The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-30

made sort of go-easy trip 1 took the
wrong street for couple of blocks be-
fore We were out Of Rosedale. We will
be losing the road all day my wife
said sadly. She was telling the truth,
for from that time on when we reach
ed a road crossing. if there was a
chance to take the wrong road. 1 took
it. We were supposed to go through
Monticello. l have yet to see that town.
We took the other road wherever that
was and went around the town. 1t
wasn't a bad road F'ording a creek
was the only real inconvenience it
caused us 1t added some five miles to
the distance we Travelled and the coun-
try we saw.
I'VE drifted into Lawrence promptly
at noon and stayed there until 2:30. At
Lawrence we received and accepted bad
advice. We were told that the sand on
the north side of the river was too deep
to get through and that we must keep
on the south side and follow certain
poles, avoiding Leconpton by about
three miles. The first eight miles out
was easy then We got into hills of the
worst sort and for two miles we made
slow progress. Then We found a place
where rocks, set deep in the ground,
stood up so high that [ feared they
would take the sod pan off If 1 tried to
go further, so We backed down. crossed
a meadow and made our way to Lee
compton. There We were told that the
sand trouble on the north side Of the
1lNer were 1OL nd4k SO Odu DIS repre-
sented Sc we crossed the Kaw and
waIlowed through a mile of bottomless
white sand dust. A long stop III Perry
was a waste of time that was wholly
unu necessary. and a detour of two miles
to the road on the side of the bluff and
back proved needless. but made an en-
Joyable ride
Then the Growing Nfishap.
by the time we left Granville 1t
was apparent that We must jog along
if we would get into Topeka by dark
We did not want to get in earlier be-
cause a considerable per cent of the
population of that city knew US and
We were we'll covered with dirt. About
three miles out of Topeka the wagon
road runs parallel with and close to
the Union Pacific and Rock Island dou-
bic track. but about ten feet lower than
the track A sharp turn and 4 steep
incline carries the road over the tracks
We rolled along through the dust, skid
ding a little once or twice, and at the
turn I made the most unnecessary mis-
take ever made. Instead of going back
to slow speed l slowed down little to
avoid skidding at the curve and then
went ND that hill on a high speed.
The front wheels went over the
south track to the north rail, but the
dirt had been cut away below the plank
that sets against the south rail- The
rear wheels whizzed for a second anea
the engine went dead at the very in
slant that heard Toot, toot,
too-o-o-o-ot. half mile up the track
and saw a fast train coming in our
direction 1 remember saying. Jump
quick but 1 don't know how either of
US reached the ground. for a second
later 1 was in front of the machine and
pushing with all my might The hill
was steep and the rear wheels were low
enough SO they helped US back. Tna
machine went down the hillside, and I
had set the brake and turned around
In time to see the Rock Islands Golden
state Limited tear past US and catch
mouthful of its dust
The Mystery of the Burns.
Then I realized that my hands hurt
had pushed on the hot radiator with
bare hands that were naturally tender.
Ny wife mad wisely kept hands off the
radiator but pushed the fender as hard
as she codid and I don't think she
stopped pushing until after the train
he'd passed We wondered a little what
would have happened if that train, the
fastest on the road. had hit the ma