The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1892-07-07
N !, r-,,,aDr ro.a-u. Govt Report Aug ~. 1850
Roe! g! Rssias BsMa:r
ABSOLUTELY PURE
THE STATION AGENT.

miles beyond IL. The hamlet OF Elkton
consisted Of : store. 8 mill and nve or s'i
shsnties, and was three quarters OF mile
from the station. The depot wss rongh
shed sixty feet long and one story high
Twenty feet OF the west end was ps'tiiioned
ofI for a waiting room and in one corner
of the waiting room bad my private OF
Ace. II was twenty fee, long by slI vide.
enclosed by unplsiped boards, and lighted
by an ontside window ln this rom had
nv telesrsphic app rstus, small ifon
safe a table. a ticket rack, etc As was
REQUIRED to be or call ell night, ] also used
the Office as a bedroom, ard my meals
we're sent TO me from = house 10 the ham
Let. Those were Wild, rough times In the
West. and about the first piece OF advice
received from the division superintendent
w.s. Be prepared for trouble any hour
OF the day or night and remember that II
you don't get a drop on the other fellow
you II be soner
What made the situation far worse ior
me was the fact that two or three OF 'be
snbeoptractors insisted that | take charge
of considerable sums OF money for them
The contractors who supplied provisions
TO the force along the line placed Soooo
in the safe on the second day OF my taking
posssssion, aud the division su,ler deposii
ted about $4,000 more. 10 ;he course oil
fortn,oht st lest score OF bosses had
turned 10 from 800 to $500 speice, and
nv anxiety increased with every addition
al deposit. The fact that | was sale de-
posit company could not fail to be general
ly known, and regarded 1t rs only ques
Itiop Of time when robbery would be at
,emp,ed For the first three weeks l had
pleniy of company both day and night, as
some of the working trains we're always
side tracked at the station. but as the grad
inc and track laying progressed my posi-
tion becsu more isolsted. All the freight
left at my station was for the contractors
and consisted of -four, meet, coffee, cloth
ipe, tools, and whatever else was needed
along the line. bad little or nothing 70
do outside OF the telegrspbing.
One morning, after counting mp the
money in the safe and finding that bed
!, over $1,000 belonging to other people, II
occurred to me to remove 1t to smother
place. On the day before bad received
five barrels Of ground coffee for The hotel
man on that division. The bead oil one o'
the barrels had been knocked out and
sbuut one half OF the contents wasted
Is look the various envelopes containing th'
4. money. made bundle Of them, and SUM
it nearly to the bottom of the barrel. Un
less in csselof FIRE, i feltiit would be sale
= almost any where in the freight house thar
a. in the safe, though up to that momen
=. nothing had occurred to alarm me. Strsn
gers were always hanging about the stst'oI
hunters, trsppers, Indian fighters, team
sters and tramps but it was to SATISFY
u curiosity and not TO meddle. 1t was abou
u q O'clock in the forenoon when bid VI
: money. and half an hour later, as sat o
h the instrument answering call, 1 iooke'
~ IN, of the window and saw = man cominI
n down the north trail on mule. de ws
Or dressed 10 buckskin. ss WAS the case VIII
!. nearly all the border men Of that date, AM
had a Winchester across tbs pommel 0
bis saddle. SO many like bin had com
that did not give him second though'
rvsn u hen | heard him walking scros
the waiting room towar my open door
:. did no, iuro my head
" Throw up yer hands. young fellerl
i'd TWAS the stranger speaking to me- an
es his words we're accompanied by the CLICK
click which no human err ever missnnder
" stood. | elevated my arms and turned m
face toward him. He was not an ugly iooi
T. inc man. Indeed | should have picke
him ont of crowd as gentle spirit. II
vas a blond. about thirty years ci sg'
and he had wonderful handsome blu
eve. There was smile on bis lace as
ll, stood with Lis rifle half raised and reRsr'
ed me. but il was one OF those smil'
% which mean more than the ugliest iro~l
wasn't ten seconds making up my min
, that /, would be fx,remely dangerous
trife With my visitor.
. Ia that ar safe locked2 he asked as !
looked straight into my eyes.
II is.
: Then you unlock II.
,sbsll have TO drop my bands to
that
OF course.
took the key from my pocket 81
,n,nea around 10 the ssie and opened u
door
Nov pass ou, tie money, said the ma
Ks There is none TO pass out
What Don't try no nonsense with u
:. You can look for yourself ! bad seve'
Thousand dollars yesterday. but u vas
taken out
Stand over thar aud hold up yer hant
'os over thar w.s q, the eud Of the roc
opoosite the sale, and obeyed the col
msna. He then stepped TO the safe q
,er@tiss,ed for himself II did nests
him over . minute TO become satisfied u
4 contained nothing ci value. He ssepp
:. hack aud looked 81 me for sminu'e bell
II ,ressips. Then be quietly 'sii;
YOUNG teller. you've irunped my .
r,er made ride Of over hlty miles 10
G that safe empty.
Yen should have eoGe = dsy esrlie'
lnplied.