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GUARDING THE CARS;fofi pam-american railroad
RAILROADS HAVE ELABORATE
SYSTEM OF PROTECTION.
"Chief Special Agent," with Haad-
quarters In Some Large City,
Has Army of Detectives
Under His Command.
showing
a
5MSleRA
arMbfUewlllM rf
fff1f?'m A'j", r
He was 11 big, florid tnnn, glorying
In girth of 'I'aft-llUe proportions, and
when lie btiBtlod Into the room,
son-roll Htrldo, ho was
blowing like 11 por
poise. Also pers
piring, an be
comes n ponder
ous person on
a w a r in day.
Stretching across
a suction of his
broad vest was 11
li 0 a v y w a t c h
chain, mndo of
leather links. Div
ing a chunky fist
Into a hip pocket
ho drew forth a
bolstered revolver
which ho careless
ly tossed Into tho
desk before him.
Then ho was ready
for business grim business and tho
more he got of It tho bettor he Boomed
to like It and the more he sputtered
and finned.
At tho right of his desk was a com
plete arsenal a cabinet In which
Htoud a row uf menacing Winchesters.
In a corner or tho room rested another
ease and It contained an assortment
or handcuffs and some balls and
chains, the whole reminiscent of a
chamber in n penitentiary.
This man, the up-to-date chief of de
tectives ill a big railroad with Chicago
terminals, Is the man who directs a
continuous campaign against thieves
who Invnde the yards of the system
and break open freight and passenger
cars, stations and freight sheds, car
lying away anything llftable. It Is
the duty or tills railroad police con
stable, whose olllclal tltlo Is "chler
special agent," to put up his shields,
so to speak, at every point on a great
system and keep nn eyo at long range
on a snmll army of assistants who run
down lobber bands which Inroat the
road. Thus, from Chicago to Texas
and Onllfornln. the chler special agent
or one of the through western lines Is
kept busy catching thieves and send
ing them to prison.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars'
worth or goods and .''railroad equip
ment are stolen annually In numerous
sections of the country and ir tho
thieves are to be run to tliolr lairs,
prosecuted and sent to prison tho
apodal agents and their assistants
have a large contract on their hands.
A favorite plunder In the oyes of
thieves is silk. Only the other day ad
vices were received of a J4.000.000
cargo of silkB and other goods loaded
on a single boat, bound from Asiatic
ports to San Francisco. Of this cargo
much was silk. Thieves look longing
ly on thnt fabric as a moans of proilt
and they nlways can find conscience
less purchasers. However, silk trains,
when east-bound to tho markets, aro
carefully watched, and there aro evor
on guard special agents, good shots,
ready to pick oft train robbers If they
attempt to loot cars In transit across
the mountains or tho lonely plains.
In Chicago and other cities tho
freight enr thieves aro not too partic
ular about what they steal. Some loot
the cars for merchandise of all sorts,
with a preference for provisions and
liquors. Others seek out clothing.
Ono of the methods In favor with
professional railroad thieves Is to
spot'" a box car loaded with a quan
tity oi silk, enter it through the end
door nt IJuffnlo or some other point
and accompany It on Its Journey until
It arrives at a quiet place 4out In tho
country many miles away whero tho
grado Is heavy, necessitating slow go
ing. When a place agreed upon has
been reached the plunder is tossed out
conrederates in waiting with a
team or horses and wagon.
A short time ago tho sheriff or Lake
county, Indiana, was driving lato'at
night toward Hobart when ho catno
upon a span or horses hitched among
tho trees ofT tho roadside. Slowing up,
'ho, saw mou carrying large packages
!from tho sldo of n railroad track near
by. Ho drew his revolver, commanded
a halt and tho frightened thieves
made on", leaving a valuable team,
wagon and stolen goods, mostly silk,
behind. The robbers believed that an
entire posso was arter them. A similar
enso Is reported from Valparaiso. Ind.
In ench Instance tho thieves had ac
companied the train a long distance.
