RECORD RAILWAY RUN IN AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12955, 26 August 1905, Page 4 (Supplement)

RECORD RAILWAY RUN IN AMERICA.

A message from New York relates that Mr* Scotty, the millionaire miner of California/ who is known as " the Croesus of Death Valley," has succeeded in lowering the railway record from Los Angclos to Chicago. One Sunday he hired a train for £1000, and, with an engineer named Schwatz, started on his attempt to cover the 2267 miles in less than 50 hours 45 minute?. "A record to Chicago or bust!" shouted Sonify, waving a red bandanna handker-l chief, as the "Cowboy, Limited," began its journey. The parly in the special included a yellow dog for luck and Mrs. Scotty, who could be seen by the crowds on the' Santa Fc railway stations hanging terror-stricken on the anus of a chair in the observation car as the train shot by. Four negroes were on board—experts in "cracking ice and mix* iug drinks. _ Everything along the whole length of the line was side-tracked or derailed to give au open road. " For heaven's sake* Scotty told each suo«. ceeding engine-driver, "let's break the v& cord, but 1 don't' want to break uothin' else, neither docs the little woman nor the yaller pup." When 400 miles from Chicago Scottv had saved nearly five hours, and in view of the fact that the roadbed improves the nearer it gets to Chicago the special arrived in Chicago, beating Peacock special's " race against death" in 1900 by only four minutes less than six hours. Eliminating slops, the run was made in 46h. 55m., or an average for the exact distance of 2244 miles of 51 miles an hour. . ( -1 lie real mane of the millionaire is Waltei Scott, who found gold a few years ago in the mysterious canyons of "Death Valley," whose scorching nitre plains arc whitened'bj the bones of hundreds of treasure-hunters.