The Wanted to Know.

Otago Witness, Issue 2286, 23 December 1897, Page 61

The Wanted to Know.

She boarded the train at a fUg station and took the seat ahead of me, aud when the conductor came for her ticket she mildly inquired : - '• Conductor, does this traia ever run off the track ? "

•'Hardly ever, ma'am," he replied as he winked at me. " Bub it does sometimes." " Yes'm, sometimes." " You don't know whether it will run off today or not ? " •'No, ma'am. If we strike a cow, it probably will." 41 About where might you strike a cow, if you strike one to-day ?"she persisted. "Well, pretty soon after we pass Black River, ma'am," replied the official as h$ went away with a broad grin on his face. B'.ack River was 20 miles down the road. Tbe woman sat very prim and erect until we reached the town and left it. Then she tutued to me with :. , • "Excuse m?, but that was Black River, wasn't it?" 41 Yes'm." ' 14 And if we strike a cow it will be pretty soon, won't it ?-" 11 That's what the conductor said." .. 41 Yes, and he ought to know. ' There' s_ a cow out there bow, and t tuppbse we ought to get. ready for the accident." She got a brace for her feet, grabbed the railing of her seat, and while the fat man across the aisle and I were exchanging winks and nods and flattering ourselves that we knew a thing or two there was a bump, the front end of the coach reared up, and next moment it lurched to the right and went c£E the rails and slid down n.n embankment and brought up in a marsh. There were 28 of us in that car, and every single one* except the woman in the seat ahead suffered severe bruises or broken bones. The entire train went off, and there were 12 killed and about 30 seriously injured. The cause of the mishap was an old spotted cow which had got fast in a cattle-guard. After we had bsen helped out by way of the windows, £ found the woman calmly seated on the grass, and she was just as calmly saying to a weepiDg female bsside her: " I am sorry you( are hurb, but you should hava asked tbe conductor where we were going to strike a cow, and so have bsen prepared for it." — I4M Quad," in the Detroit Free Press.