Arizona daily citizen., 1901-01-05
Engine Races
With Antelope.

Rev. w. A. Brewer is at the Orndorf
hotel. He is rector of st. Matthew
military school for boys, and is making
a tour of Arizona in the interest OF hit
school. Rev. Brewer tells a story
which, were he anything else in the
world but a churchman, might be re.
ceived with doubt as to its accuracy
] But the story is an interesting one, and
we do not question for a minute but
that it is made up OF unadulterated
truth. The story told by Mr.. Brewer is
] as follows, and describes a race which
took place in northern Arizona between
two antelope and locomotive:
We left Williams, Ariz., Friday, De
E.cember %, 1900, at 1890 p. m. for the
Grand Canon of the Colorado. About
Ieighteen miles ont of Williams Ton the
Grand Canon railway Mr.. Charles Il.
Howard, Mr.. Fl. S. Wantes and myself
heard popping sound, but did not
realize that it came from the engineer 8
rife. Just at Howard station, however,
looked out to the east and Within l25
yards OF the track were two beautiful
creatures racing parallel to the track
and even to the engine. They were an
telopes, buck and doe, the former
with prongs or antlers. The buck was
the larger. They had reddish brown
backs, dark heads, whitish gray ianks
and dark, short tail set between two
striking white rumps. The engineer
popped away at them, then stopped the
engine and took kneeling aim. Still
they went on parallel to the track, some
times as close as so yards, never more
that $50 wards away. The splashes OF
dust showed some close shots, but aim
ing from moving engine does not in-
duce accuracy. At Padre Mr.. Howard
/ got off and the engineer again took aim
from the ground.
The antelope seemed to have only one
/ instinct, namely, TO keep ahead of the
engine monster. Once they came 20
close that it looked as If their pastures
were to the west and that they were
trying to cross the track ahead of the
!, engines. Down into the washes and up
the rocky sides they forged ahead at a
spelling pase. Sometimes the doe would
pass the buck, but oftenest the buck was
in the lead The plateau was open,
covered with sage-brush about foot
and half high, with occasional washes
and slight unduiations and now and
again outcroppings OF wallapai or dari
porous disintegrating volcanic rock
The train never went slower than II
miles an hour and often had steam VI
TO 80 miles and more, in order to keel
pace with the wild racers of the plateau
Later the engineers ammunition
seemed scarce, and during the last 81,
or eight miles OF the chase no shots wer'
fired. From time to time the whistle
would blow, too-too, too-too, and tn,
antelope would redouble their pace.
Once, as we crossed deep draw witt
rocky sides we thought that we had los
them. But suddenly they came in view
far ahead, and the engineer had to pu
on full steam in order to come up with
them. At last, after q close chase or
race, of - or % miles by careful compu
tation, we lost them In some low hills
But there can be little doubt that the
chase was the longest antelope. chase
ever recorded, in the given time. 4f
1 minutes. have asked the engineer
/ fireman and conductor OF the train tc
4 read the foregoing account, correct the
estimate Of miles and length OF time,
and sign their names.
| {Signed) II. l.. WASTEs, conductor; H
@. ScHEEL, Engineer; w. +. SowER
Fireman.