The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-06
spooKs AT THE KEYS.
kilograms That No Man Sent-Weird
Experience of "A Train Dispatches.
From the Chicago Times-Herald.

Experience of "A Train Dispatches.
From the Chicago Times-Herald.
A knot of dispatchers were discussing
their experiences in the corridor of the
West hotel. at Minneapolis, recently,
when Tribune reporter Joined the group.
James f. Forbes. chief dispatcher of a
division of the Chicago. Burlington and
Northern road. was telling story which
had something of the uncanny about it.
When he had finished the dispatchers
shrugged up their shoulders and asked
each other SUCCESSFULLY, do you believe
in the psychic foFces?" or do you be-
lieve in telepathy? Pho one answered but
an elderly dispatcher who sat near, who
said he believed in theosophy.
The story told by Forbes was as follows:
About fifteen years ago, said Mr.. Forbes,
Il was employed at small way station
called Lucan, on the Grand Trunk rail-
road, in Canada. 1t was not very far from
the American border, at which was the
town of St. Mary's. TO the east of Lucan
then headquarters of the train dispatcher,
and quite a town. l was night operator
and dispatcher at Lucan. l suppose all
stories OF this kind open up on the Gus
tomary dark and stormy night, to make
the narrative good; but this Is a true ex-
perience, and the night was really dark
and stormy. There was no lightning. 1t
only rained, and the wind ihowled around
the little station in a dismal way, making
grewsome company at best. As 1 sat
near the instrument, idle for a moment
heard the clicking of the keys. 1t was
the train dispatcher at Stratfcrd calling
up the operator at ST. Mary's, and 1 me-
was the usual form: Hold No / and No
for orders The operator at st. Mary 8
repeated the message and signed his name
'In<about thirty minutes 1 again heard
the clicking of the dispatcher's key, and
listened. BY this time the sound of the
come terribly mournfuL So the clicking
Of the key was company and music at the
same time, and this is probably the rea-
son l paid such close attention to it.
distinctly heard the message, and to my
dying day will be prepared to take oath
to it; st. Marys, No. 2 and No. 20 may
proceed. Signed. Galbart and Farr.'
II knew that Galbart was the dispatch
er at that place and that Farr was head
switch tender, and, according to the rules
of the road, both men were required to
came effective. So / thought nothing more
of 1t until | heard the order properly re-
peated and discharged. Then suddenly
the keys clicked again. and st. Marys
said the message was received, but not
understood, as no reference had been
made to trains No. and No. 20 before.
called me up and asked what I had heard
and answered back over the wire the
exact message as it had clicked itself
through my Office. There was more
both ST. Marys and Stratford: We can
find no such record in any of the dis
patcher's files. 1t is OF in the chief dis
patcher's records
Il was completely astounded," contin-
ued Mr.. Forbes, land l could not make ii
out. / was positive I had heard the mes
sage go through. Then the dispatchers
along the line began to joke and wired
such messages at ghosts 'spooks.'
They were not as strict as they are now
THE whole thing made me nervous. for
a train dispatcher doesn't like such Jokes
while in the discharge of responsible work
Well, we never got track of that message
That night No. 2 cleared on time and
went bowling up the track And here is
where the really uncanny part of the story
comes in. At the little station called ST
Paul, on the Canadian side. train No On
was side-tracked. and stood with steam
kissing as No rushed past 1t was an
unusual thing, for No. 20 never Stoned
there and always waited at another sta
ton. So horrible calamity was averted
by mysterious ghostly message II
No. 20 had not learned by the INQUIRIES
over the wire that something was the mat
ter with the train orders it would have
rushed past the station and met in horrible
collision with No 2 '0' ii"ie
don I pretend to explain it," remark
ca MT Forbes, closing the narrafiva
and II probably never viii be explained