Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-07-28
A BAGGAGE SMASHER

Between the stories of Conductor Tom
Pope and Sandy McTougal, backed by
Sandy McTougal's friends, one gets
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
''the middle of next week."
"Most astonishing thing, that hunt of
the other night.
"Umph!" grunted Sandy, "that may
be yer way of lookin at it, but call it
diggin for the devil, and findin him."
"Are you going to tell this story?" in
quired the conductor.
"Not by 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
he was cut off from fellows to listen to
his stories and offer him cigars.
You alters smoked 'em, Tom," inter-
rupted Sandy. 81 don't smoke, ye
know"
81 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"
"Are you telling this story?" asked
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 stations.
The night of his voice business
Devil, | tell you," cries Sandy
abruptly.
"Was 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 a
camp meeting on switch-off track, and
at the junction l 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 Mac"
"Quite keerect," responds the bag
gage master.
Every well; then you tell it for awhile.
wasn't there, you know"
at didn't seem S if I'd been asleep
more'n a minute" begins Sandy, "when
there was lively jump of the car an
sort of come to life with jerk. At the
same time heerd, as if way off, noise
like some one a-talkin. But thought
twas brakeman outside, an was jes'
a-dozin off again when right at my ear
in thin, sharp voice, thin said, 'Oh,
Lordr
II amt no fool, ain't," Sandy asserts,
throwing back his head defantly, "an
when that tin whisper comes into my
ear jes' half opened my eyes 'spectiD
to see some of the boys around. But not
livin thing was visible. So l said to
myself, Il snored; that's what's the mat
ter an off goes a-noddin an dresmin.
"Then agin hears that voice. Itsays
quite distinctly Il want to get outp
Nov, ! want bit mistaken this
time. heerd it. But fore could get
my wits together there was yell sound
in way off.
"'That's my death call, says to my
self, instantly calling to mind fellows
who had heard like sounds an were dead
in less'n week. Then l says to myself,
Sandy, don't be foolr an jumps to my
feet as wide awake as am now.
at was woman's squawk, and |
could have sworn to it. Then it sung
out in tin trumpet style:
"'Help! helpr
81 hauled over the tool chest, an the
water barrel, and the cupboard in the
corner, an looked out ON the platforms
an did everythin man could do under
the circumstances, to find out what was
a-makin of that fuss. l went to the
side door to cool myself, an was a-fannin
my face when, blame me! If l didn't
hear cornet start off with the 'Rogues'
March, and gruff voice foller it with:
"'In the midst of life we are in
death.
II yanked my head round, an didn't
see nuthin that wasn't there before.
That threw me off my pins. Then a
rooster crowed, an feller with a cold
in his nose counted ten forward and
then backward, an another cuss, with a
bullfrog voice, ordered me: Wake up!
the devil wants your You needn't
laugh, gentlemen, when l tell you run;
an sod you if you'd been thar. was
certain the devil had come for me-late
but sure-an l didn't wait for him to
ask for my ticket"
Tom Pope at this point broke into a
stentorian laugh.
"If, gentlemen, you'd seen Sandy
come flying into the car where / was
sitting, you would never stop laughing.
You may not believe it, but his brown