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<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS">Bluefield Daily Telegraph<BR>April 14,
1909</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=4>ATTEMPT IS MADE TO WRECK TRICYCLE</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center>-----</DIV>
<DIV align=center><STRONG>Tie Placed Across Track Would Have Caused Serious
Trouble If Struck</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left> It has become known that an attempt was made
to wreck a tricycle on which B. W. Stras, of Tazewell, and Campbell Stras, of
McComas were riding one day last week near Springton [<EM>West
Virginia</EM>]. Campbell Stras is manager of a coal operation near
Springton, where B. W. Stras had gone on a business trip, being interested in
mining coal at that place. B. W. Stras was invited down to Campbell Stras'
operation to dine with him, and upon his acceptance of the invitation, Campbell
Stras brought a tricycle after him, the distance being several miles.
While they were returning, a chain broke on the machine, and it had to be pushed
the rest of the distance. Just as they were rounding a sharp curve, they
found lying crossways of the track a large railroad tie, which, if they had
struck it with the machine, would have wrecked the machine, and probably
seriously injured its occupants. No reason, whatever, for the placing of
the tie upon the track could be given by either of them, other than that robbery
was the intention of the person who placed it upon the track. If the tie
had not been noticed and removed by them, a serious wreck might have been caused
to a passenger or freight train.</DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=left>[<EM>Springton was on the right fork of the N&W's
Bluestone-Widemouth branch and in the early years saw three passenger trains a
day as well as freight trains. What were these non-railroad employees
doing on the track on a tricycle?</EM>]</DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Script size=6>Gordon
Hamilton</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>