Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1910-08-13
TIL FAST
NJ IL RACE


know who Little Johnny" Jackson is Z?
In that case you might as well be told
at once that he is the best engineer
of his weight that ever pulled a throt-
tie, and that for the last ten years Of
his career he ran the Northwestern
fast mail train between Boone and
Omaht, making a record that the very
best Of them cannot put in the shade
Little Johnny" Jackson in running
trim never weighed more than ninety
pounds, and he was so little that he
couldn't pull the reverse lever over
without the help of good brace or of
( the fireman. He was a bunch of
nerves and of gray matter, however,
! was Little Johnny" Jackson, and his
grit and fearlessness will be the gor-
sip OF the switch shanty after John
ny" quits drawing a pension.
Only few days ago w. A. Gardner,
vice president of the Northwestern,
received an express package which
, proved to be rather elaborate box
one of the kind that makes the re-
cipient think that perhaps a rich rela.
tive has sent an ante-mortem legacy
When he got the cover off, however,
he discovered a single cigar securely
wrapped In gold foil and done up in a
note.
MY dear Mr.. Gardner" ran the
note, when you sent me that box of
cigars after the first run of the fas;
mail when we ran the wheels off the
Burlington, you told me to save two,
/ so we could smoke them together
| when ge got the time. I've got time
to burn now, and so l send you yours
! when you've got time, I'm ready for
| that smoke"
Mr.. Gardner put the cigar in the
box, locked it up in his desk, and the
next time he goes to Omaha he is go
ing to take it with him.
"Tm going to look Johnny Jack
/ son up" he declared, land you can bet
| that the greatest little engineer that
| ever climbed onto the footboard and
| your humble servant are going to en-
! joy a good smoke and swap stories of
old times"
You see if ii had not been for Mr..
Gardner Little Johnny" Jackson
might never have run the fast mail,
and If Little Johnny" Jackson hadn't
run the fast mail it is likely that the
Northwestern would not have won the
greatest 500-mile train race with a
million dollar contract for a purse
that was ever run. Mr. Gardner al
ways had faith in Johnny"
ANY man with only ninety pounds
at his disposal" he said, "who had the
/ grit to back up to a tender loaded
I with eight tons of coal and empty 1t
every day is good enough to run our
! best train when his time comes"
Pretty nearly everything depended
( upon the engineers and the firemen
and there were many conferences re-
I garding the matter. Gardner was for
] Little Johnny" Jackson first, last
I and all the time for the last division
/ into Omaha Other officials said:
He's too light. We want a man
who won't have to tie himself into the
seat if we have to roll them at ninety
miles or better. Ninety pounds won't
nOld lnat JOD down.
'If ninety pounds won't win it, then
well lose,' declared the general man
ager. And that settled it.
The story of the fast mail train race
between the Northwestern and the
/ Burlington has been often told and
( needs no repeating. The fast mail
went into Boone fifteen minutes late,
and the officials and newspaper men
on board were in despair all except
Gardner. Little Johnny" Jackson
was waiting to be hooked on.
Gardner climbed into the cab as the
engine backed down and asked John
ny" what was the best he could do TO
Omaha.
Don't know. Never had a chance
to try" answered Johnny" and Gard
ner began to be sorry he had trusted
the fast mail to ninety pounds Of flesh
and bones. The general manager look
ed at Johnny" rather hopelessly and
Johnny" grinned.
IF you really want to know what 1t
is to ride fast" he said, kill this
train. give me a special schedule, clear
the track and keep your hands off the
emergency cord"
I'll do IT," snapped Gardner.
While the train was being inspected
Gardner had the dispatcher annul the
fast mail and tie up the line to Oma'
ha. Little Johnny" Jackson slid out
of Boone easy like" and soon had her
going like a scared rabbit. He let
melancholy wall escape from the wills
tie and hit the tangents so hard that
the mail clerks had to brace them
selves against the racks Long before
Missouri valley was reached Johnny
had made up the lost time and was
fifteen minutes to the good. From
Missouri valley into Omaha It is
water grade all the distance, and the
way he made the landscape of that
twenty-six miles tear past the rear end
was enough to make a hardened gen
eral manager dizzy with stage fright.