Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-02-27
One-Arpned Men.

"a one-armed man for emergencies
every time," exclaimed an old railroad
official in the heat of an argument Oh
Il 6 prevention of collisions and other
accidents. 81 never knew one to fail
IN time of danger. The loss OF an arm
seems to increase their wits, and can
name several instances of their display
of nerve and invention when other men
were of no use. Do you remember
Ross Marchman? No? Well, I'll tell
you the kind of a fellow he was when
he worked under me on the Piedmont
Airline road.
''There Is, not far from the Sonth
Carolina line, a small town called
Sewanee, 1t is several hours ride from
Atlanta, Ga. and contains about 5OU
people. The telegraph operator at the
depot is station agent, express agent,
ticket agent, truckmsn and porter. Ia
fact, he runs the whole business, and
Lis is responsible position. BE often
works all day and all night, and 1t is
strain to keep up with the work In the
busy season. Ross Marchman was tele-
graph operator aud forth al Sewanee.
He as about % years old, and had lost
lis night arm How in the world he
ever managed to perform his mulriplic-
lily Of duties is mystery, but he was
never found wanting IL any OF the quail
1ications necessary to a successful ac-
complishmeLt OF every task, We all
lad cCrfdeLce in Msrchman. One
night in November, 1882, he was sitting
half ssleep over hIs Key, worn out With
fatigue, when he was aroused by hear
ing himself called by the train-dls-
pstcher. He answered, and the follow
ing order came over the wires: Side
track, No y. north bound, Sswanee, l
"A, IL. Hold for extra No. 3, south
bound, 1:04 a. NJ There was nothing
unusual III the order. Marchman
% KID 1t and made the necessary pre-
parations for tagging down No II,
which, being through freight, did not
stop at way staiil n unless slanaled to
do so,
'Ihe night was dark and stormy, and
the wind blew III gusts, driving the
rain into every crack and crtvlce. Ihe
track from the north past the ftatlon had
q heavy down-grade, and 1t was the
custom for engineers TO blow a long
blast on the whistle, when their TRAIN
crossed the summit, some half mile
away. No, II was on time, aad when
Marchman heard the Last he took his
lantern and went out on ,tne track. 1he
headlight rose over the summit like a
full moon climbing the hills, ana flashed
down the rails. The rain came down III
torrents, the wind whistled past the
corLers OF the station with an ominous
sound, the train came laundering On.
MaIcI man raised his lantern and swung
1t across the track, but before the slgnhl
could he gwen a nttul gust OF VIM put
out the night, The tain was Lot Two
hundred yards off aud had not sl1cA-
ened Its speed. There was no time 10
get another lamp. 1T was q moment OF
horror to the poor operator. No. 5,
with its freight OF passengers, was COM
ing Just beyoLd the IowL-the two
trains would meet-colllsIon-des
hon-ceaih--all passed before his mind
like flash vi lightning. he felt the
guIveIiBg of the ties beneath his ieet
as he stood IL the glare OF the light
now fearlulIy close. Suddenly his hand
sought his pocket; there was a flash, a
sharp rep ri of a pistol, and bullet
went ciashng though the headlight.
The Ian p was exinguished, and As the
engine passed him, Marchman tnr, "
his pistol IniO the cab wI':Gow.
~ eli the tram was stopped, and the
conduc. or coming forward TO see Wi a
Was wrong, reached Marchman Just lii
time to receive his orders when the lat
ter, overcome with the terrible strain,
fell to the ground. The train was Iun
into q siding, and No. 3 dashed by at
the rate of about forty miles sn hour.
Not passenger dreamed OF what Lad
happened.
''Of course" continued the official,
1--WE remembered MaTchman III sui
stantlai way. That one arm, though,
was the making OF him.