The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-02-07
A STRANGE VOICE.
Why Two Railroad Men Broke
Open 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 voice, or,
as Sandy terms it. with the devil in a
box.
Tom Pope is conductor and Nc
Tougal is baggagemaster 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 con-
ductor 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 off from fellows
| to listen to his stories and offer him
cigars.
"You alters smoked 'em, Tom," in
terrupted Sandy. ~ don't smoke, ye
know
81 did get good many puffs that
way, I'll admit" said the conductor.
seThcy were about the only thing Sandy
ever gave that could get any light out
| Of"
Are you telling this story7" 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
tions. The night of his voice bust
ness"
Devil, 1 tell you." cries Sandy
abruptly.
WAS a 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
n camp meeting on switch-oh track,
and at 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
about eleven o'clock, reckon, and as
there's a part of the run where it's a
good hour between stations, he got
ready for snoozc.
"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 keerect" responds the bag
gagemaster.
VERY well; then you tell it for
awhile. wasn't there. you know"
at didn't seem 'sif I'd been asleep
more'n a minute" begins Sandy, when
there was lively jump of the car an l
sort Of come to life with jerk. At the
same time / heerd, as if way of, q
noise like some one a-talking.
but I thought twas a brakeman
outside, an was jes' a-dozin' of again
| when right at my ear, in a thin, sharp
voice, su'thin' said: oh, Lordp
~ amt no fool, amt" Sandy as
serts, throwing back his head, defiant
ly. IAN when that tin whisper comes
into my ear jest half opened my eyes,
'spectin' to see some of the boys around.
But not Twin thing was visible.
$50 said to myself: i snored; that's
what's the matter, an of goes a.
noddin' an dreamin'.
Then agin hears that voice. It
says, quite distinctly: 4 want to get
outp
Now l want bit mistaken this
time. heard It; but fore could get
my wits together there was q yell
soundin' way off
That's my death-call. says tony
self, instantly calling to mind fellows
who had heard like sounds an were
| L. l. rTbor. 10,
myself: Sandy, don't be q foolr an
Jumps to my feet as wide awake as
| am now.
sit was q woman's squawk, and
could have sworn to It. Then it sung
ont in tin-trumpet style:
"'Helpl helpI'
II 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 I'M
der the circumstances to find out what
was a-maixin of that fuss.
IT went to the side door to cool my
self, an was a~fannin' my face when,
blame me, If / didn't hear a cornet
start off with the 'Rogue's March, and
q gruff voice foller it with:
| Al buC uuAQub Va 4AAO VIC 0h0 AZ
death
II yanked my head round, an didn't
see nothin' that wasn't there before
That threw me on my pins
"Then a rooster crowed, an TELLER,
with cold in his nose, counted ten
| forward and then backward, an an
other euss, with bullfrog voice, or
dered me to Wake upl the devil wants
your
sYou needn't laugh, gentlemen, when
tell you run; an sod You If you'd
been thar. was certain the devil had
como for me-late but sure-an'
didn't wait for him to ask for my
ticket"
Tom Pope at this point broke into .
stentorian laugh.
IF, gentlemen, you'd seen Sandy
come firing into the car where / was
sitting, you would never stop laughing.
You may not believe 1t, 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
whispered in my ear:
Toni Toni come with mel"
What's the matter. Mac7' l said.
What ails your
Tom, the DEVILS in my car. He's
been a-cutting up for half an hour. an
Pm most crazy. II you're my friend
come with me 7
''He wasn't drunk, because he doesn't
drink. 1t wasn't religious enthusiasm,
because Sandy has no religion.
81 almost believe he meant what he
said, and that he had been called for.
got up in hurry and followed him.
81 hadn't more than got inside the
baggage car when, from among the
trunks, something sung out: Shut that
door and pull down your vesti'
SANDY wanted to fight, them" con-
tinued Tom. "He danced around that
car like prize-hghter In the ring.
Pshawl' said, that's . boxed-up
parrot.
ssAr then the parrot told you you
"a ~ !. s~k. 4 ~ nrf,ast1raI