The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-10

what and fell into and out Of that
|. little siding. We Numbered over hills:
| raced through cuts, SKINNED levels
and swept by stations like a cyclone.
Switch lights twinkled before our
startled gaze like the fitful flicker
ing of wind blown matches and were
gone. felt the cold air kiss my cheek
and became Intoxicated with the poetry
Of the motion. There was a rhythm in
1t all that lulled with its own intensi-
ty. Side tracks and station houses
would jump out of the darkness.
Bridges would be crossed, we would
crash by freights in sidings. patient
waiting freights. gentle as Jersey
cows in stalls when standing. Fas-
ter, faster, faster. With the bits in
It's teeth old 81 winfield more desper-
ately still. Hicks an expert iron
horseman coaxed and pleaded with his
gallant steed. He whipped and spur
ed her when she faltered and caressed
and petted her when she rolled fas-
ter than gravity almost could urge.
With fire flying from every brake we
crashed down to Newman Junction,
then into the town. then down the
long slope that leads out of II and
struck wahoo creek like q bullet does
a billet. The cars popped and creaked
and the momentum drew dust from the
granite ballast. From whistle to
gauge, from lever to throttle, Hicks
hands went constantly. Faster and
faster the track came at US. My head
swan unsteadily. Wickersham raised
one hand from its hold long enough
to give me the sign that at last he
had wings and was flying. Sparks.
red hot, at last began to come from
the stack like bullets. while the 81 had
the hiccoughs. We boiled into Pal
metto and billed into Fairburn and fell
into and out of Red Oak. felt sure
we would never stop at Atlanta.
thought that nothing save Stone Noun
OF Iron which seemed to become the
personfication OF perpetual motion.
The stations. that looked like beads
on a string were about passed. I was
wondering how In the world the lit
tie wheels on the tender ever followed
the six foot drivers. and / am still
wondering. We caught the double
track at College Park. and reduced
speed to fifty miles an hour for q mo-
ment. East Point went by towards
Montgomery at the rate Of sixty-five
miles an hour. A lone sentry on the
beat at Fort Mcpherson, sleep haunted
as he was. told his comrades the next
day he saw a brilliant comet in the
west that morning. Over Mcdaniel
street and down through tho yards
the immense caravan with a steel head
moved with its own momentum. In
the background the skyscrapers
glowed with incandescents like archf-
lecture In the heavens. The first faint
blush OF dawn. purpling some far Off
land or ocean scene, sent forth most
timidly, the trembling harbingers of
light The freshness. crispness life
and hope were in the air that comes
when the spirit holds communion with
nature. But in a moment more my
reverie was broken. With clanking
parallel bars and changing bell. the 81
rolled into the tin rooted barn that
has undignified Atlanta since no man
knoweth when. and like the pendulum
of run down clock. stopped short.
The passengers alighted. The bag
gage and mail was knocked and pushed
and hauled! A tin bucket and a bar
of soap answered for a hotel for the
stalwart engineer and he was soon
ready. Capt. Martin climbed to the
top of the shed and wired his arrival
to the dispatcher in Montgomery
2l5 minutes before that he was regis
tering out at Montgomery. 175 miles
away and he was as quiet and unas-
Stunning at one end Of the line as at the
other.
Hicks and Martin. twin heroes of the
rail started for their homes. The
hostler carried the 81 to its stall where
1t was groomed and fed for the next
long haul
Two tired men slept soundly when
the morning broke. They are the men
OF the class the West Point raises and