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ALL ABOARD, ALL ABOARD PLEASE!
(Comment: As the Train leaves the
depot, the engineer blows the whistle a couple of times and rings the bell
for a short distance. The Train pulls out of the depot very slowly.)
Howdy folks, this is your old Train
engineer Casey Jones speaking! I'd like to welcome you aboard the
Frontier Village and Southern Pacific Railroad (this was later changed to
Rio Grande Railroad when RGI purchased FV). I hope that you enjoy your
trip around the Village and through some of the neighboring Santa Clara
Valley countryside, provided that none of you are pickpockets, card sharks
gun slingers, carpet baggers, or any other polecat like that. 'Cause if you
are, and you decide to try anything on my train, I'll just have to treat you
the way they did a hundred years ago. That is, put you off the Train, and
make you walk back to town, B-A-R-E-F-O-O-T!
On our journey around
Frontier Village, we are going to see many strange and unusual sights, many
of which were common just a hundred years ago. The first one is off to our
right, the Frontier Village Stage Line and Burro Pack Train. If you folks
have a chance, you might like to m-o-s-e-y over and try those rides. I
understand that there is
excitement and thrills at every bend
and turn in the road.
Now I don't want to scare you or
anything like that, but up there on your left you'll see a fort. You'd
better take a good L-O-N-G look at it, 'cause it's our last protection until
we get out of the badlands, the land of the desperado and the Indian. Once
we get beyond the sight of those troopers behind those rifles, it's going to
be - every - man - for- himself.
As we cross over
Out
Post Road, we are on our own. If we should come
under attack, which we do quite often,
about the best advice I can give
you folks is to duck underneath your
seats. As for ol' Casey, well, I'll just have to look out for my own hide,
so I'll try to out run them.
Since you folks are my passengers, I
think it's only fair to warn you
though that I don't always make it.
In fact, my luck is just about a
good as that old stagecoach off to our
right. (Comment: This was where
there was an old broken down stage
coach off to the side, resting into
eternity).
One of the hazards of rail travel back
in the early 1870's was the
possibility of a buffalo stampede.
Well, here at
Frontier Village, we
don't have that danger, but we do have
a buffalo. His name is Cimmeron, and he's off to your left. Cimmeron
comes to us by way of the B-BAR-B Ranch in Gillette, Wyoming (Comment: A
few engineers were also known to have claimed that Cimmeron came from the
Bar-B-Q Ranch in Gillette, Wyoming). Say "Howdy" to the folks, Cimmeron!
(Comment: At this point, a few engineers were also known to ad lib the
following phrase: "Cimmeron is not always that easy to see, but I can assure
you folks, if the wind changes, you'll know that he is there!")
(The engineer slows the Train to a slow
speed, as it rounds the turn
ahead that leads into the clearing).
Right along here I'd like to warn my
passengers not to be standing up or moving around the Train. As we round
this bend, we'll be heading right into the heart of
Indian
Territory, and the Indians out here aren't very friendly. If I were you
folks, I'd be on the look out for any moving bushes along the side of the
tracks. You never can tell when a bush is moving 'cause of the wind, or
maybe there is an Indian behind it. Watch c-l-o-s-e-l-y!!!
For those of you who have never seen a
real castle before, just take a
look off to your left. That belonged
to the late Congressman Hayes. It was built to replace his original home
which was shaken down by the Great 1906 Earthquake. I understand there are
sixty-four (64) big and vacant rooms up there. Most of them are dark and
empty, and they just sit there as a silent salute to the days of
yesteryear. At one time, it was the highlight of social activity here in
the
Santa Clara Valley. Many prominent people
have slept in some of those rooms; people like Teddy Roosevelt and Herbert
Hoover. (Comment: For many years, the Hayes mansion was in a state of
great disrepair, almost resembling a "ghost" house. Today, the Hayes
mansion is a thriving convention and hospitality center serving the
Santa Clara Valley. Check it out:
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/santaclara/hay.htm,
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Veranda/4103/hayes.html).
