The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-12-28
TRAIN WHITES ATRATE
OF log MILES AN
HOUR
Los ANGELES TO CHICAGO
Distance, l,165 Miles; Time
~ Hours, 81 Minutes.

9s.ing in detail the story or the run OF
the scott Special. last July. The tale
Is of absorbing interest and Is richly
embsnishcd. Sow that stories are rife
Of the Death Valley plunger's tragic
DEATH interest In his fast ride on the
santa Fe Is revived and the folder comes
opportunely. The Leader herewith re-
produces the story told BY Frank New
ton Holman;
At O'Clock in the afternoon of sun
day. July 3. 1905, a special train, cnar-
tered by Mr.. walter Scott pulled ous Of
Ia0rande station Of the Santa Fe sys-
tenn. az Los Angeles. The train con-
sisted OF engine No. 442. baggage car
2t0. dining car i4o7. and the standard
Pullman car Maskexon. the three cars
weighing exactly 10 tons. This was
the train which came to be known as the
Death Valley Coyote and the Scott spe-
ciai.
At I1.54 in the forenoon Of July II It
came to n stop in the Dearborn Street
station. Chicago. having made the run
OF Ass miles IN forty-four hours and
nfty-four minutep The record stands
unparaueled in railroad history
The best previous run between these
points had been made by the Lowe Spe-
clai over the same road in August. 1908,
which covered the distance in fifty-two
hours and forty-nine minutes. The lat
ter train. however, ran westbound and
carried only a Baggage and Pullman car.
The best record on the eastbound run
was made BY the Peacock Special In
March, 1900 Los Angeles to Chicago
over the Santa Re. in sifiy-seven hours
and nfty-six minutes. carrying a Pull
a N..sNT NTns AZ lbs
car
The story Of this latest epoch-makinl
feat OF railroadlng has been graphi-
eaIiy told in the public press, From edi.
tion TO edition it's details leaped int
large type IN the newspapers. wef,
caught up and passed from lip to lip
the whole continent catching the sport
ing spirit Of the mad dash from The Pa
clnc TO the great lakes.
To the general public Il meant, In thu
main she freak Of a speed-mad miner
~ railrosd men the run Of the Coyot'
ras a matter of much more engrossinl
interest Many Of them did not sleel
while the train was on the road. I
was not the picturesque, even grotesque
spectacle Of blue-shirted daredevil
shaking hands with DEATH deiirous viii
delight in danger that kept them tense
1t was the growing JOY OF the accom-
pllshed fact, the steady c0nquering o
the seemingly impossible the imninen
fulnllment Of careful calculations-some
thing. too. OF the SOLDERING sense OF al
unusual responsibility.
A few minutes before noon on Sat
nrday. July g. a man walked into Mr.
John j. Byrnes private office in tn
Conservative Life Building, Los Angeles
OF the Santa Fe lines west Of Aibuquer
que. The stranger wore cheap sergi
suit a blue wooden shirt, high h-heeie,
vaquero boots, "A cowboy hat and Z
merry red tie. He pitched the hat int
one corner of the Office. tossed his Goa
on a settee. and dropping into a chat
remarked quietly; Mr.. Eyrne. I've bee
thinning some OF taking train pvel
your road 70 Chicago. l want you K
put me there IN forty-six hours. XII
you DO it7''
General Passenger Agent Byrne whIs
tied,
"Forty.uix heurs7" said he That's Z
big contract. Mr.. Scott. That Is clever
hours and nfty-six minutes faster thar
the eastbound run has ever been made
Man. do you realize that half the roaC
h over mountain di.fsions2"
Il ought 10" answered Scott "ry'
baea over the Santa Fe thirty-two tlmel
between here and Chicago. I ought TO
Here's the money" And the man II
the blue shirt began 70 shed one thou
sand dollar bills.
I'm willing 10 pay any old figure
but 7 want 20 make the time-tlme
Kin you do Il for me, or cant you? Lett
tnlk business"
Nj Byrne drew out his pencl an
as he figured he talked The nina
broke IN every few words with a shrewl
remark. Tho conference lasted lonl
time, ana IN the end Mr.. Byrne put th
$500 In his safe.
The train had been bought and pal
for
Young man." said Mr.. Byrne. "lh
Santa Fe viii Dus you IN Chicago 4
forty-six hours II steam and steel wi
hold together. We've got the roadbet
the equipment. and the men, don't for
get that But let me tell you that YOU
be riding faster than white man eve
rode before"
"Pardner." said Scott. simply. Il lils
your talk ;it sounds good TO me. Line 'ei
up an along the way and tel EN- We'I
coming" 10
An hour before the time appointed. a.
Coyote Special was standing az the ds
pot Thousands Of curious sightseei
were on hand 10 see The miner stal
oa his Wild ride Tor Is record As n
TIME drew near. the crowd Increased ur
an the train shads were packed AN
from every eminence faces looked dow
A Bis engine slowly backed up an
whcezcd into place at the head OF Al
train. II was No. if1 h charge OF RI
gineer John Finiay. biz automohl
dashed an 90 the entrance or the static
and Walter Scott alghied He had
light hiS way through The crowd 70 81
20 the train Entefing ne cab. De shoe
hands wits tho engineer. greeted a.
fireman, Wld. urged by the crowd. mac
q short speech from ihe tender
fn ihe meantime tfe Psify wh5 wei
% accor-ans BIN haa boarded the trail
AIRS. Scott, tomeiy yeng woman. q
together without aerycs awaited her 30.
BAND in thc Pullman. g. Z. Van Loa|
the newspaper representative who Va
~ write the story of the run busis
hiinself with his typewriter. and n
wrher hereof completed the quartet
Al las the clock pointed 10 the h0u
old No. ti2 gave a Wsrning toot. pisl
ors scrambled on the train, conduct,