It Is said tho most export of tho rnll-
road thieves nro former employes of
tho roads. Tho special agents main
tain a blacklist consisting of the
names of former railroad men who
hnvo been convicted of thievery.
Financiers, and Builders Have In Mind
Lino to Connect the Two
Continents.
Sovcral railroad magnates have
boon approached by ofllclals or tho
bureau or American republics, It was
admitted at tho headquarters or tho
bureau, with a vlow or Interesting
them In the construction of a Pan
American railroad through southern
Mexico, Central America and far Into
South America.
As yet none of the capitalists hns
Informed tho bureau of an Intention to
construct such a road, but Director
Ilarrett belloves that by tho time tho
third I'an-Amerlcnn conference meets
In Buenos Aires next year a definite
proposition wilt bo ready to submit to
tho American nation with a view of
asking for moral support. It is rec
ognized that governmental aid must
bo given to this project, just as tho
I'nlted States assisted In tho construc
tion of tho great transcontinental
lines to connect tho Atlantic and Pa
cific. Tho prospect, not only for obtaining
tho cooperation of tho nations con
cerned, but of procuring tho consent
or capitalists to undertake the grent
rcat or connecting tho two American
continents by rnll, Is regarded by of
ficials In Washington to bo brighter
now than over before. They feel that
tho dream or .lameslO. Ulalno or con
necting tho two continents In this
manner may bo realized by tho very
generation that followed him.
SPIRIT OF WORKING TOGETHER
Explanation of tho Splendid Record
Made by Railroads of
America.
For tho third time this year an
American railroad reports that It has
operated its lines for 12 months with
out losing the life or 11 single passen
ger. Tho Santa Fe, with Its 9.79 J
miles or actively operated trnck, takes
place with tho Hurllngton and tho
Pennsylvania, on tills roll or honor.
Tho Santa Fo carried 12,G0.",G97 pas
sengers without a fntallty.
Wonderful as this efficiency record
Is, its explanation Is as marvelous.
"Evon more than to heavy rails, bal
last or equipment," says one of tho
rond's otllclals, "wo nttrlbuto tho suc
cessful record for tho. year to the
spirit of working together, which must
run through the rank and lllo of tho,
men operating tho trains." In other
words, American railroading Is rid
ding Itseir or its greatest oporntlrtg
reproach by sheer will power.
This is tho force that has lev6ed
mountnlns, filled up canyons, bridged
arms of tho sea Itself. It can have
few loftier Ideals In the practical work
ings of a railroad than tho mainten
ance or the sacredness of human life.
There Is every reason to'bollovo that
Its Biiccess has been repeated upon
other lines, and that It will bo ex
tended to other systems still as It
becomes a matter upon which all
American railroads feel a proud spirit
of emulation.
HERO WAS EASILY SATISFIED
Saved Train from Wreck, and Only
Desire Was to Be Given Money
for Whisky.
A disappointing tramp hero was tho
ono who saved a train from certain
disaster in August, 1905, on tho Cin
cinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad.
Several yards of tho track had been
swept away In a wnshout. and when
tho tramp, who rushed along tho trnck
and warned tho drlvor by waving his
coat above his head, was asked by the
grateful passengers for his name and
address. In order that ho might be
further rewarded, after they had
raised a purso of moro than 5100 for
him, ho replied: "My address is tho
United Stntes. and It ain't never been
more definite, nnd I guess It never will
bo so long as whisky's sold In moro
than one place. I've got enough money
now to keep mo allvo fop six months,
nt Ilvo cents n drink, and I guess
you've done your duty by me. Hut tho
nearest saloon's at Hamilton, and
that's a long way for a man whoso
been dry since morning, GIvo mo a
ride to Hamilton and wo'll cry quits."
And to Hamilton ho went, mid when
tho passengers last saw this tattored
hero ho was rushing Into a snloon,
where ho entertained crowds of loiter
ers with the story of how ho saved
the train, and then treated them to
drinks.
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135:
Killtor's N'ote. This account of n.spv
onteolh cuntury Hcleutlllc uxpodltlon was
liulillnhed In tho Auburn (III.) Citizen.
