Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-06-29

was nauled back on the track and in
spected the dead bodies of the hoboes
were discovered. They had been
smothered under the corn.
The master mechanic set to work to
discover why No. 1914 was a track
jumper. This was her third jump. and
it was suspected that something must
be wrong with her wheels. She was
taken to the shop and lifted OF the
trucks. and axies and wheels were in
spected down to a fine hair. The
wheels were absolutely true, and so
were the axies and the hang of the
trucks. No better box car was ever
built, but No. 1414 was not sent back
on the road for a few weeks. The off,
cials waited until the gossip had died
out. There was talk of giving her a
new number, but that would have been
admitting that she was a queer" car.
After a vacation of eight weeks the
car was loaded with -four for Wells
vile and made the trip without Incl
dent. She was reloaded with shocks
for a Chicago cooper, but not without
an adventure. There was a rich old
widower at Wellsville named Carney,
and he had a lovable daughter named
Mary. While the girl was in love with
a young fellow named Phillips, the ia
Their wanted her TO marry a mar of his
own choice. The result was an elope-
ment, and perhaps the only one of the
kind ever heard OF. With the conniv-
ance of the station agent Phillips and
the girl were locked UP in No. 1414.
while the wrathy old father was riding
over the highways with a shotgun in
his hands and blood in his eye the
happy lovers were on their way to Chi
cago to be married.
Two weeks later the car cut up rusty
again. She was loaded with agricul-
tural implements and bound west and
was in the middle of a train. After
running along as smoothly as you
please for thirty miles she suddenly
hGlked-that is, her wheels gripped
the rails as il the brakes had been
twisted by a giants hand, fire few from
the rails, and, as the coupling on the
next car ahead gave way, the train
broke in two, and there was cussing TO
beat the band. There was no earthly
excuse for such conduct on the part
of 1914. Her journals were we'll pack
ed, the brakes of and the track all
right. When the train was coupled
up. she moved off with the other cars
like a snake going over the grass, but
after a ten mile run she grfpped again
and again broke the train. She was
tried again, and for the third time she
cut up rusty. This happened near a
siding and she was cut out OF the train
and pulled in and left there. In the
| cutting out none OF her wheels
would turn. They simply slid along
the rails. When the conductor re-
roried the adventure he was given to
understand that such stories didn't go.
IL was held that his train crew ought
to have enough to discover what
was wrong, and the five of them bare
ly escaped a ten day lay off. They es-
capped it because a mechanic was sent
down from the shops who reported
that, while he could find nothing
wrong with the car. she had certainly
gripped and baked and broken the
train, as reported. When hauled on
the siding she rolled to her destination
without causing the slightest trouble.
1t had become contain that car No.
1414 was a queer critter," and every
body along the line was busy guessing
what would happen next. Two weeks
after her fit Of sulks she was billed for
Chicago with a load of potatoes. She
had rolled along for 100 miles without
the slightest hitch when the freight
train going east passed the express
going west, both under full speed on
the double tracks. or a sudden No.
1414 cast one OF her fore wheels. II
was on the inner side, and that wheel
went smashing into the drawing room
car and killed three passengers. II Is
not once in ten years on any railroad
that a car wheel. flies OF; IL was n
chance In a million that this wheel
should fly off at that particular spot
and that particular angle, but that was
what happened. Strangely enough,
the freight train was not wrecked.
Even when a wheel gone the car held
to the rails and made a run OF ten
miles. There was a cry of "hoodoo'
all along the line, but the car was re-
paired and run out again. She was an
object Of curiosity from end TO end Of
the road, and there we're engineers who
said they would rather have a ghost in
the cab than that car in the train be-
hind.
1t was a month before No. 1414 made
another kick. Then she gripped the
rails and broke a train, and that on a
down grade. She was heavily loaded
with grindstones. and. as a siding hap
| pened to be handy, she was showed of
by herself. This siding was half a mile
long and ended at a morass. A buffer
had been placed at the end, OF course.
but four hours after the car had been
left. and, as another train was ready
80 rsorr Anr ,s- oLn could net he fC%nI