Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

12 THE RACINE. A “Sleeper” with a Charmed Life. Somehow or other everything which is a part and parcel of the Western & Atlantic Railroad organization seems to be attended with unusually good luck or special Providence, whichever one you may term it. This is true to such an extent that the men on the Western & Atlantic Railroad have naturally come into the habit of thinking what they have on their road is a little better than the same thing that any other railroad has. We can best illustrate this idea by a reference to the old sleeping-car, “Ra-- cine,” which has been running on the Western & Atlantic Railroad, either in local or through lines, for the last doz en years or more. The Racine is said to be one of the oldest cars in the Pullman service; but, as a Pullman official recently remarked, she is one of the best constructed and strongest cars ever turned out of the Pullman company’s shops. In her early days she was considered a model of a fine car, and all of the wine drinking and “show you a palace” occasions were given on her. Some of the incidents in her career have something racy if not almost phe nomenal connected with them. It is stated that some few years ago, for in stance, when she was running in the through line of the Great Kennesaw Route, she was the last car of an L. & N. train, which was derailed between Montgomery and New Orleans. The engine leaped from the track, dragging the postal car, baggage car and every other car in the entire train, until it came the Racine’s time to go. This she declined to do in a very practical manner by breaking the coupling which connected her with the next car; but, as the track was torn up some fifty yards or more by the derailment of the rest of the train, it seemed that she had the common fate before her. The momentum, however, carried her straight forward, now jumping from cross-tie to cross-tie, until reach ing the point where the track was all right, she bounced forward and leaped squarely on the rails and ran nearly two car lengths and then stopped, smiling and making her best bow T , as it were, with nobody hurt, though sev eral of the passengers were like the Yankee in a railroad accident in Ver mont, “ right smartly skeert.” On another occasion she was in an accident on the W. & A., a number of years ago, (it has been a long time since the W. <fc A. had an accident worth recording.) The rest of the train left the track, and inasmuch as the W. & A. never does anything by halves, this time the Racine had to keep company with her partners. When the train-men recovered them selves, however, and looked around to see how badly everything had fared, the Racine merely reported one broken window glass —nobody hurt and noth ing else the matter with her. On still another occasion she was in an accident where the rest of the train left the track and the Racine did like wise ; but following the example she set in the first instance recorded, she jumped on the track again and came to a full halt, although the rest of the cars still remained off. Without going into the recital of any more of the escapades which she has had a part in, during her long ca reer, it is well to call to mind the fact that a couple of winters ago, while standing down opposite the Markham House, she w’as discovered to be on fire, the pipe of the stove being defec tive. Some one seeing the flames, and learning that they had the Racine, re marked, “I wish the darned old thing w T ould burn up, and then they w’ould replace her with a pretty car!” The fire had gotten considerable headway, and if it had been any other car there would have been nothing left but the trucks and wheels and a bill for the insurance company to settle; but not so could it be with the Racine. The efficient fire department of At lanta turned out in a hurry, and, al though the night was so cold that the water was freezing, still enough of it was secured to extinguish the flames, and the damages next morning were found to amount to less than fifty dol lars. One of the W. & A. men remarked of her, that Pullman must have “rub bed his rabbit foot” over her when he built her. The Racine does not run regularly ; but is held as a supernumerary car, whenever the Oconee, the Ocmulgee, or any of the other regular cars are sent to the repair shop for a day or so, and whenever she comes out she seems to bring good luck with her. It mav have been that for several nights business had been rather light; but, as was remarked a short time since, “if the W. & A. people want to be certain of having a good crowd on I No. 11 or 12 just let them hope that ' some of the other cars will get out of fix and that the Racine will have to be put on the run. If she is, then you can count on it that there will be any where from ten to fifteen people who will want railroad tickets and sleeping car accommodations that night over the W. & A.” So remarkable has been her record for good luck that it has gotten to be a by-word among the train-men of the W. & A., when informed that the Ra cine is to be put on for the run that night: “Well, if you have got the old Racine you are just as sure to get to Chattanooga on time as if you were already there. You can’t have any accident or miss a schedule if she’s i along.” Talk about the “old reliable” as be ing a favorite