The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1894-09-14

ing away, and right under it Matt
could read the number of Hanks en-
CINE, which was No. "a, unless am
mistaken. remember it because it
was the engine that used to haul the
train that I was baggage master of a
year before this hyer incident hap
pened.
" There he Isl says Matt, 'andhe's
done it once too often
With that he pulls her wide open
and stands TO his post. The express
engine gave big jump and fairly
sprang onto No 34-that is, of course,
unless I'm mistaken in thinking ii
was "a, and don't believe am.
Still a man can't always trust his
memory, and know that mine amt
what it once was.
well, the two engines came to-
gether, and Matt, he shut his eyes
for a minute, for in such circum-
stances a man can't very well help
winking. To his tremendous aston.
ishment there wasn't SO much as a
jar, let alone a crash. No. 34-yes,
Iremember now, that was her num-
ber-just sort of opened out, as you
might say, and seemed to fall in
pieces on each side Of Mats engine.
There wasn't train of any sort be-
hind 81, and the express went on her
way rejoicing.
Matt turns to the fireman with
face as white us consumptive par.
sons, and says he:
Jim. did You see that engiIer
Never saw anything palmer in
my life, says Jim. but it wasn't no
engine. That was a ghost if ever
there was one
eve ran through it, says Matt,
as easy as if it was fog bank.
Well, if ever l get this train to Tibe-
rius Centre somebody else will have
to take her back
"They do cay that when the ex-
press came into Tiberius Centre that
night Matt had to be helped off the
engine and helped to his house and a
doctor sent for. The doctor said the
man was suffering from severe
nervous shock and must keep per-
fectly- quiet, Matt he sent in his res
ignation the very next day and never
drove an engine on our road after
ward.
He hung round drinking mid
ding hard and keeping quiet, accord
ing to the doctors orders, for about
month, and then he got berth on
the Montana Southern road. But he
wasn't Of the slightest use. His
nerves were clean gone. He'd think
he saw things ON the track when
there was nothing but mebbe
moonbeam, and he'd call for brakes
and stop his train and have the big
gest kind of job in trying to tell the
conductor what he had stopped the
train for. The company dismissed
him after about six months, and
Matt gave up railroading and is now
driving truck in Chicago.
Il don't know whether he knows
the trick Hank played on him ornot,
but this was the way of it: Hank
spent a lot of money in Chicago for
pasteboard engine, made to look ex-
aetly like No. "a and provided with
a genuine headlight all complete.
Then he had this hyer Quaker engine
set up on the track just round a curve
at IA time when he knew that the
only train which could possibly come
along would be theexpress. Qfcourse
he had several fellows engaged in the
thing with him, but Hank was
popular chap with the boys,
and hecould always find help enough
for any game that be might want to
carry out.
"Of course the express engine went
through thepasteboard concern with
out even feeling it, and don't blame
Matt for believing it was ghost, es-
pecially as be had the fireman to back
him in that opinion.
Il don't justify Hank, for / always
considered that he played it altogeth-
er too low down on Matt, and Hank
allows that he did, now that he is
older and has come to look at things
Idon't think it's the sort
of thing he'd do now, though of
course the heart is deceitful and des-
perately wicked, as the good book
says.
whats that you saya Never
heard that a locomotive could have
a ghosti Well, all l can say is
that if you were railroad man YOU
would know that ghosts of engines
and ghosts of whole trans, sleeping
cars and all, have been seen time
and again by railroad men. If had
time now, I'd tell you Of ghost
train that used to run on this very
road, and that I've seen with my own
identical, individual eyes. You 60
for 20 or 80 years, and
you'll know a sight of things that
you'll never know any other way
st. Louis Republic.