The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-03-26

LOCOMOTIVES THAT SEEM FOND
or Jokes
TraihfuI Engineer Tells of Vic *
padeness That pisgastsd Him
with That especial Kind e.
Humor ~ Engines.

Eil. said tle engineer was tsAl-
ing me about an engine out III the
western part Of the state the other
day that did a queer thing.
They were standing an quiet
enough al station. The engineer
vas ont on the board and the fireman
was down on the ground doing some
thing. All at once. just how OF Nhy 4
I don't know. and BIZ couldn't figure +
It out himself the engine broke away !
from the tender and started on all !
alone down the road
The first thing she did was to
knock the engineer down and cnt
both legs OF She kept on down the /
line eight or ten miles. running Wild I
At a crossroad she smashed into a
train and that laid her out
II call that a pretty sad kind Of
Joke but It shows what engines will
do sometimes. Some engines are
Just about ike folks in that respect +
They are always looking out for
chance to fool somebody and play
some kind Of prank on em-
THE funniest engine ever saw
was one that 1 had myself out on the
Western coast i was the first one /
ever took after I got my commission
as engineer.
That engine fairly laid awake
nights Matching up ways TO make Il
interesting for Us boys. If we were
stopping to get a drink and I was
down oiling up she seemed to know
that then was her chance. Shed just
start right out and buckle in like mad
to get away from US
You couldn't trust her to stand
minute. She was just like some
horses; she wouldn't stand minute
without hitchlng when she took no
ton not to.
zone time we came dreadfully near
having an awful time with that en-
gine The X. & NJ run right along by
the side Of our track for seven or
eight miles in one place We used to
like to come out on that stretch to-
gether.
Once in awhile we would let our
selves out little there, though 1t
wasn't strictly according to orders.
and try the temper Of our engines. The
folks back In the coaches seemed to
like It.
1T was one dark night with storm
over the prairie. The rails were slip
perry and we hadn't been making our
time very we'll We left Waupack 40
minutes late
We'll, just as we got fairly outside
Waupack, where the X. & NJ. bends
In toward our line, felt the old thing
give mighty leap ahead But As
soon as | saw the headlight Of the
night express on the K. & NJ. knew
we we're in for race. Our engine
was settling down for business.
4 shut of the steam. tried to
keep the cir on so that she wouldn'i
get away from me. but she buckled
in all the harder began to get
little scared myself
For the first mile OF two it wa.
about an even thing with US. W.
kept right along side by side. | could
see that the men over on the K. e. NJ
were doing their level best to keel
up with us. The fire fairly flew on
Of their smokestack. And all thl
time were we're not using a pound o
steam. Still our drivers were jus
purring round and round
Il could see the heads leaning Gu
Of the windows Of their train and
had no doubt it was the same wa
with our folks; they all wanted t
. win. We just rocked from side t
side. The old engine was going Z
show US what she could do. She ha
the bit in her teeth.
And we began TO gain. She ma
r it in her to win If you only let her out
4 I'll say that for her She was tn
r fastest engine ever had anything I
! DO with. You always had to hol
n her back
i Just as we we're pulling into So
r. Tone the thing that made my hai
II white happened. We we're then tw
or three train lengths ahead OF th
K. &M. For quite awhile had lee
l. SO busy trying to keep the upper han
Of the engine that hadn't had tim
to watch the blocks.
It. "All at once looked up and thel
Of right opposite US was a signal 81
ie against US. That meant that we
d got to stop and wait for orders
e. showed the air down harder than eve
K but the old thing never cared. G
,e she pounced Ike a mad animal
st q let sand on the rails aud th
be made no difference. 1t looked as
de- We were bound for destruction.
It. 1T went on that way Tor fve mi
n utes and expected every minu
re something would happen. Then all
Ia once she began TO sag back. We cou
20 see the lights OF San Tone a little vi
ag ahead and knew We we're just al Il
OF crossing Of the K. & N. It would ha
cd cost me my JOB If we had run ov
sll that without stopping.
Of "But she pulled up just at the eroI
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