Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-07-25
A BAGGAGE SMASHER

Between the stories of Conductor Tom
Pope aad sandy AieToagal. back "a BY
Sandy MeTougaI's friends. one gets a
pretty good idea Of sandy's remarkable
adventure with voice, or. as Sandy
terms il. with the devil in hox.
Tom Pope Is conductor and MeTougal
Is baggage master ON the Air line.
which runs from the Atlantic ocean &c
'sthe middle Of next week"
Most astonishing thing. that hunt Of
sandy's for voice." said the conductor,
the other night.
"Umphf' granted Sandy, that may
be yer way Of lookin AZ il, but call il
diggin for the devil. an a fndin him"
Are you going TO tell this story in
quired the conductor
Not by a long chalk" Mcrongal an
swsred-
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 of from fellows 10 listen to
his stories and offer him cigars
You alters smoked 'em, Tom, inter
rupted Sandy. Il don't smoke, We
know"
Il did get good many puffs that
way, III 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, tel it,"
SANDY was lonely and miser able"
continued his friend. Nobody talked
to him or gave him a quarter for not
smashing their baggage, so he took To
brown studies and maps between tations.
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 tho more trunks Sandy has on
board the crosser he gets. There was q
camp meeting on a switch-on track, and
ct the junction picked up 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 IL o'clock. reckon, and as there's
part Of the run where it's q good hour
between stations he got esdy for q
snooze. He picked ont the s1,ftest 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, Macr
"Quite kserect," responds the bag
gage master.
Every well; then you tell it:for awhile.
I'wasn't there, you know"
''It didn't seem 5 If I'd been asleep
more'n q minute" begins Sandy, when
There was lively jump OF the car an I
sort Of come to life with q. jerk. At the
saL1e time heerd. a. il 'vvay OF, q noise
like some one s-talkin. But thought
twas brakeman outsid Q, an was jes'
s-doa in OF again when right ct my ear,
In . thin. sharp voice, 81 thin said, oh,
Lorde
liant no fool. amt. Sandy asserts,
throwif. < back his head defiantly, ian
when that tin whisper comes into my
ear les half opaned my eyes 'spectin
70 zee some Of the boys around. But not
hvin thing was visible. So I said to
myself, 4 sI;ored: that's wfSt's the mat
ter an off ,,oes s-noddin "a dreamin.'
"Then agin hears that voice. Itsays
quite distinctly. Il want to get outr
Now, I want q hit mistaken this
time. heerd IL. But fore could get
INV wits together there was q yell sound
In way on.
That's my death c ALL says / to my
self. instantly calling to mind fellows
who had heard like soends an were dead
In iess'n a week. Their says to myself,
Sandy, don't be fooli' an jumps to my
feet as wide awake as am now.
at was u woman's squawk, and
could have sworn to II. Then it sung
out in tin trumpet styles
"'Helpi 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 ont what was
a-makin of that f1ss. l went to the
side door to cool myself, an was a-fannin
my face when, blame me. il I didn't
hear cornst start eff with the 'Rogues'
March and gruff voice foller It with;
".In the midst Of life we are in
death
Il yanked my head round, an didn't
see uathin that wasn't there before.
That threw me of my pins Then a
rooster crowed. an Teller with a cold
then backward. an another cuss, with a
bullfrog voite. ordered me: Wake mp
the devil wants your You needn't
laugh. gentlemen. when tell you run;
an sod you n you'd been thar. was
certain the devil had come for me-lste
but sure-an I didn't wait for him to
ask for my ticket
Tom Pope at this point broke into q
stentorian laugh.
sIf, gentlemen, you'd seen Sandy
come aying into the car where | was
sitting. ron would never stop laughing
You may not believe it, but his brown
face was As white - your shirt fronts.
and his eyes were a. big ~ billiard
balls. He dashed down the aisle and
whispers in my ear:
sToni Toni Come with mer
Whats the matter, Macr 1 said.
"swhst ais yonT
@.ToTn. the DEVILS in my car. He's
ben s-enstip MP for half an hour, An
I'm u,nst crazy. III vou're my frieus