f
ett'e.
astoini a
Devoted to t1e Protection of H6me. and tlio Interests of tli County.
ESTABLISHED IKT 1880.
f One Dollar and a Half per Annu
No. 50
Gastonia, N. C: December 16, 1887.
ix Advance.
j; i he G
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iTllll.lsllFn IX lNO.
' ' ' ; '
. - -' ; : : : : : : -
- ". '.'XTl K f J. E. TAGE, 1
t V 0-LO. 1 Editor axi PuoPRiETon. J
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1 ''
A Farmer' Seventy- Years.
JUartford '" Times.
Ah, there he is, lad at the plow
He beats the boys for work,
And whatsoe'r the task might be,
None ever saw him shirk.
And Tie can laugh, too, till his eyes
Run o'er with mirthful tears,
And sing full many an old-time song
In spite of seventy years.
ilfGood morning, friends! tis twelve
o'clock
Time for a hulf-honr's rest;"
And farmer John took out his lunch
And ate it with a zest..
"A harder tak it is," said he.
"Than following up tliese steers
Or mending fences,-far, for me.
To feel my seventy years.
You ask me why I feel so young
: "I'm sure, friends, I can't tell;
But think it is my good wife's fault, .
Who kept me up so well;
For women such as she are scarce
In this poor vale of tears;
She's given me love and hope and
strength
For more than forty years.
" And thon my boys have all done
well
As far as they have gone;
And that thing warms an old man's
blood
And helps him up and on.
My girls have never caused a pang
Or raised an anxious feai" .
Then wonder, not that I feyouug
And hale seventy years,
' Why don't my good boys do my work
-And let me-sit and re-st?
Ah, friends, that wouldn't do for me
I like my own way best.
They have their duty I have mine,
And till the end appears
I mean to till the soil, my friends,"
Said the man of seventy years. '
DARING AND SUFFERING.
A History of the Andrews Eailroad
Eaid Into Georgia in 1862. .
The Most Heroic and Tragic Episode
of the Civil War.
Embracing a Full and Accurate Account
of the Secret Journey to the Heurt of
the Confederacy, the Capture of a
ltailtray Trarn in a Confederate Camp,
the Terrible Chase That 1'ollowed, and
the Subsequent Fortune of the Lender
anil Ilia l'nrty.
The expedition, in the daring of its inception,
bad the u-ildmtui of a romance; while in the
i KiK.iDtic and overwhelming results it sought and
Was likely io obtain it was absolutely sublime.
Jt-DOK Advocate General Holt's Official, Kx
onr. --. j t wns nU tlitJ deepest laid sclieme, and on the
"VraiK-fe n6alev that evtv enlanntctt from the
' braim of any number of Yankees combined.
.. Thb South KB Confederacy (Atlanta, Ua.
April 13. 1M.
' Despite its traffic termination, it shows what a
' haudfu! of brave men could undertake in Amer
ica. t "OHTE de Paris" History of the Civil Va
in Avi:kica, vol. 2,'. 187.
By WILLIAM PITTENGEB,
A WKMHF.lt OF THE EXPEDITION.
Copyrighted, 1887, by War Puhlishincr Co., N. Y.,
uud published by arrangement with them. J
, CHAPTER VIII.
AN APPALLING KTKUGCLE.
Once more we were on board and away!
We wouhl soon know whether we were to
have ft clear track at Adairsville or to re
peut the vexations nnd dnnyerous experi
ence of Kingston. c)nce more the engine
was given fall force; we in the box car
were thrown from side to side, sometimes
a little roughly; but this did not diminish
our joy over the rapid motion which was
'devouring" the distance between, ns and
our friends.m Tennessee! As we came in
sight of tiie station, there to our parent
satisfaction lay the freight train, which,
indeed, had long been waiting for us,
as we were now a half hour behind
the time of Fuller's passenger train, and
also waiting for the morning passenger
train 'froi-i Chattanooga, which should
have overtaken the freight at this point,
but which was also late. Indeed, the
panic in Chattanooga and the extra trains
on the road hail disordered the whole
schedule and enormously increased our
difficulties'. As we came near the sta
tion, speed was slackened and we stopped
on the main track beside the through
freight. Andrews at once answered the
usual storm of questions and asked others
In turn. He heard still more of Mitchel's
operations, how he ' seemed to have
captured nil their trains on the western
road, so that for twenty-four hours not a
car had got through, and that the tele
grams were lieing interrupted further and
further up the road, so that, from every
indication, he was coming to Chattanooga.
