The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-31
A STRANGE VOICE.
Why Two Railroad Men Broke
Open q Trunk

! Between the stories Of Conductor
Tom Pope and Sandy McTougal.
backed by Sandy McTougal's friends,
one gets a pretty good idea of Sandy's
rem arkable adventure with a voice, or,
as Sandy terms it, with the devil in a
box.
Tom Pope is conductor and Nc
Tougal is baggagemaster on the Air
line, which runs from the Atlantic
ocean to 1.-The middle of next week"
Most astonishing thing, that hunt
Of Sandy's for voice." said the con-
ductor the other night
Then Tom narrates, and very pref
tily, too, how he and Sandy were trans
ferTed to night runs in August last, and
how lonely the baggageman became
because he was cut off from fellows
20 listen to his stories and offer him
cigars.
You alters smoked 'em, Tom in
terrupted Sandy. 81 don't smoke, We
know"
81 did get good many puf7s that
way, I'll admit" said the conductor.
ever gave that could get any light out
Of"
Are you telling this story?" asks
McTougal. IF SO. tell it.
Sandy was lonely and miserable"
continued his friend Nobody talked
to him or gave him quarter for not
smashing their baggage, SO he took to
brown studies and maps between sta
tions. The night of his voice bust
ness"
Devil, I tell you" cries Sandy
abruptly.
WAS crowded one" continues
Pope, without noticing the interrupt
ton. His car was jam full of luggage.
And the more trunks Sandy has on
board the crosser he gets. There was
q camp meeting on a switch-off track,
and at the junction picked up lot of
hobby passengers who were leaving
for other places of amusement and
there was no end of trunks.
''McTougal got things into shape
about eleven O'clock. reckon, and as
there's part Of the run where it's
good hour between stations, he got
ready for snoozc.
He picked out the softcst truck in
the pile on which to pillow his head,
tilted back his chair with his feet on
the rounds, pulled his hat over his face
and went to sleep. How's that Mac?"
quite keerect," responds the bag
gaFenastcr.
Very well; then you tell it for
awhile. I wasn't there. you know"
1T didn't seem 'sif I'd been asleep
mcre'n minute" begins Sandy, when
there was = lively jump Of the car an
sort of come to life with jerk. At the
same time l heerd, as if wsy off,
noise like some one a-taIhing.
But 1 thought twas brakeman
outside, an was jes' a-doziu' off again
when right at my ear, in thin, sharp
voice, su'thin' said: oh, Lord"
~ amt no fool, l amt" Sandy as
Eerts, throwing back his head, defiant
ly, IAN when that tin whisper comes
into my ear jest half opened my eyes,
'spectin' to see some of the boys around.
But not a Twin thing was visible.
80 l said TO myself L snored; that's
what's the matter an of l goes a.
nod6in' an dreamin'.
Then agin l hears that voice. It
says, quite distinctly: I want to get
outr
Now I want bit mistaken this
time. heard it; but fore could get
my wits together there was yell
soundin' way of.
That's my Gcath-csll.' says ! to my
self, instantly calling TO mind fellows
who had heard like sounds an were
dead in less'n a week. Then / saws to
myself: Sandy, donT be a fool' an
jumps to my feet as wide awake as
am now.
ut was q woman's squawk, and 1
could have sworn to it Then it sung
out in tin-trumpet style:
"'Help! helpr
81 hauled over the tooi-chest an the /
water barrel, and the cupboard in the /
corner, an looked out on the platforms, |
an did everythin' a man could do IN |
der the circumstances to find out what /
was a-malIin' of that fuss
II won't to the side door to cool nv /
self, an was a-fannin' my face when. /
blame ne, if l didn't hear cornet /
start off with the 'Rocue's March, and +
a gruff voice foller it with:
I'm the midst Of life we are in 4
death
Il yanked nv head roand, an didn't 4
gee nothin' that wasn't there before 1
That threw me OF NV uins
Then q rooster c7owed, an a Teller, /
with cold in his nose, counted ten |
forward and then backward an an
other euss, with a bulifrog voice, or
iered me 10 Wake upl the devil wants
youl'
You needn't laugh, gentlemen. when
tell you run; an sod you II you'd
been shAr. was certain the devil had
come for ms-lAss bras Surs-aa' l
iisnS rsit for han - asL for nav
tSske&"
Ton Pope az clsa Po7s, broke into q
Laugh
III gentlemen. you'd seen Saody