Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-07-09
THE SIGNAL LIGHT.
Rn1

A" Interesting N" ,,!.., of Life on the
Tnylors Fast Life on tho Modern Highway
An engineer who had neglected to
display his red lamp tagging signal,
md being reminded of The omission
when approaching the train against
which he was bearing the flag, attempt
ed to prevent the inevitable collision by
u mode not in the rules, made the fol-
lowing singular statement to the gene-
raj superintendent:
YOu see, when We got tho order I
went to the front of the engine to help
my fireman to fasten on the lamp. The
iron strap had got bent and would not
60 into the slot made to hold it, so We
tied it OH with piece of rope. It
delayed us just about minute fixing
this.
"Was it lighted o.
Yes, sir. After taking so much
trouble to fix lamp on wc should not
be sogrccn as to 60 away withouta light
in it.
Well, wo wcro n little behind time,
aud had not much to spare to save tho
! connection. was keeping sharp
lookout ahead, md VIC were getting
along pretty fsst.
It was not clear night and itwns not
a thick night; had good view Of
things ahead.
! Well, sir, you may think I've lost my
senses, but I tell you solemnly that I
saw woman, or q wOman's ghost,
walking straight up the middle Of the
track toward my engine
It was no use whistling, she was 50
close. crawled ont of the cab window
as quick rs could, md went along to-
ward the front just in time to SEQ tho
form sitting on the buffer-beam and
putting out the light in the rcd lamp.
The creature got off when it saw me,
and walked away in frontof the engine,
and as we Numbered along after it,
it somehow disappeared.
I got back into the cab trembling
! some.
told John the light was out, and to
go and get it aud light it.
After he had done it we went out and
tied it on.
went to see if it was burning all
right and it was burning bright.
I said nothing to Jack about what I
had seen.
Well, it was no moro than three min
utes, and we were going on smart,
when I saw that Same figure walking
up the track towards the engine as be-
fore.
"Jack," I cried, "look there!''
Jack had already seen it, and had
sounded long whistle and began to
put on the brake.
$50 to the cow-catcher p T cried;
and he crawled through the window.
! A few minutes after he came back,
his face pale and his eyes starting out
of his head. He looked at me and
looked at him, but we said nothing.
pointed ahead, and there it was.
I got out md fetched in the lamp.
The lamp was out!
II saw it open the lamp door an
blow it out" said Jack, in an awful
terror; land then it got down and
walked away in front of the engine"
Well, I guess there never was two
men on m engine SO mortally scared US
my fireman and me.
However, I went out again with the
lamp and tied it on. also turned the
rope once or twice round the door, so
it could not be opened without some
trouble.
"Jack, I said, when got back into
the cab, "thcre's going to be some
terribly dreadful thing happen to us
tonight. That woman's ghost of evil.
No living thing could do as that has
DONE"
Jacks teeth were chattering with
fright, and SO were mine for the matter
I felt that we had been singled out to
be the cause or the victims of something
awful.
"Keep good lookout, jack" said
"we're only a mile from c., where
we arc tagging No. ia to, and wc must
show tho light if all tho she devils in
hell are agin us"
I ordered Jack to the front of the en-
CINE to watch the lamp.
He did not seem to like it, but ht
went.
| wrote on the back of the time carG
these words:
| "For Gods sake dom tpass the switch
We are tagging IT,"
I stuck the paper on the end of b
of pine wood and kept it ready.
When 1 looked ahead again I saw TIL,
shape as plain as I see you, sir, walkin,
toward us, and afterward get on TIN
front of the engine.
I could see the head light of No
135 on the the sitle-track, and I wa
sure our tagging signal lamp was out
for there was that female figure walk
ing ahead Of us on the track for til
third time.
I wasn't SO scared as before, so I jus
, lighted the pine stick ut the fire box
and held it up flaming bright with til
paper Oh it.
: As l passed the engine No. 1876
| threw it toward the engineer.
It was getting dark, but by the cngin
light / saw him pick it up.
He read the paper, as you know, si1
and waited till No. ia had got in an'
SO there was no collision.
My story may seem strange, but it.
true, us Heaven is my judge.
, You may discharge mo and Jack,
, you like, for not showing the fag'signal
as you say but I can't alter what Nv
! said.
When we got to tho end of the trip
I found Jack had tainted away, and wa
lying on the front of the engine, for til
she devil had put the light out some
how, i'll spite Of him and the rope I tie
round tho door.