J?Ht Andrews was still more interested in
asking news of the down passenger train,
which was now half an hour late. No in
formation was received, but the freight
conductor had determined lo run on south
on the arrival of Fuller's train, in liar
. mony with their rule of railroading at
that time, by which a following train was
to be waited for only a certain length of
time, .after which the waiting train had
the right to proceed. Andrews approved
of that intention, saying that Fuller with
the regular train would prvbnhly wait- for
him at Kingston. Andrews might have
held this train here by giving a message
as from Fuller, but he preferred to get rid
pt it, so that if compelled to back Itefore
the belated passenger, it might not be in
the way; and if compelled to light, the
fewer of the enemy the better; otherwise
Its running down Fo the place of the bro
ken rail was undesirable. The conductor
said to Andrews:
: "You of course will remain here until
my passenger train comes, and tell them
to overhaul me at Kingston!"
"No," returned Andrews, "I must gc
at once! the fate of the army hangs on my
getting promptly through with those car
loads of ammnnition. Snptose the Yan
kees attack Beauregard! lie has not pow
der enough for three hours' fight."
This was a startling possibility, and
forgetting all about Mitchel beiivg in the
way, the conductor (the men on both sides
had heard the conversation, but had not
joined in it) patriotically said:
'Get through by all means; but you
will have to run very slow and put, a flag
man out on every curve, or you will have
a collision."
Andrews answered quickly: "I will
attend to that;" stepped on his ott csiae
and motioned to Knight, who was still at
.the throttle. The latter, hearing the words
"about running slowly, had put on the
steam in a gradual manner, and the engine
glided away at a moderate rate of speed.
But this was not to last; neither was
any flagman to be sent ahead: there had
been delays enough.- The time had come
when it was wise to take a terrible risk.
We dared not- wait for the passenger train
because of the pursuers we had heard, and
of the freight which had started toward
the break; and we must reach the station
alxjve lie-fore the passenger started out!
From Adairsville to Calhoun, the next
station that had a side track, is a little
more than nine miles. The road runs di
rectly north, is almost straight, and but
little removed from level; this is t lie most
favorable stretch for running i.n the whole
line. Andrews said to his comrades: '".Make
her show how fast she can go; every sec
ond saved in getting to Cifclhouu coHiiis."
Th effect of giving such orders to men
whose nerves had all morning been thrill
ing with suppressed lire-may be imagined!
The engine was in the finest running con
dition. Knight had oiled it carefully dur
ing the long waiting at Kingston, and
again, in part, at Adairsville, and a heavy
pressure of steam had accumulated during
the pause at the latter station. Now the
full force of the mighty power was turned
on at once, while "oil was poured on sticks
and these fVd into the furnace. The three
cars and twenty men were no load -for the
powerful engine, and it sprung to its work
with a shock that nearly took every man
frtjm his feet! The race against time which
followed was grand and terrible. The en
gine seemed to be not co much running as
coursing with great lionlike bounds along
the track, and the spectacle from the loco
motive as it rose and fell in its ceasi less
rapid mot ion, whilehouses, lields and woods
rnshed by, was -wonderful and gloricus,
almost worth the risk to enjoy! In the box
car we were thrown from side to side and
jerked about in a manner that baffles
description. The car was so close to the
engine that it felt every impulse of power
nnd there was no following train to steady
it. Many times we were startled with the
momentary conviction that we were off
tho track; but there was no cessatigor
our rapid flight. We hardly knew '-jjr'at
it meant, and though we pushed our Toor
partly open, the risk of being thrown out
was too great to permit us to open it wide;
and gazing at the panorama that Uitted
by, with lightning like rapidity, wrould
..i .f.:.. e - '!
gain uocjcw lo liu iiu.ilic a'.w
chase, for there was no indica-v?.--.i'i
lowing train mat we com.
There was no danger of being see'
opening of our door, for the rapid
the train would have attracted all
tention that anything upon the caT
Andrews scarcely looked ahead
rhakintr this run. Brown and K
. however, did keep a sharp lookout,
ply for the purpose of seeing .wheti
came near the station that they in
shut off steam and be able to stop ty
They had no hope of reversing or .-1
ping, if they saw the belated p-i.-:
train approaching. As well try H-
a cannon ball in its flight! If the t
started out from Calhoun before wu can
in sight, it was simply and inevitab!;
death for every one of us; and the p?o; ie
of the other train would not have fared
much better.