March IS, 1SS, qh nil Item of local In
terest, thore IIvIiik nt that plnco nt Unit
time innny desrendunts of I'nuly, tho 011
Blncer tliu I'oloys, I'arkscn, Koators, and
other fmnllloH bnliiK rcpiescntcd in tint
Hut. Tho orlRlnnl manuscript In French
wns In tho posHOBHlnh if John Pnuluy of
ICnnsiiB, who was al the tlinj tit tlui pub
llciuion visiting, his IIUhoIh kl;iHtncti.
'J'IiIh nccourit fs pVrtlculnrly Intcrest
ln nt this time. s It 'describes the 0011
'dltlons provnlllhn on the const pf Cnll
fornlu, In 17C3, an event fittingly cnribrnt
cd by the Golden Onto City.
Tho nuilndy di'scribed by I'uuly, which
decimated tho ranks of tliu Fronotu expe
dition, occurred nt tho wtmo tlmojja. sov
errfT other writers mention n very severe
prtvnleuco of scurvy In Cullfornliijr nnd
wua-probubly tho nuino. ' i
Startling Station Call.
A conductor and a brakeman on a
Montana railroad differ as to tho
proper pronunciation of tho immo
"F.urollu." Passengers nro often
utnrtled upon arrival at this Btatlon to
hear tho conductor yell, "You're n
liar! Your'ro a liar!" And then from
tho brakeman at tho other end of tho
car, "You really nro! You realty nro!"
Advantage In Electricity.
None of tho rnilroat) companies
which hnvo adopted electricity in tho
regular sorvlco of moving trains,
seems disposed to glvo out any fig
ures showing tho cost of oporntlou,
but It Is declared that In point of con
venience und regularity of sorvlco tho
electric has shown u decided supetrl
orlty over tho steam service
Blowing Up the Locks.
Would It he easy to blow up and de
stroy a lock canal by tho malicious
uso of dynamlto or other high explosive-?
Tho question hns boon debated
much In connection with tho Paniunu
canal. Tho Engineering News calls
attention to tho fact that an attempt
mnde in Hi00 to wreck tho Wei
land canal In this way produced sur
prisingly small results.
After two weeks' examination the
two men concerned selected lock 24,
ami each lowered a satchel containing
dynamlto and a fuse to tho water be
hind tho gato at each end of tho lock,
lloth charges woro exploded, but tho
dynamlto failed to carry away tho
gates.
Although tho explosives blow a holo
about a foot in diameter, through each
gato and loosoned tho hinges, tho
gates remained In position, holding
back tho water.
For Future Railroad Ties.
During tho last season tho Pennsyl
vania Hallroad Company set out 303,
000 trees, Including pines, larches,
'tiv tuu iiprdwoods.
HE observation of the tran
sit of Venus on tho 3d of
Juno, 170G, was an .object
of Interest to all tho
learned. Tho Royal Acad
omy of Sciences proposed
to tho king, L0UI3 XV., to
mnko tho necessary outlay to send to
California for this purpose. Tho lato
M. L'Abbo Chappo undertook this voy-
ngo with n courago worthy of his zoal
for tho progress of science. I was so- " "
lected to accompany him nnd wo Bet sail for Mex
lco In tho month of September, 17G8.
After n perilous voyage of about 3,000 leagues,
we arrived In Mexico on Easter day, 1769. Tlmo
was pnssing; wo stopped but eight days to ro
fresh ourselves. Tho viceroy procured us mules
and provisions, nnd wo undortook to perform by
laud a pnrt of tho remainder of our travels, which
was about 300 leagues. Amid lofty mountains,
dreadful precipices and arid deserts, wo encoun
tered new dangers evory day. Wo failed from
fear a thousand times. We were also oppressed
by tho excesslvo heat, which left us hardly
strength enough to drag oursolves. A thousand
insects of every species gave us no rest by day or
night, and we had constantly to bo on our guard
against the very forocious beasts with which tho
country Is covered. Moreover, wo lucked tho nee
essarios of life, for tho provisions thai wo got In
Mexico had been spoiled by tho heat. ' Wo woro
obliged to llvo on wild cattle and whatever fruits
wo could find hero and thero. Wo mndo our hults
near sora'o rlvor or spring, thut wo might slake
tho burning thirst with .which we word constantly
consumed; to find ono It was often necessary to
march n whole day's Journey.
