The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-05-26
BIZ ELE CTRIclTY

/ ! was telegraph operator ana STA.
III Z! av.I ~. 9 0lsz y "a i'.Ie
of railroad when this adventure of
which | am going to tell you hap.
pened to me.
1t was wild and stormy night,
and as the depot was nearly half a
mile outOf town, the set of loafers
which usually collected about the
stove in the waiting-ro had evil
IDENTIFY concluded to seek some place
nearear home to spend the evening
in, and, for wonder. L was alone.
The express from the west was due
at $3.50. After that | should 0e at
liberty, and began to wish the even
ing was over long before the train
came along, or else that | had some
one to talk to, for the depot was in
one of the loneliest spots that could
have been selected and the wind
kept up dismal moaning in the
woods close by, and every now and
then seemed to be positively howing
in the wires of the telegraph. / be-
gan to feel nervous and fidgety.
AT last the train came. | was also
express agent, and the expressman
on the train handed me heavily
sealed envelope, remarking rs he did
so, "Be careful of that, Branthwaite.
There's big bonanza in that pack
age. if it was yours or mine"
money ?" asked, noticing that
there were but two passengers get
ting off-two men in shaggy over
coats sand slouchy-looking hats, whom
| concluded, without thinking much
about them or paying but little atten-
ton to them, to be hunters returned
| from Some upper country trip.
"Yes trifle of twenty thousand,
| believe" answered Phillips. "Old
Bowers is sending it down to his son,
who's putting up mill somewhere
near here, isn't he Y'
"Yes on the other side of the
river" replied. "It's lucky to have
a rich father, Phillips"
YOU'RE right there" answered
Phillips.
And then the train started off, and
| turned and walked toward the
office.
AS neared the door with the pack
age in my hand, one of the men who
had been watching me, made spring
toward me. l don't know why
happened to be on the lookout for
them, but | must have been, for I
jumped back almost the same instant
that he made his move, and before
either one of them comprehended
what / was about, had made dive
between them and succeeded in get
ting into the Office, and had the door
bolted almost before I knew what
was doing.
/ heard a volley of curses hurled
after me, and then l knew by the
sounds and the cteaking of the door
that both of the men We're trying to
break in. But had no fears in that
direction. 1t was of hard wood, well
seasoned, and would resist all their
efforts in that direction.
/ put the package in the safe and
locked it securely, before / stopped
to think what was to be done. Then
l sat down to think while | could
hear the men talking outside / knew
they were holding a council over the
means to be used to effect an entrance
and obtain possession of the money
l had received.
1t was anything but a pleasant
situation to be in. Here was alone,
half a mile away from any assistance,
at ten O'Clock at highland stormy
night at that-and the probability
was that nearly everybody was al
ready in bed. If they were not, no
one would think of coming to the
depot at that hour of the night. Out
side were two desperate men, who
knew l had large sum of money in
my possession, and they knew that
If they could effect an entrance ]
would amount to but little in the ac-
complishment of their villianons pur-
pose.
Suddendly a thought occurred to
me. The clerk at the hotel where
boarded had taken fancy to tele-
graphy, and we had put up wire