title. You would pay as great a compliment if you would substitute the word “Racine” for “re liable.” “A homely old critter she is; but she is the Mascotte for safety and a crowded train for whatever conductor THE KENNESAW GAZETTE. has her,” was said about her recently, and as this is a good expression to stop with, we will quit right here. A Railroad with Gold Roadbed and Marble Ballast. The Marietta & North Georgia Rail road, which is reached via the West ern & Atlantic Railroad at Marietta, is probably the only railroad in Ameri ca which, in addition to being ballasted a portion of the way with marble, also has its bridge piers made of white mar ble. Quite a “daisy” line, one would say. It is also the only railroad in Ameri ca, probably, which runs right through a gold mine. A funny anecdote is related in this connection of the linemen of the West ern Union Telegraph Company, who were erecting the telegraph poles along this road a short time ago, for the pur pose of extending the telegraph line from Marietta to the upper terminus of the road. Arriving at the gold mine, they were just in the act of digging a hole for a post, when a brusque old country man came up, and in a somewhat for cible manner notified them that they could not dig in that soil, as he had leased it. Upon explaining to him their pur pose, the countrymanagreed to a com promise, which was to the effect that the telegraph folks were to dig the hole, and that he was to wash the dirt, and that they were to divide equally the gold therein found. The work of excavation accordingly commenced, and within a short time was done with, when the countryman, who had been closely watching the procedure, remarked to the telegraph man that a the latter could “have every durn’d bit of gold which could be found in that dirt,” as he would not wash it for the small amount he saw would reward him for his pains. The “Old Reliable” Georgia Railroad. This is the expression that is gen erally used in speaking of it. Its schedules are wonderfully regular. In fact, even “The Sidetrack” takes off its hat to the Georgia Railroad, when it comes to regularity in making advertised schedule time. Taking the sleeping-car lines which run from Nashville and Cincinnati over the Western & Atlantic Railroad, to Atlanta, passengers make close con nection in the Union depot at Atlanta for Grovetown, Augusta, Aiken and Charleston, S. C. No other line from the West goes into the Union Passenger Depot. On the contrary, if passengers come from the West via any other line to Atlanta, en route to the points named above, there is a cold, dreary omnibus trans fer in Atlanta. Only one change of cars, (and that in the Union Depot at Atlanta,) for passengers coming over the Western & Atlantic Railroad between Cincinnati and Aiken, or Nashville and Aiken. The Kennesaw Route always ahead. Old Folks at Home. ’Way down upon de S’wanee ribber, Far, far away, Dere’s wha’ my heart is turning eber, Dere’s wha’ de old folks stay. All up and down the whole creation, Sadly I roam, Still longing for de old plantation, And for de old folks at home. Chorus— All de world am sad and dreary Eb’ry where I roam, Oh! darkies, how my heart grows weary, Far from de old folks at home. All around de little farm I wander’d When I was young, Den many happy days I squander’d, Many de songs I sung. When I was playing wid my brudder, Happy was I, Oh, take me to my kind old mudder, Dere let me live and die. Chorus — One little hut among de bushes. One dat I love, Still sadly to my mem’ry rushes, No matter where 1 rove. When will I see de bees a humming, All round de comb? When will 1 hear de banjo tramming, Down in my good old home. Chorus — Looking Out for No. 1. The Marietta & North Georgia Railroad runs through what was for merly called the “ fork field ” of old Uncle Jack Alexander. Old Uncle Jack was a character in his day, being a zealous Whig politic ian and also a very well-to-do farmer. In his latter days his mind began to turn to the fact that it would be best for him to make his will. According ly, on the occasion of a visit of his warm persona] friend, General Han sell, he concluded to put this idea into effect. Hansell commenced to draw up the document. Alexander would enumer ate the various items of property which he owned and give the disposition of them to one relative or another. Af ter some time had been taken up in this, at last, after meditating for sev eral minutes, he slowly remarked : “Well, Hansell, I believe that is about all. I don’t call to mind any thing else I have to will away.” “ Oh, no,” said General Hansell, “ there’s one thing that you have for gotten, and that’s very important.” “ Oh, why, what is it?” said Alex ander. “ Why, it is the fork field,” said Hansell, “your fine farm which lies right at the junction of the Cartecay and Ellijay rivers. You have not willed that to anybody ?” • “ Oh, no, Hansell, I didn’t forget it; but the truth of the matter is I have concluded I will keep that my self. Old Jack ain’t dead yet, himself.” Only via the Western and Atlantic railroad can you go to Elizabeth, “the marble city of Georgia,” where there is the most wonderful marble cutting machinery in the world. Tourists will miss it if they do not stop at Ma rietta and go up to Elizabeth, only two miles distant, immediately at the foot of the famous Kennesaw Moun tain.