Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-03-19
TALE OF THE LOST EXTRA.


A Opsrnssr R~e-sseA OsA~n To Lnsk Dat
Sss nm -Exis.- TAae Mover 4ArrivsS-An
Old Farmer FurnisAo . Ciev, bat Il
va. Never Fully Wsrksd O~A
"Yes, that's considerable Of soory. Il
Is true; but you can calculate With
wonderful degree Of accuracy that any
thing a printer says u considerably
warped Now think I can see you and
20 you a few better in the story line. and
what / am going to tell you is absolutely
true"
ftwas picturesque group Of old timers
The Hawkeye reporter had stumbled on
in the course Of news gathering rambie
down in the % yards. They were
seated about an old stove in the round
house, and had been swapping VARIOUS
railroad experiences. The Conversation
had drifted around to snow blockades IN
the west. The reporter had just finished
an elaborate account Of his experiences
in bloceade on the Rockies which called
forth the above remarks from one Of the
old engineers whom we will call HigbSe,
OUT Of respect to his feelings.
The reporter hastily sharpened fresh
lead pencil and selected fresh spot on
his cuff Higbie knocked the ashes from
his cigar and continued:
THE EXTRA" ANNOUNCED.
at happened this way. was doing
night duty for Bob Carew at Little jim
vile. fifty miles west Of Limestone, on
the Northwestern. 1t was during the
winter Of ls,s-79, and Of all the dreary
places JiinviIle was the dreariest in win
ter time 1t had been raining and snow
ing and sleeting all that week, and the
ground was covered with . sheet Of ice.
Night operating is nothing TO passionate
y long for. | prefer hod carrying. l
sa in the desolate box Of a depot. the
cod winter wind howled around the
tied and slammed the shutters in a way
that would give some people lit OF the
bite shivers. But had got used to that,
SO didn't mind it much. had stirred
up the fire. for it was bitterly cold out
side, with the frost ali inch thick on the
"hioo"o p anu odt "oeSiAh6 viz A&AASo
fash and roar up the chimney. l must
have fallen asleep. for soon | began to
hear the most Internal racket, Ike death
dancing double shuttle on the roof, and
| started up with jerk that nearly dis
located my backbone, to find the train
dispatcher calling me. answered and
received the following order:
Hold No. 8 till extra passes you.
Just then heard the whistle of the
passenger 1t was 1920 when | side
cracked here At l0:i5 | received dis
patcn FROM bunker Hill saying that the
extra had just pulled out. 1t would
probably take her thirty minutes to make
the run from Bunker Hill. waited
1899, no extra; ~. no extra What
could il tacan: teiesraphed to Bunker
Hill and received the following:
Extra left here at l0:42 .. X
The train could be heard from no.
where else along the line. | awoke the
section hands and sent them over the
track to Bunker Hill to see if they could
find anything Of the extra. At 2:30 | re-
ceived dispatch from them at Bunker
Hill:
TRACK clear No trace of extra
Before | could express my astonish-
ment l was joined by the conductor Of
No. 8. who was swearing fuently.
"'What does it mean. Higbie? he
asked.
Il was nonplussed, but finally told
him to pull cautiously down to Bunker
Hill, and if he saw nothing to 60 on as
usual. and make up as much time a.
possible AT $40 | received the follow.
ing from the conductor at Bunker Hill:
Just arrived. Could find nothing Of
extra
II ordered track walker to search
closely between Jinville and Bunker
Hill. He found nothing except what
looked like traces Of the train having
jumped the track. But nothing further
THE FARMERS STORY.
Days passed into weeks, until the
weary months dragged their slow lengths
alnn", l"avinc the tantalizing mystery
wrapped in still more inpenetrable
gloom. until one dav an old farmer
drifted into the depot and asked il lad
been losing any trains lately, For the
old man chuckled, i saw one runnin
'roiind loose last winter. It ran up to my
farm ward and the engineer axed me II
he might ill his biler tank at my well.
said he might and got him "a bucket.
After he had filled up he axed me the
road to the nearest town, borried chaw
o tobacky and lit out never seed him
sence. and the honest farmer shuffled
away.
"Wol. that was three years ago.
have not seen the lost extra. but have
heard from it several times. 1t WAS seen
by belated hunter one stormy night.
when it rushed by him like the wind, its
headlight cleaning like the evil eye of
some demon. Others have heard its I'M
earthly shrek mingling with the howl
ing storm. Sometimes it startled the
lonely farmer in the dead Of night, when
the en 'ireer will ask permission to take
water. aud inquire the direction to the
nea rest town. 1t ia seldom seen bv rail
road men. who call it the Flying Dutch
mau OF he plains. and consider it an
evil omen hen seen by one of them. 1t
is sail t,at poor Billy Yates saw the
specier train coming down the track
just before he struck the broken rail
that hurled him and two others into
eternil..
Higbie threw TIE stub of his cigar into
the stove AMI ,t..sed talking. There was
dreary silence for few moments, and
then ID tail. guunt figure arose out Of the
shadow in the corner and remarked in a
sepuI 'ir, voice:
Il b Ii.ve that's a prevarication. =
Burtn@tuu iia keye.
A Newell Plan for House kee ping.
The mose novel plan Of housekeeping
for large family ever know in Wash
ington is that adopted by Mr.. and Mrs.