The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-05-22
The Train Dispatcher.

1t was forty-eight minutes past mid
night by the regulator in the train dis
patcher's office. | sat before the table
on which was the instrument which
operated wire No. 0, running up the
single-track division of the road, eating
my lunch between train reports and
orders
The other assistants--of whom there
were three besides myself-were each
busy with a division wire, and the
chief was asleep in his private office,
from which he had not emerged for
some time; and as the old man had
been unwell for number of days, the
boys had resolved not to disturb him
unless it was absolutely necessary.
Suddenly my instrument called eX-
citedly. laid my piece of pie care
fully down on clean message blank
and responded. 1t was the operator at
Munroe Junction, and he reported
freight train No. "A as in sight.
l was surprised that the train should
have gotten there so soon, but | called
Verona, the second station below the
junction, and asked for No. 9, the west
bound express.
The night operator at Verona was
the only and idolized son of the dis
patcher, bright lad only seventeen
years of age, and was filling his first
position on the road at that lonely way
station. His mother had died some
time before, and l never knew father
and son more devotedly attached to
each other than were the old dispatcher
and his boy. Big Joe and Little Joe,
20 ~, Lo
there wasn't a man there who didn't
love that light-hearted, wideawake lad
as though he was his own.
Little Joe answered my call, and said
that he thought he could Just see the
express coming around the curve.
| wired him to swing her up for or
ders.
Just then the old dispatcher called:
/" Brown, come in here, quick"
| ran into the little office. Mr..
DreXel was lying on the couch, and, by
the dim light of the shaded lamp, |
could see that his face was flushed,
and his eyes had feverish, unnatural
glare.
Brown" he said, sis there any.
thing on that wall? Look close"
| examined the plain, white-washed
surface of the wall wonderingly.
Nothing at all, SIR" | answered.
mo picture painted on it, or any.
thing?" he queried.
Not mark, sir. Only plain, white
wall. Why do you ask?''
Oh, nothing. How are 9 and 74?'
l told him, hurried back to my in.
strument and gave No. "A orders to run
to Galley's Station, point almost mid
way between Verona and Monroe
Junction, where there was no opera
tor but abundant branch room.
There was lull of business on my
wire for few minutes, when suddenly
from inside the office, came:
Brown o Brown, for Gods sake
come in here"
rushed in. The old man sat Dol
upright on the couch, his hair was
tossed wildly about, his face almos
livid, and he was gazing eXcitedly a
the wall with eyes almost starting from
their sockets He did not look around al
entered, but gazed, as if fascinated, a
the pure white wall.
| saw in moment that the dispatche
was feverish and delirous. For mo
ment he did not speak, and then, reach
ing out, he drew me close to him will
one hand, and pointing with the other
he said, rapidly:
ing. Little Joe is trying to stop her
o Godl His lantern has gone out
See, he is trying to light it--he fails
the express is close upon him-the laC
is trying to throw his lantern through
the cab window-it misses-they dom
see him. He turns to tly-he STUN
bles-O God, be merciful My boy
He is under the wheels. Do you Sc,
him lying there, all mangled and dead
My poor boy; my noble boy; my littl,
Joe-dead, dead. And No. 8 has gon
on without orders. She will crash int,
No. IA. Can't you stop here some way
Stop her! You must stop herI'
During all the recital had stood gaz
ing at the plain white wall, held spell
bound by the vivid rawlings of the oil,
man, and it almost seemed that coul
BEE the picture which his feverish fame
created. / laid him gently back on tn
couch and hurried the messenger DO
after doctor. But | was obliged t
leave the old man hurriedly and return
to my wire.
The delirium of the old dispatche
had taken such hold on me that in
stinctively | called Verona; there wa
no response. Munroe junction re
ported No. "A as having left one minut
before. Again l called Verona, Ion
and excitedly, but there was no answer
| Was becoming alarmed. Coul
there be anything in the old man
vision? If so, l must stop No. O; BIT
how?
Suddenly it flashed through my min
that the Marion branch of the V. & /
ID. railroad ran within few yards {
our tracks, one mile east of Galley
station.
SEE FOURTH COLUMN