Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-07-20
HOW NO. so WON THE RECORD
BY George Ethelbert Walsh.

81 don't believe in record-breakin'
gines. It's dangerous work, and some
day there'll be such big explosions on
land or sea that'll cure people of this
craze"
Dan Martin, the old engineer, rubbed
the shining brass connecting rods of
No. 80 vigorously, until they looked
like strong rejecting mirror.
1--WE apus refused to run my engines
at a dangerous pace just to make a
record for the company" he continued
after n pause. II have the name of
bein' the most careful engineer in the
West, an consider that a bigger hon.
or than If had the reputation of bein'
the one that could drive his engine the
fastest. The superintendent has hint
ed to me more N once that he'd like to
see me break the record with old 90,
but / arus shrugged my shoulders,
and told 'em that warm goin' to risk
the lives of the passengers for any
foolish advertisin' of the road. No, sir,
/ wouldn't do it,
Another vigorous rub of the polished
brass rod.
eyes, No. 90 holds the record now"
he added in reply to query, "an' she
will for some time, too, guess But l
was speakin' of things before she
made that big run from Ellinwood to
Great Bend in Middle Kansas.
''Was the engineer at that time? OF
course / was, an No. 30 never put in
better work. didn't believe in record
smashin' then any more than now, but
/ had to break the record that time or
lose my life and 80 too. 1t was a
forced trip that took, an / don't want
to make it ag'in. No, sir, once is
enough for me.
II was ordered to take No. 90 from
Mcpherson to Great Bend one morn
in to meet the superintendent Of the
road, an he wired me to hurry up a
bit. He wanted to make a quick trip
down to Dodge City, where there was
some trouble with railroad robbers.
After he finished the orders he added
over the wires: You'll be alone, and
will have a good chance to make 90
break the record l smiled at this,
but didn't intend to push her beyond
the safety point one bit. My life and
reputation was just as important
whether / was alone or with a whole
train load Of people behind me.
II started out of Mcpherson on a
gentle trot, so to speak, and when /
was clear Of everything put on more
speed. / love to ride rapidly across
the country when there amt mo- cars
danglin' behind, an l just let old 90
skip lively. / was goin' as fast as I
thought she ought to go without run
MIN any risk. 1t was midsummer
then, and the day was pretty warm
and sultry. We hardly made breeze
in our rapid fight. Jim Watson, my
fireman, said he thought the air was
feverish hot, an that's just what II
was. The sun seemed to glare at us
like ball of fire, and the heat ap-
peared to be risin' from the landscape
all around. There wasn't a cloud in
the sky, an II just hurt our eyes to
look outside of the caboose. The long
stretch Of rails ahead glistened like
silver.
We'll have a storm or somethin'
before long, Jim says as he looks al
the sky. This heat won't last
II thought so, too, but I didn't give
words to my ideas. We were ap.
proachin' Lyons at a swingin' gait
when few clouds suddenly rose IN
in the east. They looked black in the
centre, and seemed to increase in size
as they approached. In short time
they were Joined by others, and their
looks were threatenin'. They were
wind clouds, and probably the begin
MIN Of bad wind storm. When VIC
rushed through Lyons the flagman