The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-09-21
4 RAILROAD GHOST.

fully. "Why, man alive, the woods are
fuIl of 'em in these MOUNTAINS. just wait
till we take the siding for No . to pass,
and I'll tell you about Granny Whitaker
and her COW, whose spooks seen with my
own eyes. Chests There's at least one
full grown spook for every mile post on
the division
So it was held my peace until the train
was safely on the siding and we We're
gathered around the stove in the caboose.
The wind was bowling wildly through the
eorges, making the windows rattle and
the doors creak, while the unusual draft
caused the iron stove to glow redly in the
semitwilight. One felt mighty comforta-
BILE inside the cab that evening.
CHOW, about Them spooks, remarked
the conductor, putting away his lunch
pail and lighting his pipe I'm not goin
to tell you any fancy tales, but just give
you a short account of what l seen with
my own eyes one winter about ten years
ago, and you can believe it or not, as you
see fit. At that time was front brake
man on old Bill Staley's crew, and we had
the name Of bein the toughest gang on the
division all through, includin the engineer
and fireman. Pete Smith was at the
throttle, and do solemnly believe he was
tho most impious man on the face of the
earth Swear! Why, profanity came to
his lips easier than anything else. I've
seen him sit down on log and curse the
road from president to apprentice because
a nut got loose or couplin broke.
"And he was ais cranky as he was pro-
fame. Fo- instance, one day he got 1t into
l. L1I- nm sa4 10
Tunnel kept the red signal up few sec
onds longer than necessary, which raised
his wrath, so that when the board finally
dropped old Pete wouldn't start, but in
stead got wrench and began takin off a
cylinder head. We knew it wasn't any use
remonstratin with him, as he'd have his
own sweet will in the matter. Meantime
train after train drew up behind us, and
the dispatcher at the other end of the divi
sion was nearly crazy. He asked by wire
several times what was the matter, and at
last sent a message threatenin to suspend
Pete unless he got started within ten min
utes.
"When he got this word, Pete, who all
the time had been tinkerin with the cylin-
der as if he was maxim big repairs, began
to swear. He sat down on the pilot and
salivated that dispatcher until words failed
him. Then he renewed his leisurely work
upon the engine. As last he got in the
mood to start after we had laid there 2
hours and 20 minutes The worst of it
was LIZ body could say positively the cylin-
der didn't need repairs, no nothin was
done.
81 mentioned this just to show what a
mean cantankerous cuss Pete was, and so
you'd bettes understand what I'm goin to
tell you. Ten years ago the country here
abouts wasn't near as well settled as 1t is
now. The old residenters weren't over
good either They had the name of bein a
bad lot, and about the worst was Granny
Whitaker, who lived in rickety little
log house in clearin near the top of the
mountain. 1t was said she was witch,
and most people avoided her as they would
the old Nick.
HShe .sad an old mooley COW that used
to run free all over the mountain, often as
not takin The railroad for short cut
home. That COW caused lots of trouble,
for there wasn't an engineer on the divi-
sion who wouldn't blame sight rather
stop his engine and chase the brute away
than incur Granny Whittaker's anger by
KILN it-that is, exceptin Pete. One 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 send the
cow to kingdom come if he got that
chance. He got it. The next day the cow
wasn't quick enough, and Pete caught it
square in the center, knockin it down the
bank like a feather. Then he laughed. I
think 1t was the first time I ever heard
him laugh, and along with the rest of the
trainmen'I didn't like it bit, for we was
all afeared of Granny Whitaker.
1.-THE followin day when we reached
that spot again there was red flag stickin
up between the rails. Contrary as Pete
was, he didn't dare run past danger sig
nal, SO he blowed for breaks, and the train
came to a stop. All at once old Granny
Whitaker ros, up from somewhere and
opened on Pete. She called down the most
blood curdling curses on him I ever heard,
her skinny finger pointin at him and her
eyes dashin fire and birthstone Old Pete
wriggled and tried to answer, but she didn't
give him chance until she ran out of
breath. I was lookin for him to do some
swearin himself, but he only said, tShet
up, We old hag, or I'll send ye to line the
cow Then he started his engine.
"She run alongside his cab, and scream
In, 'I'il put spell on you and your en-
CINE, you murderer! threw little bottle
of what looked like ink at him. It hit the
window and busted, fyin all over him
and the engine. She cackled and yelled
with delight: You'll die by your own en-
CINE, you wretch, and me and my COW
will haunt you, as the engine moved
away. Pete wiped the stuff off with some
waste and said nothin. I saw the old
woman standin and pointin after us till
we turned the bend.
"About a week after that we were
changed from day to night run. In
spite of old Pete's crankiness he was one of
the 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 $50 the master mechanic couldn't I'M
derstand it. The engine would run all
right for spell and then get balky. At
such times it wouldn't steam, the valves
would stick, drawbacks would be jerked
out, or the fire would get choked 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 asn't respon-
sible. So they sent her to the shop for gen
eral repairs, and Pete was given another
engine on another run. 1t was about two