The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-19
Why Two Railroad Men Broke
Open d Trunk.

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,
rs Sandy terms II, with the devil in q
box.
Tom Pope Is conductor and Nc.
Tougal is baggagemaster on the Air
line, which runs 8yom the Atlantic
ocean to .'the middle OF next week"
Most astonishing thing. that hunt
Of Sandy's for a voice." said the con
dnctor the other night.
Then Tom narrates, and very pref
tily, too, how he and Sandy were trans.
ferred to night runs in August last, and
how lonely the baggageman became
because he was cut of from fellows
10 listen to his stories and offer him
cigars.
.sYou alters smoked EN-, Tom" In
t~errupted Sandy. 81 don't smoke, ye
know"
II Ibid 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 storyP' asks
McTougaL If SO, tell it.
SANDY was lonely and miserable"
continued his friend. Nobody talked
TO him or gave him q quarter for not
smashing their baggage, so he took to
brown studies and maps between sta
tons. The night Of his voice bust,
ness"
Devil tell you" cries sandy
abruptly.
Was q crowded one,' continues
Pope, without noticing the Interrupt
ton His car was jam full Of luggage.
And the more trunks Sandy has on
board the crosser he gets. There was
camp meeting on a switch-off track,
and at the junction ! picked up a lot OF
noboy passengers who were leaving
for other places Of amusement, and
there was no end Of trunks.
"McTougal got things iuto shape
about eleven o'clock, i 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 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 k~eerect," responds the bag.
gagemaster.
Very well; then you tell it for
awhile. ] wasn't there, you know"
1T didn't seem ,sif I'd been asleer
more'n a minute" begins Sandy, when
there was a lively jump of the car an ]
sort OF come to life with a jerk. At the
same time ! heerd, as If way of, a
noise like some one a-tall1ing.
("But thought twas a brakeman
outside, an wa jes' a-dozin, off agar
when right at my ear, in a thin. sharr
voice, su'thin' said: ON, LordF
amt no fool I amt Sandy as
serts, throwing back his head, defiant.
y, IAN when that tin whisper comes
into my ear jest half opened my eyes,
spectin' to see some Of the boys around.
But nota livin' thing was visible.
, said 70 myself: j snored; that's
what's the matter, an of | goes q.
noddin' an dreamin'.
Then agin l hears that voice. /,
says, quite distinctly: i want to get
outl'
now want a bit mistaken this
time. ! heard it; but fore / could get
my wits together there was a veil
soundin' way of.
That's my death-caIl, says i to nv,
SELF instantly calling to mind fellows
who had heard like sounds an were
uead IN less,n a week Then / says to
myself; Sandy, don't be 4 foolp an
jumps to my feet as wide awake as
am now.
y was a wotaan's sqnawk, and
could have sworn K 1t. Then il sung
out in tinHtrumpet style: Z
Help, helpp
= hauled over the tool-chest an the
water barrel and the cupboard III the
corner, an looked out on The platforms
an did eyerythin' a man could do un.
ger me circumstances to find ont what
was astnakin' Of that fuss.
] went to the side door to cool nv
Ell an was ~a-fannins my lace when,
blame me, II didn't hear a cornet
start on with the Rogue's March, and
grnn voice foller il with: n
death,
yanked my head round, an, didns
see nothin' that wasn't there before
T~hattArew M on my pins
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49, 80 4HHM4 NtH NH 4