The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-07-03

iE S2 headed old rail.
L \ W|Ih road man, who
CsA X9 would scoff at the
~ idea that he was
superstitious-and yet-well, there
must be something in all those stories
told by lifelong friends and comrades
Of the rail.
Never heard Of the phantom locomo-
tive? More than likely. Men do not
lay bare to the casual acquaintance
these vague yet tenacious beliefs.
But In the cool shadows of the round
house, the snug seclusion of the ca
boose, among old and sympathetic
railroad cronies, the mysterious ap.
pearances of this apparition of good
omen, are soberly discussed.
Old Michael Flaherty believes in it,
as, indeed, why should he not, since
Quinn of the R. s. & P.-who was rum
ming old number $40 long before there
was such type as the big mogul-
told Flaherty, who was firing for him,
all about the affair at Platte junction.
That was years ago. Quinn is dead
now, and Flaherty has had his day at
the throttle-lost his nerve-and,
railroad man stills reduced to the
post of Waterman of the new round
house at Visitacion. But he has not
forgotten Quinn's story, nor the evil
dence of his own eyes-for he, too.
has seen the phantom locomotive.
Quinn had the night run from Reno
west over the Sierras-300 miles of
heavy grades, sharp curves and creak-
ing trestles, with deep and rocky
gorges upon the one hand and frown-
ing crags upon the other. He was a
bluff, two-fsted man with a sort of
calm, good-humored independence,
which was the bane of train dispatch
ers and division superintendent. He
was afraid of nothing, not even of au-
thority. but he was a good engineer
and he usually pulled No. into the
station at Oakland mole so nearly on
time that his little furries of indepen-
dent retort were overlooked.
There had been freight wreck at
Gold Run, and the overland was held
for two hours while the wrecking crew
cleared the rails When she pulled
slowly between the piled-up tangle Of
splinters and scrap iron which had
been fast freight No. sc, Quinn was in
mood to force the big compound en-
CINE to the limit. Signal lights were
but a quick blur in the darkness
Quinn was running on his nerve and
the chance that all was we'll ahead.
AS No. neared Auburn she rounded
sharp curve in deep cut, and into
Quinn's startled eyes there flashed the
cleaning headlight of locomotive
On the same track.
There was little time to think. The
cab rocked and swayed with the ire
mendous speed, the wheels screamed
with the sudden setting of the brakes;
the great yellow headlight, like an
evil eye bore down upon him. He
clutched the sill of the cab window,
whispered word of prayer and-the
headlights met. There was sensa.
ton of rushing air and the phantom
locomotive passed through or over No.
Z, which came to a grinding stop with
shock which threw the frightened
passengers pell-mell out of their
berths, and sent the conductor rush.
ing, with his twinkling lantern, to see
what had gone wrong.
There's something wrong ahead"
said Quinn, selling the lantern from
the conductors hand. "No, I don't
know what it is. Just sensed it, I
guess. You come with me and I'll
show you."
Together they walked some hundred
yards or more around the curve. The
trestle over Hog gulch was gone
washed out by cloudburst higher up
the Sierras, and which had shown no
sign below. Quinn was complimented
by the D. 8. on his keen sight and
quick nerve. He said nothing about
the phantom locomotive, but the fire.
man, who had seen it, too, was not SO
reticent. Quinn always laughed at
the idea. except when he knew his
man. It was Quinn himself who told
the story to Flaherty.-F. ]. Cagy, in
San Francisco Chronicle.