Our fireman, J. A. Wilson, very grapl -
icaU id escribes this fearful effort to con
quer time: ' 1 -
"Our locomotive was nnder a full head
of steam. The engineer stood with his
hand on the lever, with the valve wide
open. It was frightful to see how the
jiovverful iron monster under us would
leap forward under the revolutions of her
great wheels. Brown would scream to
me ever and anon, 'Give her more wood,
Alf,' which command was promptly
obeyed. She rocked and reeled like a
drunken man, while we tumbled from
side to side like grains of popcorn in a hot
frying pan. It was bewildering to look at
the ground or objects on the roadside. A
constant stream of fire ran from the great
wheels, and to this day I shudder as I re
flect on that, my first and last locomotive
ride. We sped past houses, stations aud
fields and out of .sight, almost like a
meteor, while the bystanders, who scarce
ly caught a glimpse of tis as we passed,
looked on as if in both fear and amaze
ment. It has always been a wonder to me
that our locomotive and cars kept the
track at nil, or how they could possibly
stay on the track. At times the iron
horse seemed literally to fly over the
course, the driving wheels of one sida
being lifted from the rails much of the
distance over which we now sped with a
velocity fearful to contemplate. We took
little thought of the matter then."
Andrews kept his watch in his hand,
seeming to notice notJKng else, for time
was the only element in this part of our
problem, and he and Xnight, who looked
on the same watch, always joined
in declaring that the interval of
nine miles ljetween the two stations
was, run in seven and a half minutes;
and this not upon a magnificent road
with steel rails, as that road is today,
but over a poor and neglected track! It
must, in candor, however, be allowed that
Andrews probably reckoned the interval
from losing sight of Adairsville until
coming in sight of Calhoun. When near
the two stations he would be otherwise
engaged, and thus the rate may have been
little over a mile athinnte surely enough
for all the fear, wonder and sublimity of
motion!
Our escape on this run was exceedingly
narrow. The passenger train had begun
to move out ljefore we arrived, but it had
only just got under way while we were
slackening up for the station. A minute
earlier in their starting would have ended
the raid. But seeing us coming, and onr
whistle sounding out loud and peremp
tory, they backed before us up the track,
and the proper officer obligingly opened
the switch to let us on the side track. Of
course this was done as much in the in
terest of the passenger train, which could
not go on till we were out of the W'ay, as
in ours.
But they did not go on for some time
and we were obliged to await their move
ments. In backing the3r had gone iar
enough, not only to give ns room on the
side track, but also, as their train was a
long one, to completely block the far end
of it, and v.e could not proceed on the
main track until they should pull ahead.
Before doing this they naturally wanted
some explanation. The lateness of the
regular train; our having Fuller's ettgine,
without him or any of his men; and not
least, the manner in which we had
swooped down upon them like some beast
of prey, coming without any signal man
ahead at a time when under railroad rules
they were entitled to the road -'U this,
which only some most urgent owsion or
public calamity could excuse, called for
explanation. Andrews calmjy told his
story, and the urgent need of ammunition
wa.s felt to justify everything; and all the
questions were asked and answered that
are common among railroad men on meet
ing. Yet Andrews' would have talked
Jittle and would have made a very short
stop, had it not been far the manner in
fcfol-
y . . -
tuic.
v 1'
1
V?
which the passenger train bound in his
own. We had a good right to be uneasy
here, for we had not cut the wires between
this station and Adairsville because we
had not dared, in the terrible urgency of
reaching Calhoun, to delay even for this
purpose. A question might come on the
wires at any moment which Andrews,
with all his adroitness, would not find it
easy to answer. Neither had we put any
obstructions on the track. This latter
omission prepared the way for another
race agaitist time, only less swift and fear
ful than our owu.
Thus we were again delayed. ' Andrews
tried gentle nnd indirect means to per
suade the conductor of the passenger train
that it was perfectly safe for him to run
down and get to Adairsville before Ful
ler's passenger train. But he was not
easily persuaded. The bare escape from
collision with our train had shaken his
nerves too much for him to wish at once
to repeat the experience. Neither did he
seem at all in a hurry to move his train
ahead and let us out on the main track;
but as his train was the only-obstacle, it
would not have been long, had he contin
ued obstinate, until the reserve force of
our party would have been brought into
requisition. It may be said here that An
drews was perfectly sincere in telling him
that there would be abuudant time for
him to reach Adairsville before Fuller
with his train would be along. We did
not think that JSuller would be along
that day, and with his own train he was
not. But as matters were, if the Calhoun
man had allowed himself to be persuaded
to start southward, a fearful collision
would have ended all possibilities of pur
sit, and left us free to burn bridges at
our leisure. Here was another of the nar
row escapes made by the enemy. To un
derstand this it is necessary to recur to
Fuller and Murphy, who were within two
or . three minutes of Kingston when we
left that place.
