Red River prospector. (Red River, Taos County, N.M.) 1900-190?, 1901-11-14

successfully you'll have to invent
something besides flesh and blood"
And the tenderfoot who has chung to
a hremen's 'seat-box" while the ma
chine under him was spinning out the
miles at that rate will vigorously sec
ond the statement.
But that statement was made back
yonder in the nineteenth century. This
is the twentieth.
The Burlington had completed its
eastern cut-off to the Mississippi river.
and one locomotive was covering the
division between Brookfield and St.
Louis, IT'S miles.
The Northern Pacific express reach
ed the mid-Missouri division fifty min
utes late. The engine hauling It was
sending aloft a geyser Of steam from
the safety valve and %quivering all over
as II enraged that in spite Of its best
exertions this dishonor had attached
to it. And the engine driver was near
enough to SANDER it by saying, "She
just wouldn't make steam" If the
machine could have talked 1t would
have said something about nerve"
A helper leaped into the cab as the
engineer stepped off, and ran the en-
CINE down to the tracks leading to the
round-house. Then there was slowly
backed up to the long line Of vesti-
buled coaches that had come in from
the coast, a double compound, a type
recently adopted by the road. The
coupling was made so gently that the
most sensitive passenger could not
have told when the tender touched the
front express car. The engineer,
Australian Jack" as the boys called
him, walked over to the ireman's side
and looked down the depot platform,
where trucks Of baggage and express
were being noisily wheeled about. A
tall man with an iron-gray mustache
emerged from the crowd and walked
up to No. S5O-Jack's engine. He was
superintendent of the lines in Mis-
souri,.
Jack" he said, we're nearly an
hour late. The president and two Of
the directors are along, and they want
to catch the Iron Mountain at Union
Station in the morning. There's a big
consolidation meeting of the southern
lines at Memphis tomorrow and they
have to be there. They won't wait
for them If they're late. Blossom lost
time out of the junction because he
was afraid Of the new track work, and
the big uns' are most wild. You
understand what this means to me-"
Australian Jack touched his hat and
inclined his head a little, but said
nothing. AS the superintendent turn
ed away a messenger boy rushed up
toward $50. The official stopped him
and took the message from his hand.
He said: Never mind; Jack do1't
want that now. I'll give it to him at
the station"
When $50 started there was no slip
ping of the drivers, no sudden jerk and
shutting-of the steam. The engineer
clasped the lever with a velvet touch
and the wheels began to move. The
start was so gradual that the great
men, who were smoking their cigars in
the rear compartment Of the presi-
dents car. frowned and wondered If
the man at the throttle was Of the sort
that could gather up that fifty min
utes out Of a schedule that called for
nearly sixty miles an hour.
II think Jack will make it all right
said the superintendent; but I'm
afraid 1 played him a scurvy trick to-
night and one for which he win never
forgive me when he learns the truth
What was that?" asked the presi-
dent.
We'll, his mother, who lived down
the road a piece, had been unwell for
several days, and just before starting
the telegraph boy went toward the en-
CINE with a telegram. l knew 1t wasn't
a train order. because they were all
in. 1t struck me that Jack had better
not get the message just then, and
took it. 1t was from his sister, and
simply said, Mother is Dead" con-
cluded the superintendent with a sigh,
at was too late to get another man,
and / didn't tell him"
And he is ignorant Of his misfor-
tuner" said one of the directors.
"Of course" answered the superin-
tendent, 1T might be dangerous to
let him know while making the sort OF
run he has to make tonight" The
speaker judged from sharp experience
The men smoked their cigars In 81.
lence. The smooth-rolling cars be-
gan to gather momentum, but there
was no jerking, no swinging Of the
solid train-just an easy slipping along
as a pneumatic-tired buggy might run
over a velvet carpet.
The superintendent explained tn,
distances between the stations and the
men who had thousands at stake OF
the success of the run got out paper
and figured the rate at which the miles
were being thrown behind. The thir.
ty-four miles to Macon were made IL
thirty-nine minutes-the numeroul
coal switches in Macon county being
responsible for the loss of FIVE min
utes. This made ffty-ive minutes be
hind, and the railway magnateI
gloomily shook their heads.
Boys" said the president, "Tn
afraid the jig is up. He'll never MAKE
1t. It's queer they refused to p%ostpon,
hot mating. guaqa thew don't want N,