Arrived in tho evening in some valley, or on
tho sldo of some hill, wo would endeavor to tako
upon the ground (ot a la hollo otnlllc), tho reposo
which our cruel fatlguo rendered so necessary.
When scarcely asleep wo were often nrousod by
a storm, nnd then by the Impetuous torrents that
camo down upon us from the heights of tho moun
tains. Many n dark night wo had to save our
solves nnd our equipage, fearful at every step of
tumbling down somo of tho precipices. '
After running n thousand risks wo arrived at
Inst at tho port of San Bias, on tho Pacific ocean;
thence wo embarked for California on a origan
tlno which tho viceroy of Mexico had hud pro
pared. Tho Pacific ocean, nlthough very tran
quil, Is not tho less dangerous on account of tho
(vigles) with which It Is filled,
Tho great calm which provalled nt that tlmo
caused us to despair .of arriving in tlmo to accom
plish tho object of our voyage. After six weeks'
sailing, during which wo mndo but 1G0 leagues,
on the grentost breadth of tho sea, tho shortnoss
of tho tlmo caused us to risk a hazardous exploit.
Tho part of California near wliLh wo found our
solves was tho port of San Joso so dangerous
that no ono had over landed thero. Tho nccess to
it Is guarded by tho incessant waves that break
impetuously against tho rocks.
Tho Spanish astronomers who woro of our com
pany wished to wait for a favornhlo wind to lnnd
at Cnpo St. Lucas, which was distant but ton
leagues. Tho landing there is indeed less clangor
ous, but wo did not follow their ndvlco because
wo were pressed to arrive nt tho plnco of our des
tination; wo resolved to attempt to disembark nt
tho first land wo should discover.
Whllo theuo gentlemen woro yot deliberating,
four Indian sailors and myself let down tho long
Iwnt; ws took with us half of the instrumonts. I
agreed with tho Abbe Chappo that if we per
ished he might And other means to hind else
where with the rest, which would bo sufllcient for
making his observations. I embarked then in
tho long boat with my four sailors, steering di
rectly for the coast; tho nearer we approached it
the more wo were sensible of tho difficulty of
landfjhg.
Wo were constantly thrown back by tho accu
mulated waves, and our boat threatened all tho
while to ship water. When on the point of losing
courage, one of the sailors discovered, at a dis
tance, tho mouth of an unknown rivor. This dis
covery animated us; wo reached the coast by this
mouth but with great dlfllculty. I sent back the
loug boat for the Abbe Chappe nnd tho SpanlBh
astronomers, who arrived safely' enough.
Arrived on the peninsula tho twenty-llrst of
May, 17C9, 13 days before tho epoch of tho tran-'
sit of Venus. Wo found no (nzilo a pouvolr nous
mettro a lablr), tho inclemency of tho weather. ."
Tho Biivngcs that repaired to us said that a con
tagion wnB prevailing In this country which rav
aged It completely. The interpreter who tjnns
lated this added that they said that In order 'to "
withdraw oursolves from tlie influence pf tills ter-,
riblo mnlndy, it "was necessary" to roipovo'sqhiO"
hundred or more leagues farther to the north. ,
The means of undertaking thltf new Journey,
broken down with fntlguo as wo were; wo had
neither horses nor carriers to transport our bag
gago; It was lmposslblo to march on foot, and wo
shrank from a Journey through a desert. All these
reasons decided us to occupy ourselves with no
business but that which had brought us.
Wo labored to construct an observatory, which
was ready tho twenty-eighth day of May, six days
before tho epoch when we would have need of iL
Wo mado our observations on the third of Juno,
with the greatest exactness.
