Year: 1874




Taylor's Fast Life On the Modern Highway.


An engineer who had neglected tC
display his red LAMP tagging signal
and being reminded of the omission
when approaching the train agains
which he was bearing the flag, attemp
ted to prevent the inevitable collision
by mode not in the rules, made the
following singular statement to the gen
eral superintendent


You see, when we got the order
went to the front of the engine to hell
INV fireman to fasten on the lamp. The
iron strap had got bent and would no
GO into the slot made to hold it, so We
tied it on with piece OF rope. 1t de
Iayed us Just about minute fixing this


=" Was it lightedY


Yes, sir. After taking so much trou
BILE to fix q lamp on we should not be 50
green as to go away without light IL


Well, we were a k.SSelA I'd time
and had not much to par sha the
sonnec.i9.is = ! ~ ~, -.ss!ssss> don ].
along pretty fast. = : -


1t was not clear night and it was not
thick night; 1 had a good view of
things ahead.


Well, sir, you may think I've lost my
senses, but tell you solemnly that
saw a woman, or a woman's ghost,
walking straight up the middle of the
track toward my enginel


1t was no use whistling, she Was so
close. / crawled out of the cab window
as quick as could, and went along to-
ward the front just in time to see the
form sitting on the buffer-beam and
putting out the light in the red lamp.


The creature got off when it saw me,
and walked away in front of the er gine,
and as we Numbered along after it, it
somehow disappeared.


I got back into the cab trembling
some.


I told John the light was out, and
to go and get it and light it.


After he had done it he went out and
tied it on.


1 went to see if it was burning all
right and il was burning bright"


said nothing to Jack about what 1
had seen.


Well, it was no more than three min
utes, and we were going on smart,
when saw that same fignre walking up
the track towards the engine as before.


Jack, cried, "look therep -


Jack had already seen it, and had
sounded long whistle and began to
put on the brake.


$50 to the cow-catcher !" I cried
and he crawled through the window.


A few minutes after he came back,
his face pale and his eyes starting out
of his head. He looked at me and
looked at him, but we said nothing.


/ pointed ahead, and there it was.


got out and etched in the lamp.


The lamp was out


'fI saw 1t open the lamp door and
blow it ont, said Jack in an awful ter
ror; and then it got down and walked
lway in front of the engine"
. Well, guess there never was two
men on an engine so mortally sacred as
my fireman and me.


However, went out again with the
lamp and tied it on. / also turned the
rope once or twice around the door, so
it could not be opened without some
trouble.


"Jack," 1 said, when L got back into
the cab, there's going to be some ter
No living thing could do as that has
DONE"


Jacks teeth we're cbattering with
fright, and so were mine for the matter
Of that.


1 felt that we had been singled out to
be the cause or the victims of something
awful.


! keep a good lookout, Jack" I said;
u we're only mile from G., where
we are tagging No. ia to, aud we must
show the light if all the the devils in
hell are agin us.


I ordered Jack to the front of the en-
oine tO watch the lamD


He did not seem to like it, but he
went.


wrote on the back of the time card
these words


"For Gods sake don't pass the switch.
We are tagging 174."


1 stuck the paper on the end of a bit
of pine wood and kept it ready.


When 1 looked ahead again / saw the
shape as plain as / see you, sir, walking
toward us, and afterward get on the
front of the engine.


/ could see the headlight of No. 135
on the side-track, and 1 was sure our
tagging signal lamp was out, for there
was that female figure walking ahead of
us on the track for the third time.


L wasn't SO scared as before, sNI just
lighted the pine stick at the fire box,
and held it up flaming bright with the
paper upon it.


As 1 passed the engine No. 135 1
threw it toward the engineer.


1t was getting dark, but by the engine
light saw him pick it up.


He read the paper, as you know, sir,
and waited till No. 174 had got in: and
so there was no collision.


My sbory may seem strange, but it's
true, as heaven is my judge.


You. may discharge me and Jack, if
you like, for not showing the flag signal,
as you say but can't alter what I've
said.


When we got to the end of the trip, I
found Jack had tainted away, and was
lying on the front of the engine, for the
she devil had put the light out some
how, in spite of him and the rope tied
round the door.