They were terribly disappointed when
they found themselves stopped quite a
long distance below Kingston by three
heavy freight trains, and learned In a
brief conversation with the engineer of
the nearest, and the persons who had run
down that way on hearing their whistle,
that their gaie had flown. They heard
with wonder how long the commander of
tho captured train had been held there,
aud how he had succeeded in concealing
his real character. The formidable nature
of the enemy aheal was now clearly re
vealed, but it looked for a moment to
Fuller as if all his labor had been for
nothing, and that he would be able to
continue the. pursuit only after a ruinous
elay. To back all these trains up the
avy grade so that he could get on the
lie track, and then down again to get off
the upper end,- would require an
ount of "seesawing" that would give
cantors of his train a honeless start.
Jlere arose a difference of opinion be
I een Fnller and Murphy, who up tf this
;o had worked together in perfect
ord. Murphy ran ahead and cut loose
New York, the new and good
rine of one of the freights, attaching it
;o the car which had brought their tools
from Etowah. He then called to Fuller
to move the Rome engine back out of the
way that he might come round on the
"Y." But Fuller had different plans.
The Rome engine and train had stood
on its own track all this time waiting for
his comingj the
Kom oraucli led
I into tne main
track -above all
the -impediments.
Why not take that
engine? No sooner
thought than ex
ecuted. Fuller
had taken one
foot race that day,
and he now took
another, sliorter,
but not less im
portant. The en
gine was headed
already toward
Chattanooga with
ANTHONT HUBPHT.
only one car attached, and in the most
favorable position. There was abundance
of volunteers, and no need of explana
tions, for now everybody was sure that
the impressed powder story was false and
absurd had thought so all the time!
Conductor Smith, of the Rome train, gave
it for the service at once. All was done
so quickly that Murphy saw them start and
had to run at his best speed to keep from
being left behind! Fuller probably made
a mistake in not taking the New York, as
the other engine was much inferior, with
small wheels and incapable of great speed.
But the distance in which they could use
it turned out to be short, and being driven
at the height of its power, it is not proba
ble that much was lost; while the time
spent in clianging the freight trains out
of the way might have cost the Ooste
naula bridge.
A mile or more from Kingston they
found some ties on the track at the place
where we cut the wires, and were obliged
to stop and throw them off. Of course an
effort was made to send a message from
Kingston to Chattanooga as soon as Fuller
arrived, but we had cut the wire too quick
for them. Continuing on the way, they
came in a few minutes to the place where
the track had been torn up. A southern
account says sixty yards had been re
moved; but this is a gross exaggeration.
Track lifting was only intended to make
the road temporarily impassable, and our
broken rail answered this purpose as well
as a dozen. Had there been a regular
track layer with the pursuers a rail would
not have caused a great delay, but it was
In all cases sufficient for its purpose on
this day.
Though we had heard the whistle of the
pursuers, they neither heard nor saw us at
this point, and came near wreck; but they
Were on their guard because of the similar
break which had caused their fall from the
hand car, and by great effort and revers
ing the engine they were able to prevent
an ac.cident. But their progress seemed
to be completely barred. As usual no one
but Fuller and Murphy seemed to have
the least idea what to do; in fact during
the whole day every hopeful plan of pur
suit sprung from their indomitable energy.
Too much credit (from the Confederate
point of view) cannot be given to then.
They were already practiced in foot travel,
and once more set out in that manner; all
the rest, remaining behind, had no further
influence on the fortunes of the day. But
at full speed the two pedestrians pushed
over the slippery and muddy road nnd
through the driving rain. They felt sure
of finding the freight train, or the passen
ger, either at Adairsville or further on
this side. Should they be obliged to take
the terribly fatiguing run to the station
itself they would probably be too late; but
they were determined to do their utmost.
Notice how all things seemed to work
against us on this eventful day. If we
had not stopped to take up this rail at all,
we -would have had abundant time to
reach the freight and start it south, as we
did; nnd the freight train running south,
and Fuller's train running at fall speed
would have produced a frightful collision,
-syhich could acarcely ha vi been prevented,
J.
for the freight man had been induced t
set out by the representations of Andrews,
aud Fuller on his' part probably believed
that Andrews was still running on slow
time and had bot reached the station
above. The stopping to lift this rail, as it
turned out, was probably the greatest
mistake Andrews made. On tho other
hand if the freight had waited for Fuller,
so great a delay would have ensued that
the Oostenauln bridge, which we were
now very near, would have been in flames.
i But the pursuing pair had scarcely been
well breathed in this third foot race when
they heard the welcome whistle of a loco
motive. Fuller, who was ahead, stopped
in a place where the view was clear, and
gave the signal of danger; the freight was 1
checked up as quickly as possible, and
while Fuller told in a few words what had
hapiened and what he wanted," Murphy,
who had been distanced, came up, and they
sprang on board and took command.
