Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-03-08
An Ene,neer'sGhostly Companions.

An Engineers Ghostly Companions.
From the Cincinnati Cem.- Gazette.
John NJ. Miller, the brave engin-
eer who lost his life in the railroad
collision near Sidney. Ohio, recent
ly, was buried few days ago, the
funeral being largely attended, es-
pecially by the Masonic order and the
railroad men of this place, the latter
having orders from the officials to
quit work for the purpose of paying
respect to the memory of one of
their number. who, for 20 years,
had never shrunk from any duty,
and who died with his hands on the
throttle of his engine to save the lives
of the passengers on his train. Since
his tragic death and burial many sto-
ries are told of mis- eccentricies and
superstition among which are, that he
had for years persisted in telling his
family and intimate friends that an
old fireman, who was killed wears
ago, in the same accident in which he
himself was crippled, would get on
his engine every night he passed the
fatal spot, and taking his accustomed
seat, would ride with him on the trip.
1t is also said that he would talk to
the phantom just as he used to do
when the fireman was alive and well,
and he would never allow any one
else to occupy the seat, always re-
serving 1t for his ghostly companion.
A few years ago Miller lost by death
a bright little girl, to whom he was
greatly attached, and ever afterward
she, too, would nightly and daily get
on his engine at certain place on
the road, and ride and talk with him
until his train neared Dayton. and
then disappear. As in the former
case, her seat was kept for her in the
cab, and no one allowed to occupy it.
At his home a chair was always set
up to the table, the crib in which the
child had been rocked drawn near
and plate and food placed on the
table, just as when the little girl lived
and prattled. 1t is even said that
the father would look at the chair and
talk to its supposed occupant just as
he used to do in its lifetime. and
what seems strange now is that the
wife and mother, an intelligent and
highly-respected lady, entertained,
and does now, the same superstitious
views in regard to the child, and had
the utmost faith in all that her hus-
band ever told her about the ghostly
visitations. The dead engineer was
a man or more than ordinary intelli-
gence, read much. and was consid-
cred by his friends and companions
a high-minded, honorable man, and
one whose word was as good as his
bond. 1t is certainly true that the
railroad officials, for whom he worked
$50 long and faithfully, had the most
Implicit confidence in him and looked
upon him as one of their safest and
best engineers. Yet among those
with whom Miller was in most con-
slant companionship, it is said that,
entertaining the views he did, and be-
ling professed Spiritualist, II the
collision in which he lost his life had
occurred through any negligence or
fault of his, the officials of the road
would have had to "shoulder" the
blame because of having kept so
long man with such known super
stitious notions and ideas, and i'm one
of the most hazardous and dangerous
Ipositions on the road. The facts.
however, that the brave engineer was
in nowise to blame for the accident,
to the contrary, he did all in his pow
er I'd prevent the awful calamity and
save as many lives as possible, even
at the sacrifice of his own, proves that
the officers of the road appreciated
his worth and knew so well .sof what
kind of stuff he was made, that
they could trust In him at all times
and under all circumstances netwlth-
standing his queer ideas and unex-
lplainable eccentricities and belief.
But the strangest part of the story
remains to be told, and that is that
his sudden and terrible death should
have taken place at almost the exact
. spot where the old fireman lost his
life, and where his disembodied spir-
it, with that of Miller's child, after
ward regularly attended his engine
for their nightly ride.
! An instantaneous Light.
Such in word is the unique alp