Show Bob Owens Bull Bob Owens bull was the property of a railroad rail-road president says the St Louis QlcbeDem ocrat and occupies a conspicuous place in railroad history Marion Sheridan Knowles of the Savannah Florida and Western road enjoyed a personal acquaintance with the leading characters in this bit of railroad history his-tory and says he knew the bull by sight He describes the animal as a magnificent specimen the Durham breed with Jovian crest an eye of firo and bright scarlet nostrils nos-trils Ho was a bull with a fairly good opinion opin-ion of himself and ho didnt care much who knew it Bob Owens president of the Nor fold and Western road running between Bristol in West Virginia and Norfolk Va bought him in England and installed him as master of the herd on a very fine farm which he owned directly on tho lino of tho road One of tho characters on the Norfolk and Western was an engineer by tho narne of Alf Whalen an excellent man in his business and with a national reputation for nervo and coolness One bright day when Whalen was I running a freight train down the side of the mountain at the base of which is situated Owens stock farm ho was a trifle disconcerted discon-certed to see in the center of the track di rectly ahead of him thefanmiis Durham bull with his tail standing straight up head erect and pawing the ground savagely The train was running at an unusually rapid rate but Whalen pulled the throttle open and the engine bounded ahead for all there was in her The bull was hit fairly and lifted lift-ed over the mountain side in a twinkling Tho station agent at tho farm when Wha len told him what had happened telegraphed President Owens tho facts Whalen pulled into the depot at Norfolk two hours later and was met by Owens Old Bob was wild with rage Ho spoke with difficulty Well said he you playedI 1 Howhowwhat do you mean asked poor Whalen Killed my bull did you eht Well now see here Mr Owens if you wanted that bull to run on this road you should have put him on the schedule You see he was running on my time The track and right of way belonged to me and I just took it |