that il they made an attempt tt
escape they were dead men. They remained
stock still and speechless When Cox came VI
70 so them he found them tcrror-stricken. liz
recognized item as two carpenters who haC
PTren at work for the Ere Canal section boss
hhelr Job was finished aud they Were carryini
!her heavy toOlcheSt to the Tribes Hll sta
tloh whore they intended TO take the cars fo
nome. The weight OF the chest had forceC
mem 10 SIT it down as they had in order tC
ttSst themselves moment, with no though
'ia1 th"y w"r" cndang"ring a train
,u,I me thought Of how nearly he had come Il
Ailing in cold blood an innocent and unsur
pectinG man 5" affected Cox that the men were
,tohlpelIed 10 carry him TO the station. He was
.ak"h home and lay for weeks between LIE
prostration.
But that close call OF the carnenters' put al
THiH 70 o0bstructlng the railroad around Tribe
NH lhe prospect of being filed with leaC
WINE engaged in their diversion of train
NTrcklnR was moro than the progressive citi