The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-31

could not have done it with a link mo-
ton.
1T vas on he Fourth of July. We
had gone on the third, and were on the
way back and all very anxious to reach
home on the Fourth Captain Jeptha Hor-
ton was conductor of the train. When
piece of strap iron broke the last &C.
centric rod, (several had broken on the
way down. Japtha says: Rufe, we are
done for That was just before we got
to Middleburg. I says: 4 don't know
whether we are or not. l believe I can
work h It valve with my own hands
You can't do it, says he.
but I did and when we got here, he
came up to me and said: 'Rufe, if my
wife gives me a boy, I am going to name
him Rufus
His wife did give him boy, and he
did name him Rufus and the grizzled
old man chnckled at the recollection.
He got to be yardmaster here finally,
and was killed in the yard" continued
the veteran, thoughtfully.
Nov tell me something else" I sug-
gested.
The old engineer was accommodating.
II ran clear over culvert once that had
been washed out" he said. 1.-THE dirt
was all out from under the track; it was
about fifty feet wide l was running a
mail train, a small engine and three
cars. We had been delayed this side
Of Sanford by high water. When / got
near to the culvert l saw that the dirt
was washed out, and l saw that l had to
go either in it or over it. / was going at
good speed and we got over clear. The
track Dent way down as we went, over,
Dallas Ward, of Franklinton, was con-
ductor IF shat train
But the old man kept the best story for
the last Here it is:
cone time in the year SO they were
putting III a change of switches near Gas
ton. A train loaded with ties and iron
had been sent out to the place where the
work was being done, and l was ordered
to follow right on behind it with four
teen cars loaded with rails and ties and
seventy laborers riding on top of the
loads I didn't want to leave CASTOR as
there was an upgrade from there, and
] was afraid some of those cars to the
train in front might break loose and
come back on me. But the boss Sam
Hand forced me to go.
Il was on the lookout for those cars
and finally l saw them coming, seven
Of them, down the grade, right on top of
me. Sam Hand was on the engine with
me. He saw the ears coming. / slowed
up. He jumped off the engine and tried
to pull me off.
Cd d-n it! get off, get Off You'll be
killed; you'll be killed, he kept on yell
ing and trying to pull me off. But / did
rot bulge. All the laborers jumped off,
and | was the only man left on the train.
81 had stopped by this time. You see, we
were going up grade, and it was easy to
stop, even though l did have those four
teen heavy cars behind me. Then | let
my train drop back down grade. Those
seven cars were right on me now but
was going nearly as fast as they were,
and 1 simply caught them on my en-
CINE with hardly a jolt, and saved every
one of them, and my own fourteen carg.
too.
"Mr. S. S. Royster, of Franklin. one
of the Board of Directors, saw the whole
thing, and said he was going to vote me
pension at the next meeting of the
boari
There was not one Of those cars big
ger than a four wheel car. There was
no boX-car or the road when ] went
with the company. There were no trucks
under the cars, either. One car would
hold about six hogsheads of tobacco. That
was the principal freight at that time,
tobac 90. 1t kept the road up largely"
That was cool-headed bit of action,
stopping those cars.
Mr.. Horton is now over Is years of age,
and the accompanying cut is an excellent
likeness. He IS hale and vigorous, en-
loving splendid health although he is
somewhat palsied now. His mind is as
clear as a young mans, apparently. and
lie is truly an interesting talker. He
lives in the country near Method; but
is often seen in Raleigh visiting his sons
and his daughter. He is very well known,
and all who know him like him. he is
80 cordial, true hearted and brave.
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