Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1886 — He Couldn’t Scare Cassatt. [ARTICLE]

He Couldn’t Scare Cassatt.

“Talking about fast running,” said an old railroader, “reminds me of a little story of A. J. Cassett, formerly of the Pennsylvania Road, but now in retirement as Mr. Kelsb, proprietor of a racing stable. Well, Cassatt was on the line between New York and Philadelphia one day a few years ago.and at Jersey City got up into the locomotive with which Jim Sanford was starting

for Philadelphia with No. 18, the flying train, which then, as now, made the ninety-mile run in one hundred and twelve minutes. When he got along down by Menlo Park, Jim thought he would have some fun with Cassatt, and so he let her out. When she struck an easy grade two or three miles were covered at the rate of forty-seven seconds to the mile, which is frightful running—nearly seventy-seven miles an hour. Jim kept looking over to Cassatt, hoping the Vice President would show some signs of fear. But Cassatt kept looking out of the window of the shaking, plunging, careening engine without a change of color or expression on his face. Einally.he turned to Jim and inquired: “ ‘Say, is that the best she can do ? Can’t she go faster than this ?’ “That was the last time Jim Sanford tried to scare A. J. Cassatt. ‘Why,’ says Jim. when he tells the story, as he pretty -often does, ‘I was a leetle s.airt myself, not bein’ sartin if the machine would hang together at that frightful pace, and when Cassatt up and wanted to go faster I give up in despair. Never saw such a man in my life.’ ” Chicago Herald.