The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-10-04
A BAGGAGE SMASHER

Sandy McTougals friends, one gets a
pretty good idea of Sandy's remarkable |
adventure with voice, or, as Sandy !
terms it, with the devil in box.
Tom Pope is conductor and McTougal /
is baggage master 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 conductor,
the other night.
''Umphr' grunted Sandy, "that may
be yer way OF Iookin at it, but 1 call it
diggin for the devil. and findin him
Are you going to tell this story?' in
quired the conductor.
Not by a long chalk" McTougal an
swered.
Then Tom narrates. and very prettily
too, how he and Sandy were transferred
to night runs in August last, and how
lonely the baggage man became because
lie was cut Off from fellows to listen to
his stories and offer him cigars.
You alters smoked EN-, Tom" inter
rupted Sandy. II don't smoke, We
know"
Il did get a good many puffs that
way, I'll admit" said the conductor.
"They were about the only thing Sandy
ever gave that could get any light out
Of"
care you telling this story asked
McTougaI ''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 stations.
The night of his voice business
Devil, | tell you," cries Sandy
abruptly.
WAS a crowded one, " continues Pope,
without noticing the interruption. His
car was jam full of luggage"
"And the more trunks Sandy has on
board the crosser he gets. There was Il
! camp meeting on a switch-off track, and
at the junction picked up a lot of mob
by passengers who were leaving for
| oTher places of amusement, and there
was no end of trunks"
'.McTougal got things into shape
! about II o'clock, reckon, and as there's
a part of the run where it's good hour
! between stations he got ready for a
snooze. He picked out the softest trunk
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, Mace"
'Quite keerect," responds the bag
gage master.
Very well; then you tell 1t for awhile.
1 wasn't there, you know"
1T didn't seem s if I'd been asleep
! l, ON
there was a lively jump Of the car an
sort of come to life with jerk. At the
same time 1 heerd, as if way off, a noise
like some one a-talkin. But l thought
twas brakeman outside, an was jes
a-dozin off again when right at my ear,
in a thin, sharp voice, suthin said, Oh
Lordr
Il amt no fool, 1 amt Sandy asserts
throwing back his head detiantlv, 'ar
when that tn whisper comes into my
ear les half opened my eyes 'spectlT
to see some Of the boys around. But moi
a Twin thing was visible. So l said I
myself, 1 snOred; that's what's the ma
ter an off I goes a-noddin an Grea1nin.
"Then agin Ihears thatvoice. Its:;y:
quite distinctly. ! want TO get OUT
Now. l want a bit mistaken thi'
time. heerd it. But fore 1 could ge
) NV wits together there was yell sound
in way off.
That's my death CALL says to my
self, instantly calling to mind fellow
who had heard like sounds an were deaC
in less'n a week. Then l saystO myself
Sandy, don't be a fool! an jumps to IN.
feet as wide awake as am now.
1T was a woman's squ&wk, and
could have sworn to 1t. Then 1t sun:
; out in tin trumpet style:
"'Help! help
81 hauled over the tool chest, an tn
water barrel, and the cupboard in tn
corner, an looked out on the platform
an did everythin a man could do undo
the circumstances, to find out what wa
a-makin of that fuss. l went to tn
side door to cool myself, an was a-fanni1
:, ! nv face when, blame me! If dldn'
hear a cornet start off with the 'ROgueS
March, and gruff voice foller 1T with
: .s.In the midst of life we are i
death
Il yanked my head round, an didn'
! see nuthin that wasn't there before
: That threw me off my pins. Then
: rooster crowed, an a teller with col
!, in his nose counted ten forward an
!, then backward, an another cuss, with
buIlfrog voice, ordered me: Wake NJ
the devil wants your You needn
laugh, gentlemen, when l tell you l ru1
It an sod YOU if you'd been thar. wa
certain the devil had come for me-lat
but sure-an l didn't wait for him
ask for my ticket"
Tom Pope at this point broke into
stentorian laugh.
.'If, gentlemen, you'd seen Sand
K come flying into the car where l w'
sitting, you would never stop Laughing
You may not believe il, but his brow
face was as white as your shirt front
10 and his eyes We're as big as billiar
g balls. He dashed down the aisle an
, whispers in my ear:
IL Tom. Tom! Come with me!
r WHATS the matter, Mac| sal
le - What ails you|
" ...To,,1 the devils in Iny car. He