St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-02-25
A STRANGE VOICE.
why Two Railroad Mon Broke
Open q Trunk.

Between the stories Of Conductor
Tom Popo and Sandy McTougal
backed BY Sandy McTougars friends
one gets . pretty good idea of Sandy.
remarkable adventure with a voice, or
- Sandy terms it with the devil in Z
box.
Tom Pope Is conductor and Nc
Iougal Is baggagemaster ON the Air
hnc, which runs from the Atlantic
ocean to ''the middle Of next week"
"Most astonishing thing. that hunt
OF Sandy's for = voice." said the con.
ductor the other night
Then Tom narrates, and very pref
tily. too. how he and Sandy were trans
1erred to night runs in August last, and
how lonely the bagRageman became
because he was cut OF from fellows
to listen to his stories and offer him
cigars.
"You alters smoked 'em, Tom" in
terrupted Sandy. 81 don't smoke, ye
know"
81 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"
'.Are you telling this story?' asks
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 sta
s~hA ~R -
ness"
'.Devil. I tell you" cries Sandy
abruptly.
WAS = crowded one" continues
Pope, without noticing the Interrupt
tion- "His car was jam full Of luggage.
''And the more trunles Sandy has on
board the crosser he gets. There was
. camp meeting on switch-off track,
and 1t the junction picked up = lot of
nobby passengers who were leaving
for other places Of amusement and
there was no end Of trunks.
''McTougal got things into shape
shout eleven o'clock. I reckon, and n
there's part Of the run where it's .
good hour between stations, he got
ready for snoo1c.
HE picked ont the softest truck 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
gagemaster.
'.'very well; then you tell it for
swhile. wasn't there, you know"
ssIt didn't seem 'sif I'd been asleep
mors'n . minute" begins Sandy, "when
there was . lively jump Of the car an
sort Of come to life with jerk. At the
same time I hcerd. - il way OF, .
noise like somo ono 2-talking.
'.But I thought twas . brakeman
an was jes' a-doxin' or again
vixen right It my ear. In . thin. sharp
voice, su'thin' said: oh, Lordv
II amt no fool ain't" Sandy A.
perts, throwing back his head. defiant
u. ..an' when that tin whisper comes
into my ear Jest half opened my eyes.
'spectin' to see some Of the boys around.
Bot not livin' thing was visible.
$50 said to myself: Il snored; that's |
what's the matter an OF goes y
noddins an dreAmin.
.sThcu agin I hears that voice. It |
,ays, quite distinctly: I want to get |
putr
s.Now want . bit mistaken this
sma. heard it; but fore could get |
~ wits together there was . yell |
,oundin' way OF.
".That's my death-csll.' says to my
III. Instantly calling to mind fellows
rho had heard like sounds an were
~ in less'n . week. Then savs to
.vself: Sandy. don't Be . foolr an
rmps 70 my fest = wide awake =
a now.
.sIt was . woman's squawk. and I
r,Id have 1woen 70 Il Then It sung
4 IN tin-trumpet style:
":Help! helpr
81 hauled over the tool-cheet an the
,.ter barrel and the cupboard in the
orner. an looked out on the platforms.
4, did everythin' . man could do un-
=. TIA circumstances TO ind out what
q. a-mskiu' Of tAat fuss
.sT vcnt to the side door to cool my
II an, was arfannin' my face when,
49, me. II didn't hear . cornet
- a with The 'Rogue's March. and
~rn6 voice foller Il with:
:..In tho midst OF lie ~ srs -
- ranked nv head round. an didn't
= noth;n. that wasn't there bcSore.
~ thssw mo or ny pane