Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1912-02-03

he main instruments OF trausporlaAAon
md communicate on. Their possession
-as therefore usually the most I'M
,ortant element in a campaign. Ana
when taken the next problem mat
rose was how to hold them ana Inc
next how to operate them to pur-
pose. The people living in the south
through which they passed were
mostly sympathizers with the Confed-
eracy and did all they could or dare
do TO wreck trains in Federal hanos'
They would take up a rail, saw the
stringers OF a bridge, 30 thar the
weight OF train would break II; they
would interfere with switches. Indeed
There was no element OF danger they
could devise that they would not
throw in the way or the Union opera
ton of the road.
Before repeating a story that was
told me by an ex-Federal railroad en-
edneer [ will mention a narrow escape
10 which | was party. was with
a Union general who was riding on
a locomotive through a hostile coun-
try. The engineer was young south
erper whom the general had impressed
for the service, forcing him to run
the engine. We were speeding along
at night. Suddenly l saw the engi-
neer reverse the wheels, then, pale as
ghost, wait for something terrible
TO happen. | felt jolt, and the en-
gineer at once recovered his courage.
He had seen a tie wedged In between
the rails with a view to throwing our
locomotive Off the tracks and down
an ,embankment. The effort had fall
ed. In a few minutes we thought no
more about 1t. The deaths we missed
and were constantly missing counted
for nothing. Now for the story.
zone morning at daybreak," said the
narrator, latter forced march we
struck one Of the main railroad ar
teries I'm the southwest and captured
lot of rolling stock. My captain told
me that the general had called Tor
those of the command who had been
railway engineers, conductors and
trainmen, and l, being an engineer,
was to report at once at headquarters.
did 40. The general asked me few
questions about my experience and told
me to report for duty to Captain Ben
ton. who had been appointed railway
superintendent l was given an engine
and hauled troops to the eastern end
of the road, which they occupied.
at was about two weeks after this
that the superintendent told me to re-
port In person to the general did So
and he said to me:
"'sergeant. have just received
Telegram from L., at the other END oil
the road that the force there has been
attacked by a superior force. The
colonel commanding has promised not
to surrender for at least two hours
You must take a train through to him
loaded with troops and ammunition
} within that period
"'But, general expostulated, there
are three elements against me. l mus
go in the night. the roadbed will no
E admit of a safe rate of over thirty
miles an hour, and the people along th'
route will do all they can to wreck th'
train
.'You must go the whole ninetl
miles in two hours, The possession o.
, L. is OF vital Importance, If you reaci
there before the surrender 1t viii b.
y saved. Better that you should wrecl
! your train than be q minute late
"That's what a mans life-not on
r mans life, but thousands-is wort
in war. walked away from the gen
eral feeling that had been ordered Z
e take nine chances in ten Of killing ant
manning 800 men, including myself
But I'd been in It a year then an
e knew how little our lives were wort
against the possibility Of achievin
success for the nation.
'I found that the superintendent hs
=. been getting train ready for me an
It was loaded with the probabl
g victims. / sprang on to the cab an
e with a couple of short toots from th
whistle started the machine, the on
In best repair in our possession. l ha
r been over the line nearly every da
: for a fortnight and knew where l mus
endeayor to make the best time.
hadn't had any time to figure 1t on
e Mechanically. ! must take frightfl
v risks on the straightaway parts an
:, let up on the curves. And even on tn
=" curves ! must drive FAR beyond sal
rate.
- "If may be said to have got on we
on any part Of the journey it was tn
Is 6rst half For that period my arr
lie was steady and my brain was COG
y Nevertheless It was an hour calculate
to break the stoutest nerve. WoI
" must have got to some Of the Peep
J.. along the line, for had scarcely g
over ten miles when found an o
80 structlon Coming to a sharp cur
re around the base OF a hill, said to m
self, II they're going TO throw me Q
anywhere they'll do 1t right here
lr I cut my speed down to what wou
enable me to stop within less than
n trains length. IL Was well l did Q
n At the farther end OF this curve | pa
"a NM xzffsRfu Son feat Of a frNa felix