Year: 1878




1 had spent the night in a stage, day
in the saddle, night in the sleeping
car, half a day doing business, half a
day in bed, and was, after supper, en-.
ioying cigar and newspaper, in the
readiDg-room of the Redwood house.
Fayette, Ind. The newspaper was un-
interesting, or else was rather sleepy
and I guess it was little of both-so
that I soon neglected it, to watch the
'antastic curling of the smoke from my
fine favored cigar. I didn't feel much
like talking, and felt still less like read
ing but I did feel as if would like
exceedingly well to hear a good story.


I had barely come to this conclusion,
and commenced wishing for some one of
my acquaintances to amuse me till the
time was up for the train which was to
take me to Indianapolis, when 1 recog-
nized, in the person who sat next to me,
a fellow traveller in the sleeping-car Of
the night before.


He, too, had laid aside his paper, and
was apparently, like me, watching the
smoke of his cigar, and wishing for alb
sent friends to keep him company.


He was very agreeable-looking little
man, with clear, gray eye, light hair,
sandy whiskers and smiling mouth. In
deed, he had so much the appearance of
the man that would like to hear tell a
story, that I thought Dame Fortune had
smiled upon me, when he recognized me
with a genial: How dye do, stranger p


I returned his salutation, and asked
him some commonplace questions about
how he had enjoyed the ride we had to-
gether.


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 that 1 had ever done. Where
upon my friend informed me, with q
pleasant but knowing smile, that he had
travelled considerably faster than that,
and, in fact, faster than he had ever
heard of, besides. OF course L was
anxious to know where, how, and when
he had done it; and, after the modest
assurance that he feared his tale would
not be interesting, my friend relieved
my anxiety by relating the following
story


"I am a railroad engineer. Away
along in fiity-seven, during the great
panic. was running on the F. & q. r.
r. The railroad companies were going
under, in all directions. Every day We
heard of new failures and quite otter
in quarter where we least expected it
Our road was generally looked upon al
one of the most substantial in the ma
ton nobody seemed to have any fears
that it would fail to survive the genera
mash-up. But yet / did not fully share
in the general confidence. Wages wer'
cut down arrearages collected and
| great many other little matters seemed
to indicate to me that the road had go
in rather deeper water than was agreea
BILE all around. Among other things
the master mechanic had told me in tn
spring that the company had ordered
four first quality Tauton engines for th'
fall passenger business. The road wa
put in the very best condition, and 9th
or preparations were made, to cut dow
the time and put trains through quicke
than was ever known before, when tn
new engines should come. Well, ther
was but one of the engines came.


'I said there was but one engine came