Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-11-27
A MISPLACED SWITCH.

y
some whaS whom old Aunt SOokit
Smart use, to come over to borrow
'drawin" of tea Of my mother, and
before going stand with her hand OF
the door latch while she told about
the corpse Iights that old Deacon
Jimpson seen on his harness Q few
nights atore he fell ofi'n load Of haJ
an broke bis neck" or that Mis-
EIlet might a knowed her little
Aleck wasn't goin' to live long, ful
the very night he was took sick they
come three short knocks at the bed
room winder, an terrible grOaDin
noise: an, of course, the little fellel
didn't live but three days after that
Just a day for each knock.
Increasing years and d disposition
to inquire into the cause Of any mys
terious noise or appearance had much
to do with dispelling the slight i'm
pressions male on q childish mind,
and l repeat that / am totally free
from all superstition along the lines
of which l have spoken. Notwith'
standing my skepticism In this d.
rection, must allow that strange
things sometimes happen, things
which might be explained by those
who have made the mysterious work.
ings Of the human mind a close
study, but which leave the ordinary
mortal in a maze Of doubt IS to how
and why these things can be sO
Before giving an accOunt Of tn.
strangest event of my life, l wish it
to be understood that l am not writ
ing a story" butam giving a strict,
ly accurate account OF psychological
mystery the key to which i have
never vet found. During the sum-
mer Of 1884 / was night clerk in the
car record office of the b. q ii. Rail.
road Company at Wolstina Junction.
the terminal point Of the road. and
where 1t delivers its passengers and
freight over to the safe keeping OF
the great trunk ! mes The Orfice is
situated at the end Of the immense
frei l. ht yard, and mile below the
junct on proper. A little way back
OF the oiiice and at the end Of Gu lie
sharp incline is the roundhOuse
with its accompanying turntablc in
front The roundhouse track is con-
nected with the main track by a
switch a little below the Office and
as they diverge and run either side
Of the building. it is left standing iu
what is called in railroad parlance,
q Y.
Mine was a rather lonesome joh
In tho~e days there was no night
swift h gang, and my duties were
legion. | was night clerk, night
yard master and all-arouud night
caretaker, with nothing to break the
monOtony OF the long hours OF dark
ness except the occasional coming 10
OF freight train, or the arrival OF
departure Of the night expresses, OF
which there were two, Nos 80 and
81, the latter coming in and the
former going out at = o'clock a. III.
1t was the custom Of the crew Of No.
35 to run their engine out at l.45.
cross the main track, run around
their coaches, which lay on the op-
posits side of the yard, couple on and
back their train up to the junction
where, on a siding, they awaited the
coming OF No. SO before they could
go out, the b. & II. being single
track road. 1t was the duty Of No.
35s baggagemaster to see that all
switches were left right, and as lie
was known to be careful man, nc
questions were ever asked as To
whether or not this duty had been
performed.
One still, hot night in August ]
heard the engine of No IS come out
of the house, stop at the water plug
for few minutes, cross over the
main and perhaps a dozen other
tracks to the coach tracks, and few
minutes later I bade Conductor Stew
art good might after he had stopped
at my open window for a moment to
greet me. listened vaguely to the
labored breathing Of the engine as
she backed her train up the rather
heavy grade TO the junction, and then
looked at the little nickel clock on
my desk. 1t was 1:45; In little
more than ten minutes [ would hear
the duh Lar OF No. 36 as she ran
across the river bridge mile below.
A moment later the mellow glare OF
her headlight would light up the long
rows of freight cars standing In the
yard, the engineer would blow a long
whistle, and l would wave my Ian.
tern over my head as a signal that
ali was right, then he would give two
short toots Of recognition and the
long line Of coaches and sleepers
would fash by and I would lay the
switches for the outgoing No. IS.
AS looked at my clock the
thought struck me, Suppose that
the baggagemaster had forgotten Ia
close The switch on the main. what
then? Why, nothing could save SO
going straight into the turntable
pit and 1 shuddercd when l thought
OF the terrible possibilities of such az
&C ident.
Something within me said. 'Gs
and see if the switch is right"
go. Go. Go" shrieked the voice.
i glanced at the clock once more
as drew fresh report sheet toward
me; it was l:55, and l listened fol
the sound of No. So crossing thu
river but heard it not.
"i'he switch is wrong," urged thu
mysterious voice.
Cant be that it's wrong"
argued, this tine aloud; patsy.
never yet failed to close that switch
and he's closed it tonight, without a
doubt"
IT'S wrong to night" said my tor.
ncnJor, sit Isn't far; go and see 10
Yourscif."
was 2-ttiug very nervous, ano
when tue clock told the hour
Of >, cod sweat broke out upon me.
The train was now overdue. and st. II
1 sat there, pretend ng to make out
An interchange report, but in reality
trying 10 fight of by stubborn nea
the something that kept constantly
c!amoring for me togo to the switch.
The clock hands pointed to 2:O4; there
were as yet no Indications Of the ap.
p:olch OF No 80, but could stand
81 no longer. seized my Lantern
and ran to the switch.