The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-08-21
A SIGNALOF SAFETY.
Where Love Was on Watch in the
Lonely Railway Switch Tower.

to the little knot of acquaintance he
had made in the country during the two
years he had been night operator in the
"tower." 1t was with no small degree
Of pleasure he had received advice from
the division operator that he would be
transferred to u yard Office, and that his
successor would be sent on at once to re-
lieve him. That same day the new man
arrived. Smith met him at the station.
The newcomer was a quiet, well built
young fellow, rather handsome, Tony
thought. He took him up to the tower,
introduced him to the day men and in a
general way explained the peculiarities
of the blocks controlled by them, how
the third track was used jointly by east
bound and west bound trains, how, as
the next tower east was a number Of
miles distant, the rule of allowing but
one train in o block at a time was modi-
fed and SO on, to all of which the
stranger listened attentively.
Tony then offered to take him up to
the farm where he had been boarding,
saying that no doubt he could arrange
to stay there If he liked, and as the neigh
bors had a prejudice against the night
operators on account Of their untimely
hours it would be the best plan to go
with him. 1t was but q short distance
down the track and up the lane to the
house. AS the pair drew near a young
woman who had been sitting on the
porch rose, and with heightened color
as she saw the stranger would have re-
treated had not Tony called her famil-
iarly as Mollie and babe her await their
coming. He introduced his companion,
Will Kaye, as his successor, and after a
few words had been spoken the maiden
went in search of her father, while the
two operators seated themselves on the
edge of the porch.
Smith was n of that class of men
who make confidants Of every one,
judging all from their own free hearted,
generous standpoint. Kaye listened to
his talk with aquiet smile, which grew
more pronounced and kindly as his
companion proceeded. The twain were
the best of friends ere the farmer
came up ION the potato patch, hoe in
hand, to welcome his new guest. Mollie
accompanied him, and now, when Kaye
got a good look at her. he was more than
anxious to take the place Of Smith at
the farmers table.
That night Tony and Kaye went to-
gether to the tower, and the day men
leaving at z o'clock gave them undis-
puted possession for the next twelve
hours. There was little time for con-
versation that night. What between
the usual number of extra freights in
both directions causing many train
orders, and the necessary explanations
of the working of the blocks, Tony was
kept busy. He noticed, however, that
the new man was o good operator, and
although he said thath hadnever work
ed on train wires, quickly grasped the
details, and before morning was work
ing the semaphores and notifying the
tower ahead Of passing trains with the
regularity of a veteran. Promptly at z
o'clock the next morning they were re-
1ieved by the day men, there being two
operators on duty in daylight, the work
being heavier. Tired and sleepy the
night men were O in bed at the farm.
During the afternoon Smith left for
the east in high spirits. When supper
time came the gap made by his absence
brought Mollie next to Kaye. Her fresh
beauty and light spirits pleased the
stranger, and as he started to work carry
ing the pail containing the lunch pre-
pared by her plump hands he felt highly
gratiied at his good luck. Once in the
tower, however, this citation vanished,
for his new Surroundings made him ex-
ceedingly nervous, and being compelled
to t'break" once or twice when he failed
to understand a rapidly transmitted
word he had the pleasure Of hearing a
sarcastic message flash over the wires
about ''the plug that took Tony's place
at Long Hollow"
Time rolled away, and Kaye became
accustomed to the position in which he
had been placed. At first he found it
lonely to an intense degree in the tower
as the night crept on, and once or twice
he was very uneasy when tramps had
begged him through the open window to
permit them to come up and have a
smoke. The rules forbidding admittance
to the tower were stringent, but apart
lTUHl ILLS hdy6 WOulu uOb nave AllOWeQ
the nomads to enter. Many and many a
night as he sat in his glass cased apart
ment he had let his eyes wander to the
farm house which sheltered Mollie, and
his mind following his sight was filed
with thoughts boding no peace to him
self.
Long after the midnight hour had
passed he used to tilt his chair back and
smoke. his brain filed with teeming
thoughts such as come only in the quiet
of a summer evening. Anon his call
would come from the instruments and
instantly he was alert and active.
"Thirty-one passed west" wires the ope-
rator in the tower above, and with his
hand on the semaphore signal he awaits
the coming of the train. Soon he hears
a roar in the distance, and a moment
later the headlight Of the express
flashes afar up the track. He pulls the
lever to '~'clear," the train rushes by, and
throwing open the key he notifies the
Office ahead and the one In the rear that
the train has passed. So all night long
the routine continues.
His hours Of work left him free only
in the afternoon, and@of all times that is
the worst for an infatuated young man
thrown constantly in company with q
~,o;dao xrhnca ho,1sahnld drtias a1lovvad