Part 14 (1/2)

A QUICK WAY

Sohlands, a Highlander heard of it, and bought a ticket for the first excursion The train was about half the distance to the next station when a collision took place, and poor Donald was thrown uncere his senses, he hbours asked him how he liked his ride ”Oh,” replied Donald, ”I liked it fine; but they have an awfu' nasty quick way in puttin' ane oot”

HIGHLANDER AND A RAILWAY ENGINE

We rehland peasant who happened to see a railway engine for the first ti down from the Grampians into Perthshi+re, and he thus described the novel ination:-”I was looking doon the glens, when I saw a funny beast blowing off his perspiration; an' I ran doon, an' I tried to stop hiave an awfu' skirl an'

disappeared into a hole”-(, of course, a tunnel)

-_Once a Week_

EXTRACTS FROM MACREADY'S DIARIES

”July 3rd, 1845-Brewster called to cut et paid in London, for all the money was employed in railroads”

”June 19th, 1850-We were surprised by the entrance of Carlyle and Mrs

C- I was delighted to see theainst railroads-he was quite in one of his exceptious moods”

FREAKS OF CONCEALED BOGS

Great difficulties have often been encountered by engineers in carrying earth ereen surface, concealed the rereat depth Thus, on the Leeds and Bradford Extension, about 600 tons of stone and earth were daily cast into an e the stuff thrown in on the preceding day was found to have disappeared This went on for , and forcing up on either side a spongy black ridge of moss On the South-Western Railway a heavy eround near Newham, the surface of which seemed to be perfectly sound and fir lay concealed; and the ground giving way, the fluid, pressed from beneath the embankment, raised the adjacent meadows in all directions like waves of the sea A culvert, which permitted the flow of a brook under the bank, was forced down, the passage of the water entirely stopped, and several thousand acres of the finest land in Hampshi+re would have been flooded but for the exertions of the engineer, who completed a new culvert just as the other had becoreen eave way in like manner, and to such an extent as to spread out two or three tiinal width In this case it was found necessary to carry the line across the parts which yielded, under strong timber shores On the Dundalk and Enniskillen line a heavy eht in the bog of Meghernakill, nearly adjoining the river Fane The bed of the river was forced up, and the flow of the water for the ti country heavily flooded A concealed bog of even greater extent, on the Durham and Sunderland Railway, near Aycliff, was crossed by th A feeeks after the line had been opened, part of the road sank one night entirely out of sight The defect wassurface of the road at this portion of the bog

-_Quarterly Review_

A RAILWAY MARRIAGE

In Maine, a conductor-too busy, we suggest, saying ”Go ahead!” to be particular about wedding formalities-invited his betrothed and a minister into a car, and while the train was inthat station a bachelor, at this station he was a married oes in this fast country

-_New York Nation_

ATTEMPTED FRAUDS