Year: 1861

1 mad spent nlSnt IN stage, Gay
il the saddle, a night in the sleeping
car, half day doing business, hulf a
day in bed, and was, after supper, en-
joying cigar and newspaper in the
reading room Of the R House, in
r, Indiana The newspaper was
uninterestine, or else was rather
sleepy-and 1 guess it was little Of
both; so that [ soon neglected it to
watch the fantastic curling of the smoke
from my fine favored Principe. l
didn't feel much like talking, and felt
still less like reading; but 1 did feel as
if l would like exceedingly we'll to hear
good story.


I had barely come to this conclusion,
and commenced wishing for some one of
my acquaintance to amuse me until the
time was up for train which was to
take me to c., when recognized in
the person who sat next to me. u fellow
traveller in the sleeping car Of the night
before.


lie was very agreeable looking lit
tie man, with clear grey eye, light
hair, sandy whisker and smiling mouth.
Indeed, he had so much the appearance
Of the man that | would like to hear
tell story, that l thought Dame For
tuue had smiled upon. me, when he re-
cognized ME with Il genial


"How dye do, stranger?'


! returned his salutation, and asked
him some common place question about
how he had enjoyed the ride we took
together.


He said something in reply about the
running being too fast for the poor
track; and from this the conversation
ran upon fast travelling in general, for
some time. At last | remarked that
sixty miles an hour was the most speedy
travelling l had ever done. Whereupon
my friend informed me, with pleasant
but knowing smile, that he had travelled
considerably faster than that, and in
fact, faster than he had ever heard of
beside.


Of course l was anxious to know
where, when and how he had done it;
and after the modest assurance that he
feared his tale would not be interesting,
my friend relieved my anxiety by rela-
ting the following story:


II am railroad engineer. In fifty
seven, during the great panic, l was
running on the T. u C. r. r. The
railroad companies were growing tender,
in all directions. Every day we heard
of new failures; and quite often in a
quarter where we least expected it.
Our road was looked upon as one Of the
most substantial in the nation; nobody
seemed to have any fear that it would
fail to survive the general smash-up.-
But yet | did not fully share in the
general confidence Wages were cut
down; arrearages collected; and great
many other little matters seemed to in
dicate to me that the road had got into
rather deeper water than was agreeable
all around Among other things the
master mechanic had told me in the
spring, that the company had ordered
four first quality Taunton engines fol
the fall passenger business. The road
was put in the very best condition ano
other preparations were made to cur
down the time, and put the trains thro
quicker than was ever known before
when the new engines should come
Well, there was but one of the new en-
gines came.


Il said there was but one engine
came, and she was, in my opinion, alto
gether the best ever turned out at thu
Taunton Works. And this is as much
as could be said in praise of any engine
She was put in my charge immediately y
with the understanding that she wa
mine.


alt was Saturday when she came ou
of the shop, and l was anxious to TAX
a special train up to Y. The trail
was to carry up the President and seve
raj of the other officers of the road, t.
meet some officers Of another road
which crossed ours there, and arrang
some important business with them


1 had nc trouble at all, making fort,


miles an hour going out. The engin
handled herself most beautifully. w


were just holding up at y, whel
Aldrich, the treasurer, who had com


out on the platform to put the brake or


slipped and fell. As we were yet unde
good headway, he was very much in
jured, and was carried to the hotel in
sensible.


t "According to the presidents direc
: tions, switched off my train, turne
my engine, and stood ready to start 8
moments notice.


? "Aldrich's presence was of SO muc