With all the power of the Texas, which
was one of the very best engines on tho
road, and the best the pursuers had yet
obtained, they pushed backward towarrlj
Adairsville and learned that Andrews
had left a few minutes before: Fuller.
took his place on the last freight car, which
was now the front of the train, and directec-,
their movements. .Murphy was the
official superior of all the engineers on the
road. He stood by the lever to render
assistance when needed and all his orders
were cheerfully obeyed.
I It was not long till they were back at
the station, when Fuller jumped off, threw
the switch over to turn the freight cara
which were detached at the same time
and allowed to run with their own mo-
mentum on the side track; and then
the last-one passed by, he changed the
switch back, sprang on the engine and
outran the cars, which continued to move
parallel with him! This was quick work.
They now had a comparatively small
crew, but they were all armed with gun,
and loaded On the tender nnd engine alone.l
It was true that the engine was reversed,
but this, while it is somewhat less hand
does not diminish strength or speed. The
first question which confronted the pur
suers was whether to risk running up to
Calhoun in the face of the delayed passen
ger train. They did not hesitate, ns the
way had been made clear for them. "It
was less than ten minutes since Andrews
had left, promising to run slowly afld
carefully, and if he kept . his word, he
could be overhauled and inclosed between
the two trains before he could reach Cal
houn; and even if he did not the danger
of collision would be borne by the train
ahead arid not by the following one. The
marvelous flight which Andrews had
made was ' not, of course, dreamed bf.
Had Andrews been able to persuade the
passenger conductor to . push out, as Jhe
did the freight conductor, Fuller's and
Murphy's career would have endeSd. i -
I These indomitable men now had an ex
cellent engine and ordered full speed.
The whole distance of nine miles
made in little more than ten minutest
There was no obstruction of any kind, and
they trusted to the fact of being sotf-Iose
behind Am rvs- to assure them against
any lifted r.' il. t
j CHAPTER X.
IN sight!
) - -
" Before they reached Calhoun, however,
Andrews was released from his. perilous
position. a After he had chatted ;with the
conductor "andf engineer of-"the aJwa
freight for some time and found them in
disposed to go on their way, he said in the
most matter of fact and positive manner:
"I must press on without more delay.
Pull your engine ahead and let me out."
When the order was given in this direct
form they were obliged to obey or give a
good reason for refusing; and it may be
considered certain that if they had de
layed, though Andrews did not threaten
violence, yet our engineers would at once
have taken control and executed the
order, probably not without bloodshed,
t At last we are on the main track, with
no train between us and Chattanooga!
and If the reports from Huntsville are
true there is no obstruction west of that
town, as all travel is cut off by Mitchel.
There is reason for exultation on our part.
An open road ahead and scores of miles of
obstructed and broken track behind us!
For the whole morning we have been
running with train right in front of us,
or waiting for a belated one. We had
passed five trains, all but one either ex
tras or behind time a wonderful achieve
ment! now the way is clear to our own
lines; and the "Y" at Chattanooga is no
more difficult of passage than any of the
many side tracks we have already succes
f ully encountered. No small amount of
the exultation we felt on first taking the
train was again ours, as we rushed rap
idly on for a mile or more, and then
stopped to cut the wire, and to take up a
rail (as we hoped) for the last time. The
Oostenaula bridge was just ahead, and
when that was burned, we would simply
run from bridge to bridge, firing them
as we passed; and no more of
this hard drudgery of track rais
ing and still more terrible work
of sitting silent and housed in a dark car
waiting for trains to arrive! We had
heard the whistle of a following train a
dozen miles back, but it probably was one
from Kingston, and if not wrecked by the
broken rail, would return there for tools.
We knew nothing of Fuller's and Mur
phy's pursuit, and if we had been told the
full story, as already narrated, we would
have thought it too wild and improbable
even for good fiction.
. But it was expedient to take up this
one rail more before we finally changed
our mode of operations. Apiece of torn
track had been put before or after every
train that we had met. It was well to
put a broken road behind this passenger
train also, that it might not turn back
after us on any sudden suspicious freak
and come upon us while working at the
Resaca (Oostenaula) bridge. The crisis
of our fate approached, and we believed it
. would be triumphantly passed. Nothing
had as yet been lost but time, and if we
were fairly prosperous for fifteen minutes
more," all would be regained; and the ful
fillment of all our hopes, as far as human
prospects could reach, be in our own
hands.
