The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-10
TWO TRAINS IN A RACE
8N INCIDENT OF A CONTEST ON A
SOUTHERN RAILROAD.
It's Sequel Told by a Commercial Trav-
eIer, Who Came North to Be Best
Man at the Wedding.

| New York Times
Yes, sir. little nerve will do most any
thing" observed the travelling man posi-
lively to the night clerk at one of the
| Broadway hotels the other evening after
the Boer war. the Philippine policy and
] Bryan's compaign had been discussed to a
| standstill.
The clerk gently showed the others ell
| bow off the register and received the sig-
nature of belated arrival. The new guest
| having been sent up on the elevator. the
| clerk replaced the pen behind his ear and
awaited the story quietly.
Now take my own case, for instance"
| continued the travelling salesman, conf
| IDENTIFY. Nerve and circumstances are
| responsible for my run up to the metropo-
| lis when my territory extends only through
| the Southern States, and I'm selling for a
| Cincinnati concern at that. Pretty good
story, and you're getting it first hand.
Fact / haven't begun unloading 1t on the
| trade yet.
Nov, this particular case Of the exercise
of nerve amounting almost to genius re-
wolves about friend Of mine who sees the
South for a Chicago harness house. About
two years ago we found ourselves one sum-
mer afternoon on the Brunswick branch of
the Southern Railroad. bound from Chatta-
nooga to Atlanta. We sat in the smoker
talking shop and smoking bad cigars until
we got to Dalton, Ca, shady, sleepy lit
tie one-horse place. its principal excuse
for existence being that two important
railway lines run through it. The trains of
the Southern and the Western and Atlantic
run into the same little union station.
Leaving the station to the southwark,
the single tracks of the two rival lines run
side by side for distance of five or six
miles over perfectly level stretch of coun-
try. So near together are the rails of the
two rival roads that the cars of the trains
running side by side appear to almost touch
sides. We had not particularly noticed this
fact before, but we will never forget it
again. At least, my friend won't, for he
won't be allowed to, guess.
THE CROWDS UNWONTED INTEREST.
"On this particular afternoon we noticed
that the population of Dalton gathered
about the Union Station in groups of soft
spoken, felt-hatted young and old men.
young ladies looking mighty clean and
pretty in lawn and muslin, and slouching
more interest than usual.
Our train had just come to standstil
when passenger train of the Western &
Atlantic rumbled in on the other track to
our right, with the locomotive bell ringing
slowly, and stopped with a loud hiss of
steam from the air-brakes. AS the few
passengers entered our car, one. a gray
haired man past middle age, with broad
brimmed light hat. seated himself behind
us and stuck his head out of the window.
ledge, l hope to take yo' money, sah,
he observed to gray-whiskered man on
the platform.
All right. Cu'nl,' responded the other
cheerfully. know you do, but / reckon
you will be disappointed this trip
THE same sort of bantering was going
on all over the station, and there was
look of expectancy on severybodys face
Even the conductor on our train had a
sort of preoccupied air. We noticed this,
but thought possibly it referred to the out
come of some sporting event at one of the
country fairs, and paid no more attention
to 1T for the moment.
our train.
"'All aboa'd' came almost instantly
from the Western & Atlantic conductor
1.-THE engines of both trains gave vigor-
Gus puff and then a rapid succession of
them as their driving wheels slipped on
the rails. We were off together, and gath
cred Roadway unusually quickly. The two
engines almost pulled in unison as We
cleared the station shed and got out into
the bright light.
"'When is that darned train going to
get out Of my light. exclaimed my friend,
who was sitting with a comic paper in his
hand on the end of the seat nearest the
window facing the w. & A. train.
.Out we went with clatter beyond the
roundhouse and railway shops, through the
little field of tracks and frogs and
switches, the w. & A. train keeping be-
side us. We cleared the last little ware
houses and then the negro huts, with their
family groups, waved the customary fran
tic adieu, and reached the open country.
The chug-a-chug of our engine had become
so rapid that 1t had merged into one long
continuous hiss, and we could feel our
car begin TO rock as ii whirled over the
roadbed.
THE CARS KEPT SIDE BY SIDE.
1--WE looked across the aisle through the
windows on our left and saw the fences
and trees and telegraph poles fly by like
phantom procession But when we looked
to our right we seemed to be standing still.
There was the same car of the w. & A.
train that had stood opposite us in the sta
ton. 1t was rocking heavily, but seemed
to be attached to us in some way. It's
window opposite us would slowly go ahead
a few inches and then recede as much.
pulled off my hat and looked down between
the two cars. The strip of ground between
the tracks was floating by like a trembling
white ribbon, and the ends of the cross
ties, we flew over them, resembled a
solid black border to the ribbon of white.
Passengers in our car began to wake up
and wonder what made the car rock so
and to ask each other what the matter
was.
"The conductor entered the front of the
car and made his way down the aisle, hold
ing on to the back of the seats and taking
tickets as he came. The colonel behind
him hailed him Familiarity and excitedly.
by CAD, Tom, but Bud Devine is lift
ing her along he shouted above the roar
of the trains.
"'He is Sab. He is indeed letting her
out! replied the conductor, smiling grimly.
81 observe. though continued the col
onel uneasily, that the representative OF
this soulless corporation on our right is
doing hkewise'--and the din shut out his
voice.
I'VE knew now that II was race be-
tween passenger locomotives along this
level stretch of road and that there was
money up on It, Everybody was awake
now and some were excited. One old lady
was becoming seasick with the rocking Of
the car. One thin old man who wore a
skull cap shouted that 1t was a shame to
allow II, but the majority were keyed up
with the excitement of the situation
1--WE had flown on for about four miles
Of he g he left