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Page: of 281
76 MARCH 23, 24, 26, 1872 GRASS VALLEY UNION
The noisy nuisance called “the Devil’s Fiddle’ has arrived, and in it we recognize an old
acquaintance under a new name. When we were a boy, the mention of the word our mind
flies back something less than three quarters of a century, this same Devil’s Fiddle was
popular among the youths of our town, and was then known as the “Dumb Bull,” although
how it came by this name we never could make out, as it was anything but dumb in the
hands of a skilled manipulator.
The method of getting them up then was something in this way: A large tin or zinc
cylinder was procured; over one end was drawn a dressed cat or groundhog skin, after the
manner of a drum head. After this had dried and become perfectly tight an awl hole was
made in the center through which was drawn a shoemaker’s waxed thread with a knot on
the end to prevent it from slipping through. To operate on the instrument, you rosien [sic]
the thumb and forefinger of your glove, and inserting your arm at the end of the cylinder,
gently drawing the waxed thread through between the rosiened [sic] thumb and finger.
The act produces a sound the like of which has never been heard since the toot from the
scriptural ram’s horn.
But the Dumb Bull has degenerated to an oyster can and a bit of sewing thread. The
Devil’s Whistle is the squealing son of a roaring sire, and the sooner he is banished from the
city the better.
A HERO.—Yesterday afternoon a freight train, going east, left Colfax station. After proceeding
a few miles and before the train reached Cape Horn, nineteen freight cars became detached from the
locomotive, and these came back toward Colfax at great speed. There was danger that the runaway
cars would meet the passenger train then almost due. A stranger at Colfax, standing on the platform
at the side of the track, saw the thundering train coming down the grade and bent on destruction.
The stranger nerved himself, and jumped upon the loosened train of cars. He then quietly put down
the brakes and soon succeeded in stopping the train. The man who did that was a hero. We learn that
the man who stopped the runaway train is a breakman [sic] of the C.P.R.R. His name is McRigan.
SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 1872
THAT RUNAWAY TRAIN.—The freight train which ran away on Friday, and about which we
had a notice yesterday, started from Secret Ravine, above Cape Horn. The brake-men were helping
to wood-up when 19 cars became detached from the engine and took the back track with not a man
on board. The train was seen by Mr. Voss, to weather Cape Horn without an engine, and he ran to
Colfax to give notice of the danger. Soon after he got in the station the train came thundering by.
The switchman on duty leaped to get into the caboose car and he dragged himself along for several
hundred feet when he got inside of the car. He then climbed over the cars and put down the brakes
in time to prevent the runaway freight trains from colliding with the upbound passenger train,
collection was taken up and the brave switchman was rewarded somewhat,. Judge Niles and Dudley
Hoyt being the principal contributors. The Central Railroad Company should promote that man. He
is worthy of a big trust on the line.
TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1872
BORN. At Grass Valley, March 23d, to JOHN ELLIS and Wife, a Son.
At Boston Ravine, on March 24th, to JOSEPH BUZZA and Wife, a Daughter.
DIED. At Clipper Saw Mill, near Grass Valley, March 24th, JOHN [P.] LITTLE, aged about 57
years, a native of Virginia.
SUICIDE OF JOHN LITTLE—CORONER’S INQUEST.—Last Saturday night, or Sunday