No wonder that we worked gladly and
cheerfully. Scott climbed the pole with
even more than usual agility. Some
worked at tho taking in of all kinds of
combustibles, for we wished to be well
provided for the bridge. Every stick and
piece of wood we could get hold of was
soaking wet, but by breaking and whittling
they could be made to add to a flame, and
from the engine, which was kept full of
wood for the purpose, we cottld give a
good start to a fire. We had only one
iron bar to drive out our spikes; a bent
"crow's foot" would have been worth
more than its weight in gold; but we
hammered away with what we had, and
spike after spike was drawn. Here I saw
Andrews show real impatience for the
first I am not sure but I may say the
Ohly time. He had altered his dress,
throwing off the caps and high hat that
bo wore while at stations, and had A
small can on, which greatly chauccd hia
.appearance. The nearing of the time
when his plans would all culminate in
success seemed to thrill and inspire him.
,Iie snatched the iron bar out of the hands
of the man who was wielding it, and
though we had strong and practiced
workmen in our party I had not
before seen ( the blows rained down
with such precision and force. Some
say that he uttered an oath on this occa
sion, but though-, standing by I did not
hear him, the only words I did hear be
ing directions about the work, given in
his mild tones, but with quite an em
phatic ring of f triumph in them. He
wanted that rail up in the fewest number
of seconds and ! then the bridge! There
were several using a lever of green woorrl,
and trying to tear up the end of a rail
from which the spikes had not yet been
drawn; but the lever bent too much, and
a fence rail was added nnd we lifted again.
At that instant, loud and clear from the
south, came the whistle of the engine in
pursuit! It was near by and running at
lightning speed. The roll of a thousand
thunders could not have startled us more.
What could we do? At the end where
we had been prying the rail it was bent,
but it was still too firmly fixed for us to
hope to lift it or break it like the last.
But we 'did the best in our power; wo
bent the loose end up still further and put
the fence rail carefully under it, with the
hope that it would compel the pursuers
either to stop and adjust it or throw them
from the track, and then piled into the
car and engine with a celerity born of
long practice, and with one of its old
bounds that jerked us from our feet for
Brown and Knight threw the valve wide
open the General bore ns rapidly' on.
The impatience of Andrews to reach the
bridge had not been diminished by the
appearance of this .new element in the
situation. ! ? I
Here our pursuers were greatly startled.
Their story had been swiftly told when
they reached Calhoun, and the engine and
tender of the passenger car, with a re-enforcement
of armed men, followed them
up the road. Fuller stood on the tender
of his own train, which was in front, gaz
ing intently forward to see if there was
any dangerous obstacle or break in the
track, such as they had already many
times encountered. Soon he beheld us at
work with feelings which cannot be de
scribed. Before getting near enough to
see our number, we had mounted and
Bped away, and he saw with exultation
that we had not broken the track, and
that there seemed to be no obstruction.
With full speed h- ran on till too close to
stop, and then befield what he believed, at
first, to be a broken rail and gave himself
up for lost; but it was on the inside of a
curve, and as an engine running rapidly
throws most of its weight on the outside,
when he ran on it the bent rail was only
straitened down, and they wer& safely
on -the other side of this danger. The
next train, which followed almost imme
diately after, did not notice the obstruc
tion at alL There is scarcely a doubt
that two minutes more, enabling us to
finish getting a rail up at this point, would
have given the control of the day into our
hands, for there were no more trains on
the road either to delay us or to be turned
back after us. j But as it was, the Texas
pressed on after us without the slightest
loss of headway. I I
The coming of this train before the
track was torn up was by far the most se
rious misfortune fliat we had yet encountered-
J5nt might it not still be overcome?
The plan which first presented itself to the
undismayed spirit of Andrews was to use
two of our cars as projectiles and hurl
them back at the enemy. This was more
in accordance with bis genius, which de
lighted in strategy, than the plain course
which most of the soldiers would have
preferred; that is, a ' straight out and out
fight with the pursuing train. Accord
ingly our engine was reversed could we
have selected a down grade the chance of
success would have been better, but we
were coming so near the bridge that we
could not delay to choose and when ths
speed in this way had been checked and
the pursuing train was quite close and
still going fast, we uncoupled and bounded
on again. But the skillful pursuers were
not thus to be beaten. They saw what
they .were about, and checking their head
way when the car was dropped, they also
reversed, and coming up to it with moder
ate force, coupled on,' which was easier
because their tender was in front.
