The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-09-28
A RAILROAD GHOST.

till we take the siding for No. TO pass
and IN tell you about Granny Whitaker
and her COW, whose spooks seen with my
own eyes. Ghostsi There's at least one
full grown spook for every pile post on
the division.'
So 1t was held my peace until the train
was safely on the siding and we wore
gathered around the stove In the caboose.
The wind was bowling wildly through the
gorges, making the windows rattle and
tho doors oreak, while the unusual draft
caused the ism stove to glow redly Ia the
semitwilight. One felt mighty comforta-
BILE inside the cab that evening.
"Now, about them spooks, +" remarked
tho conductor, putting away his lunch
pail and lighting his pipe I'm not goin
to tell you any fancy tales, but just give
my own eyes one winter about ton years
ago, and you can believe IL or not, as you
see fit. At that time was front brake
man on old Bill Stnley's crew, and we had
the name of bein the toughest gang on the
division all through, includin tho engineer
and fireman. Pete Smith was at tho
throttle, and do solemnly believe he was
tho most impious man on the face of the
earth. Sweari Why, profanity came to
his lips easier than anything else. I've
seen him sit down on a log and curse the
road from president to apprentice because
"And he was as cranky as he was pro-
fame. For instance, one day he got it into
his head the telegraph operator at Big
Tunnel Kept the red signal up few sec.
onds longer than necessary, which raised
his wrath, SO that when the board finally
dropped old Pcto woultln't start, but in
stend got n wrench and began takin off
cylinder head. Wo knew it wasn't any use
remonstratin with him, as he'd have his
own sweet will in tho matter. Meantime
train after train drew up behind us, and
tho dispatcher Mt the other end of the divi-
sion was nearly crazy. Ho asked by wiro
several times what WIS the matter, and at
last sent n message thrcatonin to suspend
Pcte unless he got started within ten min
utes.
when he got this word, Pete, who all
the time had becn tinkerin with the cylin-
der as if he was maxim big repairs, began
to swear. Ho sat down on the pilot and
saiivated that dispatcher until words failed
him. Then he removed his leisurely work
upon the engine. At last he got In the
mood to start after we had laid therc
hours and 20 minutes. Tho worst of 1t
was nobody could say positively the cylin-
der didn't need repairs, nothin was
done.
II mentioned this just to show what n
mean, cantanlSerouS cuss Pete was, and so
you'd better understand what I'm goin to
tell you. Ten years ago tho country here
hbOutS WshSn y JtCdf us well Selbleu as lU 1A
now. The old residonters weren't over
good either. They had tho namo of beln
bad lot, and about tho worst was Granny
Whitaker, who lived in "a rickety little
log house in a clearin near the top of the
mountain. 1t was said she was IA witch,
and most people avoided her as they would
the old Nick.
"Sho had an old mooley cow that used
to run FREQ all over tho mountain, often as
not takin the railroad for a short cut
homo. That cow caused lots OF trouble,
for there wasn't an engineer on the divi-
sion who wouldn't q blame sight rather
stop his engine and chase the brute away
than incur Granny Whittaker's anger by
KILN it-that Is, exceptin Pete. Ono day
that COW got ON the track ahead of him
when he was in an extra bad humor, and
he tried to run it down, sayin he'd sefid tho
COW to kingdom come il he got that
chance. He got 1t. The next day the COW
wasn't quick enough, and Pete caught 1t
square in tho center, knockin 1t down tho
bank like arfeather. Then he laughed. /
think 1t was the first time over heard
him laugh, and along with the rest of the
trainmen didn't like it a bit, for VIC was
all afeared of Granny Whitaker.
"'Fhe fo.lowin day when we reached
that spot again there was n red flag sticlxin
up between tho rails. Contrary as Pete
wns, he didn't dare run past q danger Sig
nal, so he bowed for breaks, and the train
1hiilc " u supp. AL III once OlCl tTrannY
Whitaker rose up from somewhere and
opened ON Peto. She called down the most
blood curtlling curses ON hini ever heard
her skinny finger pointin at him and her
eyes flashin fire and birthstone. Old Pete
wriggled and tried to answer, but she didn't
give him a chance until she ran out of
breath. 1 was lookin for him to do some
swearin himself, but he only said, 'Shet
up, ye old hag, or I'll send ye to jine the
cow Then ho started his engine.
"Sho run alongside his cab, and scream-
In, '1H put n spell on you and your en-
gine, you murdererr threw little botlle
OF whnt looked like ink at him. 1t hit the
window and busted, fiyin all over him
and tho engine. Shc cackled and yelled
with delight: You'll die by your own en-
gine. you wretch, and me and my COW
will haunt you, as tho engine moved
away. Pete wiped the stuff off with some
waste and said nothin. I saw tho old
woman stendii and pointin after us till
we turned tho bend.
ABOUT n week after that we were
changed from day to night run. In
spite of old Pete's crankincss no was one of
tho best engineers ON the road and had one
OF the best engines too. So when things
began to go wrong with the machinery of
old 300 the master mechanic couldn't un-
derstand 1t. The engine would run all
right for spell and then get balky. At
such times it wouldn't steam, tho valves
Wouiu SLICK, uraWhcadS would be 1eslSed
out, or the fire would get ohoked up, all
apparently without any cause. OF course
everybody blamed Pete, but after the road
foreman of engines made two or three
trips in her 1t was seen Pete WASH t respon-
siblc. So they sent her to the shop for gem
eral repairs, and Pete was given another
engine on another run. 1t was about two
months before 900 was turned out for sery-
leo again. In the meantime old Granny
Whitaker was found dead and was buried
In her garden, the church people refnsln
to let her lie in consecrated ground.
For n week after goo was repaired she
run like charm. Then they put her back
on our run, and Pete took her again. We
started out the first night with q heavy
train, and bein front brakeman my place
was on the cars next to the engine. 1t
was raw and foggy, the kind of weather
to make a man feel nervous In spite of
himself, especially when goin through
these mountains. l was thinkin of this
when / heard Pete blow for brakes, or
rather IL there was somethin on the
track. i edged over to the side OF the box
cars between which / was standip, and
holdin on to the grab irons tried to see what
was the matter. just then 1 felt soft
bump and saw somethin tumble down the
bank. That's an animal, thought 1, but
whom the train stopped and we all went
back to look for it not thing could be
found.
"'That's mighty funny said Pete
I'm sure hit a cow