Off to your left is another type of
home, the hideout of Dakota. Looks
like he's out right now, but he'll be
back shortly. (Comment: Dakota had a small encampment with a lean-to type
one-man shelter off to the left.)
From the looks of those freshly dug
graves along the right side of the
track, I'd say Dakota had some visitors
last night. Unfortunately, they won't be leaving the same way we are! In
fact, it looks like one of them died with their boots on! (Comment: One of
the two graves had a couple boots sticking out of the ground, and a head
marker, which I believe was marked with the name of "Luther Cowbreath").
We are now entering the most peaceful
part of our journey. Passing along on our right is the beautiful Frontier
Village Group Picnic Area. This area is reserved for large company
picnics. Companies who sponsor their picnics at
Frontier Village will enjoy the many added recreational facilities available
to them. (Comment: That included Volleyball, Horseshoes, Baseball, and Beer
Guzzling)
If you folks will look around you, you
will see part of over one hundred different varieties of trees and foliage
that are growing here in
Frontier Village.
(Now, the Engineer brings the Train to
almost a complete stop, using only the air brake to keep the Train at a slow
speed, then proceeds through the Tunnel as he presents the next portion of
the spiel).
Ut-Oh!!!!! Look what's up ahead!
It's Old Teetering Tunnel, the most famous and d-a-n-g-e-r-o-u-s part of our
journey. If you kind folks will sit real quiet and don't move around too
much, I'll tell you the story behind this old tunnel.
You see......... It all happened one
day when we were carrying a large
shipment of gold aboard! Somehow.
Dakota found out about it, so he
decided to hold up the train. Since
the train was so heavily guarded,
the only way he could get the gold was
to blow up the tunnel with the
train inside.
As the train began to enter the tunnel,
Dakota stuck a charge of dynamite underneath the tunnel foundation! When
the train was completely inside the tunnel, he set off the charge of
dynamite! Luckily, he didn't blow up the tunnel or get the gold, but he did
succeed in shaking loose the tunnel from its foundation, leaving the tracks
hanging in mid-air. You see the only thing holding up this old tunnel is 50
feet of thin air. So, if you think you see the walls of the tunnel swaying
back an forth, it's not your imagination, they really ARE swaying. About
the only moving around I'd be doing back there would be to cross my fingers.
Right along about this place last week, a young boy in the last car had the
misfortune of sneezing, and he sent the last car falling down into the
canyon far below. It might be a nice gesture if you folks in the first car,
would turn around and wave good-bye to those good folks in the last car!
Daylight up ahead! Looks like the
first half of the rain made it, but
I'm not so sure about the second half.
Well, looks like we all made
it.......... THIS time!
(Comment: Now the train starts to
speed up as it exits the tunnel and
rounds the last bend before crossing
Main Street at Central Square, and
enters into the train station).
Off to your right is another exciting
Frontier Village ride. It's the
Wild Stampede. (Comment: In later
years, the Stampede was replaced by
the "Tarantula"). I understand it's
like being caught in the middle of a heard of stampeding buffalo.
Now as we round this bend and wind our
way back into the Village, will
you kind folks please look around you,
on the floor of the car and on the sea beside you. If you find any old
tomahawks, bows, arrows, or day-old Indian scalps, please return them to me
upon arriving at the depot. You see, we have a treaty with the Indians
saying that you folks will return all of their things, and we wouldn't want
to break our treaty now, would we?
As we pull back into the depot, I have
one last request. Please remain
seated until the train comes to a
complete stop. You may then exit to
the front or rear of the train. The
center gate is for on coming
passengers only. This is your ol'
engineer, Casey Jones, hoping you
enjoyed your trip, and have a pleasant
day here at
Frontier Village.
(End of Spiel)
Pat Hanna
'67-'79
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