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tire was one-twentieth of an inch on a
§8 inch centre.
By this means ten engines were nar
rowed in 24 hours, three of which en
gines were “ten wheelers.” This does
not mean merely to slip the tire ; but
the engines were brought to a track
with a third rail, one at a time, bank
ing the fire of the engine, raising them
up sufficiently high for the driving
wheels to clear the track about two
inches, after taking off the pilot and
removing the front trucks as well, and
while the tires were being slipped with
this device the wheels weie taken from
the engine, tender and trucks, carried
into the machine shop, a distance of
some 50 yards and put into a very pow
erful wheel press and each wheel pushed
up inches, the axle being previous
ly turned back that distance. The
engine trucks had been prepared for
the change prior to this by turning the
axles inches from the hub of the
wheels and then putting a collar on
each wheel-hub It, inches thick. On
coming to the change, they broke this
collar off by driving a punch into a
hole in each collar, which had been
drilled there when the collar was put
on. The wheel was then pushed in
the required distance. This work be
in£ done, the truck wheels for both
engine and tender were brought back
to the engine and put into their places
again, the tires having been slipped in
during the meantime.
It is proper here to state that the
superintendent, Mr. R. A. Anderson,
has for a number of months past been
giving the closest possible attention to
having this work done as efficiently
and economically as was practicable.
In this he has been zealously assisted
by the assistant superintendent, Mr.
A. B. Bostick, and the two have
watched every detail of the business
with the greatest interest.
As an evidence of the efficient and
satisfactory manner in which this great
work was performed in all of its details
on the Western and Atlantic Railroad,
we will state that the last train which
ran on the 5 feet gauge left Atlanta at
7:50 on the morning of May 31st, with
Charlie Barrett as engineer, and “Dick”
Hargis as conductor. This train ar
rived at Chattanooga at 1 o’clock P.
M., and turned around, and at 1:30
P. M. left again for Atlanta. At 1:50
o’clock the next afternoon, June Ist,
passenger train No. 1, with engine
“John P. King,” Engineer Robert Mc-
Nab and Conductor J. P. Mays, left
the Union depot at Atlanta on her
schedule time. She arrived at almost
every station exactly on time, and at
7:07 P. M., the very minute she was due
in Chattanooga on regular schedule time,
she ran into the Union depot in that
city, amid the cheers and good-humor
ed applause of quite a number of the
citizens who had gathered there at that
time.
This was a remarkable record. No
other railroad at Chattanooga ran its
trains into that city under three hours
after their regular schedule time, and
in one instance this ran up to as high
as 11 hours after schedule time.
THE GREAT KENNESAW ROUTE GAZETTE.
At 2 o’clock that night the same train
and crew left Chattanooga on schedule
time of train No 12, and at exactly
7:25 A. M., June 2d, entered the Union
depot at Atlanta, promptly on htr
schedule time.
“Bob.” McNab, and “Uncle John”
Mays, as the boys all love to call him,
were worthy of this honor of running
the first train over the new gauge. It
was a fitting compliment especially to
Conductor Mays, who has been nearly
30 years in the continuous service of
the company, that he should have been
complimented with the first run.
We will only add that the second
train which left Atlanta on the new
gauge was the Rome express at 3:40
P. M., June Ist. She arrived at Rome
promptly on schedule time, the Rome
railroad having also successfully chang
ed its gauge. Then, the Marietta ex
press went out at 5:15 for Marietta,
and at 5:55 passenger train No. 1 ) left
Atlanta forChattanooga, arriving there
at 11:39, only four minutes late. At
11 P. M. that night, passenger train
No. 11 left Atlanta and reached Chat
tanooga the next morning at 4:30, ex
actly on time.
At 6:25 P. M., June Ist., freight
schedule, No. 7, alsp left Atlanta in
five sections for Chattanooga and reach
ed that city “ on time.”
Is there a railroad in America which
can equal this record ? It goes with
out saying that none of them can beat
it
The Blue and the Gray.
At this time when all hearts are
warm with the remembrances of “ Me
morial Day,” April 26, in the south,
i and “ Decoration Day,” May 31, in
the north, it is very appropriate that
we reproduce the beautiful poem,
“The Blue and the Gray.” No words
of eulogy of ours could add anything
to the appreciation which our readers
will feel for it:
THE BLUE AND THE GRAY.
(This poem, which appeared originally in
the New York Tribune is founded upon an
incident that occurred at Columbia, Miss.,
on Decoration-Day, 18G7, when flowers were
i strewn upon the graves of Confederate
and Federal soldiers alike.)
By the flow of the inland river,
Whence the fleets of iron have fled,
Where the blades of the grave-grass quiver,
Asleep are the ranks of the dead ;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day ;
Under the one, the Blue;
Under the other, the Grey.
These in the robings of glory,
Those in the gloom of defeat;
All with the battle-blood gory,
In the dusk of eternity meet;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day ;
Under the laurel, the Blue,
Under the willow, the Grey.
From the silence of sorrowful hours
The desolate mourners go,
Lovingly laden with flowers
Alike for the friend and the foe;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day ;
Under the roses, the Blue;
Under the lilies, the Grey.
So with an equal splendor,
I The morning sun-rays fall,
With a touch impartially tender,
On the blossoms blooming for all;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day ;
Bordered with gold, the Blue,
Mellowed with gold, the Grey.
So when the summer calleth
On forest and field of grain,
With an equal mariner falleth
The cooling drip of the rain ;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day ;
Wet with the rain, the Blue,
Wet with the rain, the Grey.
