West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-01-20
A merchant, who had drawn a


of a scene in dispatcher's office.
He said: II was sitting in the dis
patcher's office of the Michigan Cen
trail road at jackson, Mich, some
years ago, chatting with a school
friend. who was then conductor on
the road. Everything seemed to be
running smoothly, and the four dis
patchers were throwing ball of pa
per at each others heads. A warn
ing let up came from one of them,
and the next instant he was gazing
thoughtfully at the train sheet. He
then opened his key and sent an or
der. 1t was repeated to him, and
the moment he gave the 0. X. and
stuck his pen in the rack, bang!
came the wad of paper, and the fu-
silade began again. l remarked to
my friend that these men acted rath-
er kittenish for men who had so
much responsibility, and he replied:
You see they have strain on their
minds, and they cut up such didos
to relieve it, but their ears are open
and they hear every word that comes
on the wire
II know a train-dispatcher story
that will lay you all out" put in a
commercial traveller. Il was sitting
in the office of the Dixon House, in
Newton, Ia, one afternoon away
back in 1878, swapping stories with
several drummers, when one OF them
exclaimed, 'Here comes Blonde, the
milliner"
NATURALLY thinking there was a
pretty women in the question, we
ran to the window, only to see a
young man go across the street car
rying a sample case in each hand.
His hair was as white as snow.
There's curious case, said shoe
man from Chicago. He's one of the
incest fellows in the world, but he's
sensitive about his hair. We called
him Blonde until one day he told me
how his misfortune overlook him.
He was train dispatcher on the
Chicago and Alton road and had
sent an order for passenger train
to meet the Presidents special at a
certain place and then ordered the
special by the meeting point. Both
trains had been reported as having
left their respective stations five
minutes, when he picked up his or
der book and saw his mistake.
There was no way to stop them.
He sat in his chair paralyzed, as he
expressed it. Fourteen carloads of
passengers and special of al en-
CINE and TWO cars loaded with di-
rectors of the road, with their
friends and ladies, were rushing ut
each other ut the rate of forty miles
an hour. 1t was sure death for at
least half of the passengers, and to-
tai annihilation for the special train.
AS he sat there he could see the
trains approach each other, for he
knew every foot of the road; knew
exactly where each train was, now
rounding II curve, again crossing q
bridge, until in his minds eye he
saw the trains meet in deep cut
He saw the two engines crash into
each other like leviathans of the
rail, teiescoping both trains and pill
ing up the wrecked cars upon each
other in an indescribable heap. He
heard the Shrieks and groans Of the
wounded and saw the luaneled
forms of somebody's beloved ones.
until the horrible scene became al
most 100 much for his reason. He
tried to rise from his chair, but could
not. His blood turned hot and
cold. and then he felt prickly sen
sation at the roots of his hair. He
was struggling out of his chair to
get drink of water to relieve his
faintness, when he heard his call on
the sounder. Mechanically he
opened the circuit and responded.
The operator at the station to which
he sent the order to the special, then
informed him that the special had
returned on account of not having
water enough to carry them to the
next tank.
"Blcndie replied: %. n; hold
them for orders, and then tainted
away.
"When he recovered there were
several conductors and brakemen
about him who had heard him fall
from his chair. He noticed queer
lcok on their faces, and asked why
they looked so strangely. One of
the brakemen took pocket mirror
and held it before Blonde. He saw
that his hair had turned as white as
snow. He resigned, and never sent
another train order"