TO BE CONTINUED IN OUtt NEXT.) ;
Bill Arp's Letter.
Atlanta Constitution, i
They played a prank on me while I
was . gone to Alabama. They trans
mogrified my boy into a man, or tried
to. I dident know him, for he had
discarded his long stockings and knee
breeches, and had on long pants and a
big boy's hat and a standing collar and
blue cravat, j He looked like he had
grown six inches. Alas for me. A
dark shadow came over my hilari
ty, and I felt like I had- lost my boy,
my pet, and the little Carl was gone
gone never to return He loves me
all the same, I know, but he will soon
have other J loves that will slip
in between him and me. When a boy
gets on long pants he suddenly changes
his nature, and lou't want to trot
around after you like he used to. I
see it coming in in Carl. He keeps his
forepaws clean now, very clean, and
works on his finger-nails and brushes
his hair and wears sleeve-buttons and
takes sly looks in at the glass. lie is
noticing, they sayj and is talking about
sweethearts, j And so we have to sur
srender to the inevitable. We will
have him but a few years more, and
then he, too, will leave us, just as the
other five have done. If j he won't
stray away off and get sick we will
try to be reconciled. And soon Jessie
will go, too bur darling the last and
sweetest of all, and then what will the
old folks do? , They will have to rind
new pets in the grandchildren, and so
it will all work out right in the long
run. Maybe it will. I hope it will,
for Solomon saya j " the glory of an old
man is his children's children."
But old age is not without its com
forts and consolations. : We had a fam
ily reunion j the (other dayj All the
children and grandchildren gathered at
the paternal mansion, and for a whole
week we had a carnival of love and
peace aud joy. The big pot was put in
tho Utile potj The turkey gobbler was
sacrificed upon the altar of .maternal
love, and the turkey hen came next,
and we had chicken enough for a doz
en preachers. The boys are fond of
fried chicken and smothered chickeft
and roast chicken and any other kind
of chicken, and our New York: boy
told how the New York chickens did
not taste good not good like the
chickens at home. That boy kept the
family in an uproar, for he, too, has
been transmogrified, and talks yankee,
and is precise in language and man
ners. He calls himself the pauper and
his Virginia brother the millionaire.
He wrote an advance letter and said
that the millionaire and the pauper
would meet at Washington ; city and
come home together and so they did.
The pauper sent on his rations ahead
so as to be sure of plenty to eat. j The
dray came up from the depot loaded
down with sugar and coffee, and tea,
and yankee butter, and cheese, and
canned goods, and preserves, and so
forth, enough for a regiment. I like
these paupers who do that way, but it
is a way that will keep them paupors,
I reckon. The Virginia boy is making
money building railroads. He is accu
mulating, and maybe he will some day
be a " capitalist," as Cobe calls it
and so we call him the millionaire.
He dident send on any rations,' but
brought his pocket-book along.- My
girls had told their mother that they
were just obliged to have some clothes
if they went to Florida, arid ; their
mother gave them a gentle hint that
meant business. Girls are always out
of clothes and are just obliged to have
them. It reminds me of the Irishman
who saw that the only way to get rich
was to buy nothing that you were ob
liged to have. .; j.
But before I had financiered the ways
and means for the "clothes these' boys
and the millionaire found out the great
necessity, and those girls soon gave me
to understand that I needn't trouble
myself, and they walked around me
with as much indifference as if I didn't
live here at all. Well, they have gone
to Florida, and the next thing I know
will be writing very affectionate letters
home and mention that they are out of
money. These stray chickens always
come home to roost. I wonder how
much money Mrs. Arp has got, and
where she keeps it. I'm going to rum
mage around her bureau and hiding
places some of these days while she is
gone. She never asks me for money
-tbdjsrjierselfbut she always has
it. I borrow from her sometimes" wnen
I get as poor as Lazarus, Every now
and then I hand her a five or ten to
keep for me, but I never call for it; and
the boys give her some ever and anon.
Last night she asked me to change a
half-dollar for her, and I gave her a
quarter and gold-piece under pretence
that it was another quarter. She never
did say anything she never does but
that gold-piece has gone where the
woodbine twineth. Maybe it is cast
ing bread upon the waters and it will
return to me after many daysy yes, af
ter very many days. A man oughtent
to burden bis wife with gratitude. It
is rather humiliating for a proud-spirited
woman like Mrs. Arp, who wear a
number two shoe and steps like a deer,
to have to ask her lord for money, or
even to hint that she would like to
have some. He ought to anticipate
her wants, and do it in such a sly,
careless way that makes honors easy.
