Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-12

would be glad to talk to them and recommend
them to the care Of DIR. Shade."-J. w. B. 1t
dozen words, and catch the rear platforms
as they pass. Then the word moves rapid
ly in both directions.
Have you ever noticed how conductor
drops Off? He faces to the rear, leans
strongly in the same direction, swings OF,
lets CO. and lands on his feet without NOV
Ing from his tracks. None but an expert
can do 1t.
"Big Mike Callahan says he's seen n
ghost in the Peace monument pitt" was the
word which the forward conductor on =
gave.
Snakes most likely" sneered sc.
"Jim-jams. sure!'
Laid onY'
Eyes,"
''rhat'n keep him from pitching into the
wheel"
And so the word passed. but it was not
the end.
The oiIer in the 18th street junction pit
saw the Banshee the next evening clinging
to the grip OF a north-bound 14th street
car, and five minutes later that grip car
struck a horse and buggy at Thomas Circle
and smashed the carriage.
1t doesn't take long to put two and two
together. The BanShee noodooed every
grip car 1t chung to, and every employee on
tho road knew it. The subject was dis
cussed with bated breath.
No. % came over the 18th street pit the
same week, and just as it crossed the grip
man heard the oiIer below utter q great
oath and yell: There 1t is again!"
Then he heard an Oil can strike the grip
and crush between the cable and a sup
porting yoke. which made him nervous
and he Knocked an old gentleman off his
feet, crossing the rear end of George
town car on his way to the transfer sta
tion
The whole street railway fraternity had
1t now. Vague rumors reached the outside
world, but no one got the rights of it. The
Banshee was quiet for three days.
But the whole service was getting de-
moralized. Gripmen lost their nerve: cars
were stopped and started with a Jerk.
Whlcn not only threw passengers off their
feet, but was bad for the cables; motormen
burned out their boxes, and even the horse
car drivers made trouble
matters were coming to a crisis on the
cable lines. Something had to be DONE A
system whose receipts average $1,000 day
cannot afford to have it's force democrat
lied.
The pitmen had 1t worst. There are ten
pits on the cable system, one at each termi-
nus; one at each juno ton and where the
cable trenches run from the power houses
to the streets. The ponderous wheels need
constant watching to maintain them at the
point of highest efficiency. An accident at
either junction might para1yze the system
for twenty-four hours and cause q loss
ranging anywhere from $4,000 to $4,000
The machinery in these pits is marvel of
ingenuity. That in the Peace monument
leaves the slot of the north track, runs
around large horizontal wheel, to which
it gives impetus, and then returns to it's
proper channel. 1t spins swiftly and I'M
ceaSingly nineteen hours a day, like the
thread Of some gigantic spider weaving a
web wherein to crush its unhappy victims,
remorselessly and in an instant. Above
this wheel another turns, smaller, but upon
the same axis, and bearing the auxiliary
cable Of the Baltimore and Ohio extension
running at lower speed.
1t is dark but coy nook, this pit; cooler
in summer. warmer in winter than the up
per air. Access is gained by a stepladder
through small hatchway near the coping
of the monument whose dolorous MODES
cling convulsively together, like triad of
timorous females apprehensive Of mouse.
Within the pit one sees wide, low room;
then a long, narrow, arched passage, white
washed, and leading far down the avenue,
to where the gripmen drop the cable or
clutch it anew with toothless jaws of steel,
which need new leather gums every TWEEN
ty-four hours.
Something had to be done; so the superin-
tendent put two men in each pit, one armed
with revolver, the other with breech-
loading shotgun, and gave them instruc-
lions to fire at anything which didn't be-
long there, man, ghost, banshee or what
not Two days of close watching produced
nothing more dangerous than dismal cat,
which had crawled in from some point
where a sewer tapped the cable runway to
draw off rainwater. And then
A. small gray body clad in scarlet whirled
into the monument pit from the avenue
cable, shot once around the wheel and then
was thrown by its centrifugal force half
across the room, almost into the face OF
one of the armed guards, who was seized
with bad case of "banshee fever and let
go both barrels Of his shotgun aimless!y.
then tumbled ignOminiously backward The
Banshee fled like shadow into the tool
closet, whereupon the pitnlan slammed to
the door, turned the key and braced HIM
self against it with 200 pounds of good
Irish bone and muscle.
"Bijou," he shouted, crossing himself, II
have ye where the Angel Michael had the
divii I'm not Mother Callahan's sivinth
son for naught"
The sound of the gun brought one of
those instantaneous crowds which every
city can produce, and foremost down the
ladder lurched policeman, with drawn re-
volver.
whats up here?'' he demanded fercely.
"In there?" calculated Callahan, thumb
ing vigorously over his strenuous shoulder
whats in there?''
We've got itI'
"Got what?"
1.-THE Banshee, bad cess to her!'
"Banshee be blowed! Let me in therer'
For the love av hiv'n. dawn't let that
crather loose agin."
Despite the pitman's protest, the police
man forced open the closet door. Some
thing flew out and gray and scarlet flash
shot up through the hatchway The officer
swung his club at it., but hit Callahan, and
then fell all over himself getting into the
outer air.
the Peace monument, was small and much
frightened monkey in a tattered scarlet
jacket. Climbing the pedestal and uttering
words Of soothing endearment was the
Italian proprietor of a nearby fruit stand.
"Me-a getta da monk. He-a belong-a ma
hrof y,lo 10 loo