The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-10

that speed. or let him try to build flaw
less machine that can set that pace
and he will know what 1t really means.
Eighty Miles an Hour.
"The Burlington road runs through
some of the most beautiful land in Ne.
braska that ever greeted the eye of man.
Level as a floor, 1t stretches away from
the Platte a matchless Titanic race
course. Across these beautiful, limitless
plains we are speeding. never swerving,
never faltering. following the cleaning
rails that stretched out into the black
night. and every hour eighty miles more
are gone.
I'VE should have overtaken the regu-
lar train long before. even though we
were SO far behind them on the start
But they had made uD their lost time,
and were now running on schedule. We
strOlled into Ravenna. the first division
station. just 30 minutes after they left
So far. our ride had been a failure in
that we had failed to Overtake the fleet
Ing train: but we had broken all rec
Ords for fast running.
"A new trouble confronted us at RAJ
VIENNA. There was no new engine there
to carry US onward in our flight: the
coal and water were out of our own o.
CINE, and it was an hours work to re-
plenish them. Meantime, the train we
sought to Overtake was on its way, run
ming on time, with a fresh engine, and
still an hour and a half ahead. by the
time we again took the road. But there
was not a heated bearing, not a flaw in
the great machine which carried us. and
we were ready once more for the stern
chase.
Again the drivers took up their space
devourng stride, which cut down the
miles as one would check them Off the
the map with a pencil. The little towns
We're farther apart now, and not so
large. There We're fewer groves, and
fewer farm houses. The great level
plain had given way to rolling sand hills.
and there We're some grades that checked
our speed. But again the speed regis
tered so miles an hour. That told the
tale"
Daybreak on the Plains.
1.-The dawn began to tighten up the
east and still no sight of the welcome
twin red lights of the regular train
ahead of us. The light strengthened.
and rosy fingers shot up from behind the
eastern hills, while the wild chase con-
tinued. Keeling off the miles behind us,
tHC SiiStShIHS SNcSI rails, like Tie wen
of great spider. we raced Over the
cherries sandy hills. startling the
sleepy herds and bringing curious faces
to the doorways of the sod-houses.
1--WE had but two thoughts: To over
take the regular train, and-SO miles an
hour! That was always first. 1t came
to our minds through the gale at the
window panes, in the roar of the rails
joints, continuous and uninterrupted by
intervals of silence. A shifting piano.
rama of hills, houses, herds, confused
tumble of fences and telegraph poles,
and a never-ending brown band of sun.
burned graz land met our view through
the windows-she eye has no time to fix
on details at so miles an hour.
But it all came to an end at last. A
hazy black smoke appeared ahead; it
was the trail of the train we sought.
Almost before we could realize it we
darted into sight, and at Seneca over
hauled the quarry. almost as if the train
We're standing still. Our engine was UNI
coupled, and three cars hitched behind
the others. and the great ride was ended.
And it may be that more than one man
drew a long sigh Of relief. Record
breaking rides are thrilling. but their
cost is high in nerves.