Connecticut western news., 1892-11-03
A BAGGAGE SMASHER


 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 remarkable adventure with a 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." E "Most astonishing thing, that hunt of Sandy's for voice." said the conductor, the other night.
 r "Umphp' grunted Sandy, '.that, may be yer way of lookin at it, but call it diggin for the devil, and fndin 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 to night runs in August last, and how lonely the baggage man became because he was cut off from fellows to listen to bis stories and offer him cigars. ....
 "You alters smoked 'em, Tom," inter- rupted Sandy. "I don't smoke, ye know."
 'I did get 8 good many puffs that way, I'll admit" said the conductor. ''They were about the only thing Sandy eyer gave that could get any light out of" 7.
 "Are you telling this storyy asked McTougal. ''If so, tell it."
 Sandy was lonely and miserable, 2 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, I stel you," cries Sandy abruptly.
 "Was 8 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 a switch-off track, and at the junction I picked up lot of nob- by passengers who were leaving for other places of amusement, and there was no end or trunks. s..
 "McTougal got things into shape about II o'clock, reckon, and as there's part of the run where, it's a 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, Macp' "Quite keerect," responds the bag gage master. "Very well; then you tell it for awhile. wasn't there, you know" "It 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 of, noise like some one a-talkin. But thought twas brakeman outside, an was jes a-dozin off again when right at my ear, | in 8 thin, sharp voice, su' thin said, Oh, Lordp
 '1 ain't 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 'spectin to see some of the boys around. But no, Twin thing was visible. So I said to myself, I snored; that's what's the mat. ter,' an off goes a-noddin an dreamin. , "Then agin hears that voice. Itsays | quite distinctly, I want to get outp | "Now, I want bit mistaken this time. heerd it. But fore could gel my wits together there was a yell sound in way off. s.
 "'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 says to myself Sandy, don't be foolp an jumps to my feet as wide awake as am now.
 ''It was g. woman's squawk, and could have sworn to it. Then it sung out in tin trumpet style:
 "'Helpi helpr
 "I hauled over the tool chest, an tht water barrel, and the cupboard in tho corner, an looked out on the platforms an did everythin man could do under the circumstances, to find ont what wa. a-makin of that fuss. went to tht side door to cool myself, an was a-fanni1 my face when, blame mel if I didn' hear 8 cornet start off with the 'Rogues March, and a gruff voice foller it with | "'In the midst of life we are il death.'
 "I yanked my head round, an didn' see nuthin that wasn't there before That threw me off my pins. Then , rooster crowed, an feller with colt in his nose counted ten forward ant then backward, an another cuss, with bullfrog voice, ordered me: Wake up the devil wants your Ycu needn' laugh, gentlemen, when tell you I run an sod you if you'd been thar. I wa certain the devil had come for me-lat but sure-an I didn't wait for him t. ask for my ticket"
 l Tom Pope at this point broke into stentorian laugh.
 of, gentlemen, you'd seen Sand, come flying into the car where I wa sitting, you would never stop laughing You may not believe it, but his browl face was as white as your shirt fronts and his eyes were as big as billiar' balls. He dashed down the aisle an, whispers in my ear:
 "'Toml Tom! Come with mel"
 "What's the matter, MacP said "What ails your
 "'Tom, the devils in my car. He been a-cnttin up for half an hour, al I'm most crazy. If you're my frien come with mep
 "He wasn't drunk, because he doesn drink. It wasn't religious enthusiasm because Sandy had no religion. a most believed he meant what he sait ' and that he had hean called for pt up in hurry and followed him.
 "I hadn't more than got inside u baggage car when from among u trunks something sung out, Shut tn, door and pull down your vestr
 "Sandy wanted to fight, then," col Nuusd Ton. .sHe danced around tn,