The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-10-17


put on the back Of this coach. You
Will never catch a COW, but a cow
might catch US, get into the car and
bite me-"
/ remember walking down the
track as q little boy With Mr.. Albert
Johnson. the master mechanic Of the
Raleigh & CASTOR. to meet the in
coming passenger train that a few
minutes before had blown its tiny
down the track to the latches, about
two hundred yards this side Of the
Raleigh Cotton Mills. Latches are
now called switches. The engineer
was a man named Paul, who walked
with two sticks, having been all brok-
en- up in a railroad accident. Mr.:
Johnson said, Mr.. Paul, what kind
of a trip did you have?" Paul an
.swered, Fine, Mr.. Johnson: didn't
run off but six times" The run vas
from~Gasten to Raleigh At CASTOR
the cars passed over the Roanoke riv-
er on a bridge of white pine from
New Hampshire, made in New Hamp-
shire. and On by the Petersburg road
to Petersburg. Petersburg. Va. was
Very many OF our North Carolina
merchants bought their goods there.
The iron rails were 2 IL inches wide
and one-half inch thick. nailed to
stringers morticed into the cross-ties.
These rails were mitered about IA to
1e feet and spik ed. The spike at the
joint sometimes worked out. The
point OF connection to the rail was
~loosened. Sometimes the wheel OF a
car caught a rail and a snake-head,
so-called, passed through the car ana
the snake-head would catch a pasSen-
ger under the chin and pass through
his head. The freight cars had the
planks nailed on the cross-pieces on
the outside of the car. The road was
so rough the planks were ratified off.
and were scattered from CASTOR to
Raleigh. 1t was afterward discovered
thu by mailing the planking on the
inside Of the car they were easily col
lected. as they fell inside.
T recollect with other boys going to
| Mr.. Albert Johnson and asking him to
lend us his hand-car to go down to
Crabtree creek to go in washing. He
said. "Al right, boys, but be care
full: don't get hurt" The a was
propelled by poles. Going down the
grade to the Creek, Pink Hardy fell
off and the car ran over him, but II
| didn't seem to hurt him.
The market house stood in the
middle of the street at the intersec-
ton of North and South Wilmington
streets. 1t was a one-story. wooden
building.
At the time I am writing of my
father was freight and passenger
agent of the Raleigh & CASTOR Rail
road. One morning o young gen.
tlemen who the night before had been
celebrating, asked my father, Major
West lMy father was called Major.
Where he got his title | don't know
to Civ them twenty cents to get tour
shorts at a nearby grogshop. MY
| father told them he would give them
twenty cents if they would MO a
car. think the capacity OF the
cars in those days was not more than
five tons. They We're I'M pulled
off their coats and unloaded the hrst
carload of Peruvian guano Tin sacks
that came to Raleigh. 1t was con-
signed one end Of the car to William
Roylan. grandfather Of Billy Boylan.
he other end to Billy Peace, ne
founder OF Peace Institute.
I recollect the stores Of those days.
H. D. Turner Book Store. corner
Morgan and Fayetteville streets,
where one of Hicks dr1ls stores is
now: next, James McKimmon, gen.
| eral merchandise; next, John G.