The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-02
AN OPERATORS STORY.
UOWANEyGINEER SA WA STRA NGE
SJGyALAN WHAT CAME OFT
II Appears and Disappears with Myster-
ious Rapidify-This VIII O'Wisp wasa
Signal OF Death.

BEDFORD CITY. VA, Dec. l.-Speciai
correspondence. In conformity with
custom in force from time Wheh inc
memory Of man runneth not to inc CON
trary." as our old friend william b ,laaa,
stone used to tell the boys OF t'i conntrv
bag brigade, all work ceases III
nrinting offices Saturday aiternoon a. on
o'clock What then Is more hdtui a. e. a
those cold winter evenings thah lui =
crowd TO gather around the o,lce two
and spend pleasant fouim Iii as OK
relating their experiences, as wen aS -,
haustivelv discussing every toPic ,i,ic.
religion all the way down 10 p%eaiing
Such an assembly was recently 10
in supernatural happenings wh'ch nav
come under their notice: aso ~ this kind
I ever heard Of" said telegraph O Ipe,.od
tor. who had Joined the group occui N
in our own family. My father %dS o, Go
engineer on the Chesapeake anu One
railroad running into Richmond. C ~
night. while quite distance from w
latter city and nearing the end Oh ne
run he saw bright red light on IN, Ihe
track several hundred yards ahedd. 1nS
signal was also seen by his hrenlan , a,s
the front brakeman. The tram VIZ" VIZ
at once stopped. but not trace OF tnS
signalman or light could be tound anu
the track was all right. Father fookeu a.
his watch and noted that the time was
ceeding cautiously for some distance wltn
out meeting any obstruction. SeVeral
miles further, however, the llght was
again seen. once more stopping another
search was made with no more sue
cess than before. This happened at SIS.
Father was never superstitious, but this
was ineXplicable Much mystehed ne
proceeded on the way only 10 be stopper
a third time by the red light at S;6n
o'clock. Another search by the crew
failed to disclose the slightest trace or
the mysterious signalman. Finally, CIV
ing up the search the men returned TO
their posts and the train at last pulled
into Richmond without further mlshap'
AsAD TELEGRAM.
when father alighted from the cab
a telegram was handed 10 him announc-
ing the death of his mother. without
delay he went to her home which was
several miles out Of the city, on the
railroad. Soon after his arrival he learn
ed that telegram had been sent 10
him while he was out on duty, summon
ing him 10 grandmother's bedside. The
time at which father had seen the mys-
terious red lights was indellibly Impress
ed on his memory and upon inquiry he
learned that at precisely the minute the
had come. She repeated the question a
the time he saw the second light, and
the appearance of the third light was
simultaneous with her death.
ms was tOlu 10 our Jdinlly Dy my
father one morning at the breakfast
table, and while none Of us are in the
least superstitous IL was an occurrence
which we have never been able 10 eX-
plain"
THOUGHT THROUGH SPACE.
"T have always contended that there
Is some mysterious method of communl-
eating thought through space said
young clerk. This was impressed on my
mind last summer. l had been sent TO
another Tart of the town to attend 10
some work. When | left the Office |
said | would be gone about an hour. The
work ] was to do, however consumed
considerably over the time | had speci-
fled. While | was busily engaged sud
denly seemed to hear the voice Of the
presiding genius Of our establishment,
as distinctly as you now hear me. lie
was making some testing remark as to
the length of my stay. / noticed by
my watch that ii was 9.4S o'clock Upon
my return TO the office / asked Mr.. T
If he had not commented on my stay
at 9:4S O'Clock. He replied that he had
and repeated exactly the words | had
heard. or rather felt at distance of
over mile"