The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-07-28
A BAGGAGE SMASHER

pretty good idea Of Sandy's remarkable
adventure with q voice, or, as Sandy
terms 1t, 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
Sandy's for voice." said the conductor,
the other night.
"Umphr' grunted Sandy, "that may
be yer way Of lookin at it, but call 1t
diggin for the devil, and fndin him."
"Are you going to tell this story7' in
quired the conductor.
mot 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 of from fellows to listen to
his stories and offer him cigars.
You alters smoked 'em, Tom," inter-
rupted Sandy. II don't smoke, ye
know"
III did get 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 storyg' asked
McTougal. "If so, tell it.n
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 businessr-
"Devil, 1 tell you," cries Sandy
abruptly. ..
"Was a crowded one, continues Pope,
without noticing the interruption. ellis
car was jam full of luggage"
"And the moro trunks Sandy has on
board the orosser he gets. There was a
camp meeting on switch-off track, and
at 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 II o'clock, reckon, and as there's
q part of the run where it's good hour
between stations he got ready for q
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, MacY'
"Quite keerect," responds the bag
gage master.
VERY well; then you tell for awhile.
l wasn't there, you know"
at didn't seem s if I'd been asleep
more'n minute" begins Sandy, when
there was lively jump of the car an /
sort of come to life with jerk. At the
samo time heerd, as if way off, noise
like some one a-tallsin. But 1 thought
twas brakeman outside, an was jes'
a-dozin off again when right ut my ear,
in a thin, sharp voice, su'thin said, ooh,
Lordr
II amt no fool, 1 amt, Sandy asserts,
throwing back his head defiantly, "an
when that tin whisper comes into my
ear 1 jes' half opened my eyes 'spectin
to see some Of the boys around. But not
hvin thing was visible. So I said to
myself, Il snored; that's what's the mat
ter an off goes a-noddin an dreamin.'
"Then ngin l hears that voice. Itsays
quito distinctly, L want to get outr
''Now, want bit mistaken this
time. heerd 1t. But fore could get
my wits together there was yell sound
in way off.
"'That's my death CALL says 1 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 foolr an jumps to my
feet as wide awake as am now.
at was woman's squawk, and l
could have sworn to it. Then it sung
out in tin trumpet style:
"'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 q man could do under
the circumstances, to find out what was
a-makin Of that fuse. / went to the
side door to cool myself, an was a-fannin
my face when, blame mel If I didn't
hear q cornell start off with the 'Rogues'
March, and gruff voice foller it with:
"In the midst of life we are in
DEATH
81 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 cold
In his nose counted ten forward and
then backward, an another cuss, with q
bullfrog voice, ordered me: Wake upl
the devil wants you'll You needn't
laugh, gentlemen, when Ttell you run;
an sod you If you'd been thar. was
PERTAIN 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
stentorian laugh.
''lf, gentlemen, you'd seen Sandy
come flying into the car where I was
sitting, you would never stop laughing.
You may not believe it, but his brown
face was as white as your shirt fronts,
and his eyes were as big as billiard
balls. He dashed down the aisle and
whispers in my ear:
"'Tom! Toni Come with met"
"'Whats the matter, Macl / said.
"tWhat ais your
a'Tom, the DEVILS in my car. He's
been a-cuttin up for half an hour, an
I'm most crazy. If you're my friend
come with mel
He wasn't drunk, because he doesn't
drink. 1t wasn't religious enthusiasm,
because Sandy had no religion. al
most believed he meant what he said.
and that he had been called fer. I got
up in hurry and followed him.
II hadn't moro than got inside the
baggage car when from among the
trunks something sung out, Shut that
loor and pull down your yestt
SANDY wanted 10 fight, thea" con-
tinued Tom. He danced around that