Tho contagion made new progress ovory day:
a general sorrow reigned In all this part of Cali
fornia; wo wero not long without participating in
it in a distressing manner. This dreadful malady
came upon us six or seven days after tho observa
tion. Wo wero wholly without succor; wo could
not bo useful to ono another, bocnuse wo woro at
tacked almost all at once.
Tho llttlo modlclno that wo had brought from
Franco was useless, from want of knowing how
to apply it.
Nevertheless, tho abbo, all sick as ho was, con
Untied his observations all tho time. After ob
serving nn ocllpso of tho moon, ho at last yield
ed to his falntness, tho delirium or his disease left
him but littlo tlmo to oxamlno himself; ho died
tho first of August, 1709.' Wo wero all dying (I
and tho companions of our voyage), when I had
tho sorrow to closo his eyelids.
Our situation nnd our want or strength Induced
us in this case to bury him without much coro
mony. I devoted somo moments to regret lor tho
loss I had suffered, and in tho height of a disease
from which I did not expect to recovor, I took tho
precaution to collect all tho papers relating to tho
object of tho voyage. I placed them In a caskot
with un address to the viceroy or Mexico. I
earnestly begged somo Indian chiers who woro
about mo to make this casket snfo in case we
should all die, nnd to transmit it to tho vessel
which ought to nrrlvo in tho month or Septomber
to tuke us. My intention in this was to securo to
my country this vnluable depot. I remained in
my condition or sickness, pain nnd wretchedness
until the twenty-ninth of September.
At last tho captain of tho vessel arrived; ho J
had landed at tho island ot Ccralvo, which is situ
ated some 30 leagues from San Jose. My joy was
so much the greater in seeing him that ho pressed
mo to quit tho fearful place where M. L'Abbo
"nappe and all the rest had died. Wo wero car
ried to Ccralvo. I forgot to say that this cruel
contagion had taken from us tho chaplain and
nearly all' the persons that formed our llttlo com
pany. Although sick and oppressed with grief, I was
compelled to undertake the porllous routo which
I had followed In coming, sometimes upon mules,
bsometimes upon the. backs of tho Indians, when it
was necessary to cross tho streams. With all
this trouble, I reached Moxlco the twenty-third
day or Novembor.1709.
,' Thero I wus received by monsieur tho mnrquls
of Croix, vtho viceroy of that country, with a com
passion worthy of that good patriot. Ho had had
the kindness to send to meet mo a carriugo and
his physician. Arrived at tho capital ot Mexico,
and having paid my respects to tho viceroy I wns
lodged by his orders at tho expense of tho city.
When I left Moxlco tho marquis do Croix rec
ommended mo cordially to tho commnndor of
tho Spanish Ileot, In which I embarked. Wo land
ed nt Cadis tho twenty-first of July, 1770. Tho
court was nt tho Escurinl. I had myself taken
thither, nnd presented myself to tho marquis d'Os
sun, then French ambassador in Spain. Ho re
ceived mo with marks of kindness nnd consider
ation, and gnvo orders to show mo whatovor thoy
have to show Btrangors in this royal houso.
He caused mo to dispatch In advanco of tho
party, the strictest orders through tho minister of
customs, that at no pass on my route must bo
searched either myself or tho chests in which
wore the observations which I bore. t
1 did not arrive In Paris till tho fifth of tho fol
lowing December. I Bent to tho Acndomy tho ob
servations thnt wo mado in California. This so
ciety expressed tho greatest satisfaction with my
zoal and my services. Thoy presented mo to tho
king, nnd to nil his ministers. They solicited for
mo a recommendation of my labors. His majesty,
Louis XV. granted mo a small pension of SOOf.
Tho government Is too equitable- to leave mo in
want In tho flower of my ago, aflllctod with tho
ovils which I havo incurred for tho service, nnd
indispensably obliged to havo a servant to lead
mo. 1 hope, then, from his justice nnd from his
goodness, that ho will grant me nn lncreaso of tho
pension sufllcient to enablo mo to accomplish with
&v.euoy tho rest of my public careor.
l
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