Sadly, but not with upbraiding
The generous deed was done;
In the storm of the years that are fading,
No braver battle was won;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day ;
Under the blossoms, the Blue;
Under the garlands, the Grey.
No more shall the war-cry sever,
Or the winding rivers be red ;
They banish our anger forever,
When they laurel the graves of our dead ;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgement day ;
Love and tears for the Blue,
Tears and love for the Grey.
View from Allatoona Mountain.
There is no grander scene anywhere
in Northwest Georgia than that from
the summit of Allatoona Mountain.
The writer hereof, a few days ago,
in company with a couple of friends,
one of whom resides at Allatoona, on
the Western and Atlantic Railroad,
went up on the summit of Allatoona
mountain, which is about a mile north
westward from the station of the same
name. The day was very fair, and
the temperature in the valleys was
somewhat warm, but on the summit
of the mountain, after climbing the
steep sides leisurely, we were refreshed
by a most delicious breeze.
The first thing we sought for was
the famous old “signal tree,” whose
history was told in the May number of
The Great Kennesaw Route Ga
zette.
This tree has
been dead for
several years.
A portion of
the trunk,
about twenty
five feet high,
is still stand
ing. The bal
ance of it lies
on the ground
near by. It
was a pine
tree, and much of the heart of it is sdll
sound. While it was alive and stand
ing it could be very plainly seen from
the Western and Atlantic trains as
they ran northward from Allatoona
station.
Leaving this historic old relic, we
walked to another pine tree, not very
far distant, and this we climbed so as
to obtain a view of the surrounding
country, without being interfered with
by the undergrowth.
The view from the summit is very
varied and of intense interest. North
ward and westward the Etowah river
can be seen winding* through the hills
for several miles. On the east are the
I rugged hills and mountains which
stretch over towards and into Gilmer
county. Near the foot of the moun
tain on the east Allatoona Creek could
be seen winding among the steep and
wood-covered hills. Southward and
i westward the Western and Atlantic
could be seen, now with its red em
i bankments crossing the valleys, now
»■-
ffi
with deep cuts through the hill-sides,
prominent among which was the fa
rnous “Allatoona Pass,” one of the
deepest artificial railroad cuts in the
Southern States. The famous battle
at that point was described in our last
issue. Westward could be seen the
rugged hills which line the Western
and Atlantic Railroad, and beyond
them the valley of Pumpkin Vine
creek.
Far to the west, lining the horizon,
was the“Allatoonaßidge’of hills.which
run northward from the vicinity of
New Hope church to the Etowah riv
er. Cartersville could be seen to the
northwest; Stegall’s in the same di
rection but several miles nearer, and
Acworth some seven or eight miles
distant, were plainly visible; and,
rearing their summits very prominent
ly above the horizon on the south and
southeast, were Kennesaw, Pine and
Lost Mountains, where was the famous
triangular position which Johnston
held against Sherman in June, 1864,
after falling back from Allatoona, and
where he was compelled by Sherman’s
flank movements to successively aban
don Lost and Pine Mountains before
the great battle of Kennesaw Moun
tain, on June 27, 1864.
The rough, wooded country, south
west, in the direction of New Hope
church, was under the full sweep of
the eye. It is questionable whether
the summit of any mountain in North
west Georgia brings directly under
one’s glance the scenes of more hardly
contested and famous fights and other
military operations than those visible
from the summit ot Allatoona Mountain.
It is well worth a trip to that point
to enjoy these beautiful and historic
scenes.
The Western and Atlantic railroad
runs more passenger trains over the
same rails than any other railroad in
the South.
UM— I I I < ■>T*’-'rv:T--»rww ■H'y. L-B IM— III I
THE FISHING LINE.
TAKE THE
Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad,
The Direct Route to Traverse City, Petoskey,
Mackinac, Marquette, and other Delightful Health
and Summer Resorts of
NORTHERN MICHIGAN.
And the Celebrated Trout and Grayling Streams,
Beautiful Lakes and Grand Forests of this Fa
mous Country.
The Waters of Northern Michigan are unsur
passed, if equalled, in the abundance and great
variety of fish contained.
Brook Trout abound in the streams, and the fa
mous American Grayling is found only in these
waters:
The Trout season begins May Ist and ends Sep
tember Ist. The Grayling season opens June Ist
and ends November Ist.
Black Bass, Pike, Pickerel and Muskalongue
also abound in large numbers in the many Jakes
and lakelets of this terrritory.
Take your family with you. The scenery of the
North Woods and Lakes is very beautiful Th
air is pure, dry and bracing.
The climate* is peculiarly beneficial to those
suffering with Hav Fever and Asthmatic Affec
tions.
New hotels with all modern improvementshave
been erected, as well as many extensive additions
to the older one, which will’guarantee ample ac
commodations for all.
The completion of this line to Mackinaw City,
forms the most direct route to Mackinac, St. Ig
nace, and in connection with the Detroit, Mack
inac & Marquette R. R., to Houghton, Hancock,
Marquette, Negaunee, L’Anse, and all points in
the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
During the season Round Trip Excursion Tick
ets will be Sold at Low Rates, and attractive train
facilities offered to Tourists and Sportsmen.
For Tourist’s Guide, Time Cards and Folders,
giving full information, address
C L. LOCKWOOD.
Gen'l Pass'r Ag't, Grand Rapids, Mich.
3