From the Cortland Standard of Cortland, NY
Tuesday, June 2, 1874

    An escaped train on this road heavily freighted with wood, started from the summit of Crumb Hill, Thursday, May 23rd, and came down to DeRuyter at the rate of sixty miles an hour notwithstanding all the brakes were applied. As it approached the crossing on Utica street no alarm was given by whistle or bell, and James Hunt who happened to be passing at that moment with horse and wagon, came within four inches of being annihilated by the tearing thunderbolt.

   As it sped past the station, the hands at the depot heard nothing but a whiz and saw a blue streak. They had barely time to say, what's that? It shot into Cortland county, and went as far as the summit of the Boyce farm were it stopped. No material damage was done. The hands were engaged unloading wood, when it got loose, and those of them who were aboard, among whom was R.D. Lewis, stuck to the flying dragon and let her went. But we understand that Dick, nor the others, care to repeat the ride. - DeRuyter New Era.

---

   Under the new time table of the Midland road, this branch was never so miserably accommodated as now. We can neither go to Syracuse nor come from there by it, without being obliged to stay over night in Cortland. It is the same via Norwich. The way-travel is entirely ignored. The people at Truxton, ten miles from Cortland, can go there at night arriving just in time to see the stores shut, and return home in the morning, leaving just before they open.

   Norwich is twenty-eight miles from us, Cortland twenty and Syracuse only twenty eight. If anything were wanting to demonstrate the incompetency of the management, this last arrangement supplies the missing link. Our people will immediately start a stage line from here to Webster's Station near Cazenovia, on the Syracuse and Chenango Valley road, by which we can to to the city, transact business and return the same day. As it is now we can go no where and arrive at Nothing. - DeRuyter New Era.