The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-01-19
A Station Agents Stories.


A Station Agents Stories.
II was" said the man with the
wooden leg, "station agent on the B.
and r. railroad for good many years,
and several things occurred there which
were the talk of the line and which you
may fad interesting enough to publish.
My station was both insignificant and
important. While it was only hamlet
in population, it was railroad crossing.
While every train seemed to be in
hurry to get away as fast as possible, all
engines had to take water or coal, and
various trains had to pull in on the long
siding to let various other trains pass.
"Thc policy of our road was mig
gardly. The object was to get every
thing cheap, and to work every man to
the limit. My station building was
little better than shed, and it was i'm
possible to get any repairs or improve
ments. was required to act as telc-
graph operator, ticket seller freight
agent, chore boy, and all else, and did
not have an hour could call my own.
l had cot in the Office, and was on call
during the night. Let 'em sound my
call while l was in the deepest sleep and
inside of twenty seconds was ready to
answer. should have had first class
assistant at my station, but the COM
pany would not permit it. I must
either do the work alone or get out for
some one who could and would, and so
I kept hanging on month after month
and year after year, always thinking
about going, but never making up my
mlnd to it. The situation was grave
enoagh to keep, my nerves under con,
stans strain. Train despatching was
not the art it is now, and if regular
got behind her time it caused confusion
all along the line.
Gone of the queer incidents occurred
after had had the station about two
years. 1t was in tho fall of the year,
with great deal of nasty weather, and
trains were continually late. The last
passenger train on our road passed Inc,
according to schedule, at 10 1-s p. m.
Thoncxt one passed at 7.2O a. m, and
it was supposed that the intervening
time belonged to me. If the night
freight was on time, and if l did not
get call on the instrument, and if
there was no special on the line, and if
dozen other things dill not occur,
could sleep from II to 6. 1t may have
occurred that my sleep was unbrolen
five nights in year. On all other
nights was turned out from one to
three or four times. The night freight
should reach me at 12:05-fvc minutes
after midnight She never left nor
took up car at my station, leaving
that for the day freight, but made a
stop OF seven or eight minutes for coal
and water. If there was special on
the line, or if there had been ar acci-
dent, the freight might have to side
track and wait, but such thing was
rare.
"As rule, was always asleep when
the freight came in, but somehow OIL
other knew of her arrival. l knew OF
it without waking up, and next morn.
ing could have told whether she was
late or on time. Twenty eight minutes
after her time passenger train on the
other road made the crossing; thi:
crossing was eighty rods above tho sta
ton, and while I had nothing to do with
the trains on the other road, natural
ly kept track of them and knew whether
theswes late or on time On this partic'
ular night went to bed at TO- As, ant
was asleep before II o'clock. At 10. q
l suddenly awoke. The night freigh
had not como in. / had been soun6
asleep, but / knew she had not. Sht
was fifteen minute, overdue, and yet
my call had not been sounded. This t.
me meant some sort of accident bctwcci
me and the next station north, which
was eleven miles away. l at once called
Tor the station, but thu operator hat
gone ! ran to the door and looked
out. There was fine rain and dcns
fog.
Freight trains are seldom oil
schedule time, and l had known thos
on our line to be an hour late withou
worrying over the fact. However, o.
this night / was all worry. The rair
aad the fog, the crossing, the fact o
my waking up as l had, the failure t'
raise the agent at the station above
these things made me terribly uneasy
and at 10. 25 l lighted my lantern, pu
On my rubber coat, and started up tn
line on run. l had not gone forty rod
when heard Kissing of steam, anC
two or threo minutes later | could Sc,
! the glare of headlight through the Jog
In a couple of minutes more / found on
midnight frcight-tweniy-two loadet
cais and big locomotive she wa
standing directly on the crossing of tn
roads. / shouted as soon rs hal mad
out the locomotive, but 70 one answerc,