Give her your vest to sew on a button,
and leave a ten-dollar bill in the pock
et. Maybe she will find it and take
care of it for you. . j
: I think I hear forty men say ?' well,
all that is a lie," but it ain't.
I didn't finish up my Alabama trip.
I found Greenville and Evergreen, and
Troy and Union Springs to be lively,
prosperous towns. At Greenville I
saw more cedar wood piled up for ship
ment than I thought was in the world.
There was seventy-five thousand dol
lars worth upon the yard aud it goes
north every day and more comes in to
take its place. It is shipped to make
pencils and brings forty cents a cubic
foot. I saw stocks that squared twenty-seven
inches at the big end and were
thirty feet long. This cedar forest is
eight miles away and beats a gold
mine. But it will soon be gone just
like our pine forests are going. It
looks like using up the capital stock
instead of the interest. Troy is a ter
minal point, the end of a railroad, and
they will keep it so if they cau. It
gives them territorylots of it, and
their trade is enormous for the size
of the town. All! that region
is known as the white man's country.
White labor makes the cotton why it
is so I do not know, for along the same
parallels in western Alabama J there
are seven negroes to one white person
while here there are about: seven
whites to one negro. I- met " il.
Quad " (Mr. Lewis) at Troy, and his
beautiful niece. I like them both very
much, and wish that Mrs. Arp could
see them and talk with them awhile
inaybe she would relent majbe she
would I don't know.--"When, . I raid
Mr. Thnrman's assault tipsn Henry P..
Jackson -I was indignant, and I cavor
ted around the room and used lan
guage upon him. Mrs. Arp was sew
ing away and humming a little tune,
and after I had exploded myself, she
said, "I alwaystold you that a north
ern" Democrat was no better than a
northern "Republican. It is all for thfi
spoils all for the spoils.1'
At Union Springs I met that grand
and genial gentleman, Bishop Wilmur
the best type of Christian culture
and refinement. A mutual friend tqld
me. hat the bishop was attending a
convocation up north, and one night
some of his northern friends twitted
him pleasantly about the late rebell
ion. He stood fire for awhile and then
took the offensive and said: " Well, I
grant that you whipped us, and,now if
you won't get mad with me I will give
you a conundrum." Of course, they
promised, aud told him to go ahead,
and he said, " Tell me why the confed
erates were like Lazarus?" When
they had given it up he said, "Because
they were licked by dogs." When the
laugh had subsided one of them said,
" Well, -Bishop, I am a little surprised
that you should come up here to asso
ciate with those dogs." "Oh," he
said, " you know the old proverb, the
hair of the dog is good for the bite.' "
I closed my Alabama tour at Au
burn, "sweet Auburn, the loveliest
village of the plains." Of course, I ,
found Colonel Newman there. Of
course, Alabama had to send to Geor
gia, and steal away our best man.
Georgia is the great prolific nursery of
the -western states. When they want
a first-class man for educational pur
poses or agriculture or for the pulpit
or for the press or Tor the forum, they
draw on Georgia. Texas now has four
Georgians in Congress. She has had
three governors from - our state. Dr.
Toll iver told me that at least half of
her judges and sheriffs and clerks and
preachers and school-teaGhers were
from Georgia. Mississippi got Lamar
and Longstreet from us, and Alabama
is full of our prominent men, ; Colonel
Newman is acquiring great reputation
at Auburn. I knew that he would
when he went there. Our Georgia '
boys are flocking to him. One of . his
recent experiments has disclosed very
important results, and farmers, are
taking note of it. He tile-drained one
acre of land, and it increased the crop
this year fifty-three per "cent. The
crop netted that much more than the
adjoining acre that was not drained,
while the eultivatton .wag ,precisely,tbe.:.
same. So, if the farmers cant burn
their own tiles, they can make drains
with poles and cover them up. This
plan will not cost much and will make
very good drainage for eight or ten
years". Let them run parallel ditches
fifteen inches wide and two feet deep
and thirty feet apart. Place two poles
at' the bottom and one on top of them.
Cover up and go to plowing and see
the good results. Of course, ihe
ditches must have some fall to an out
let. ; . " ';-'.
The burning of the college at Au
burn was a great misfortune, but they
are rebuilding, and now that Congress
has appropriated to each of the states
the sum of fifteen thousand dollars a
year for agricultural purposes, this in
stitution will soon be re-established.
Alabama is moving ahead in all her
varied industries, and eld Georgia will
have to look to her laurels.
Bill Arp.
LOOK OTJT J
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