The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-04-18


tanning her with piece of crumpled
newspaper. She was so relieved to
find that she had not been beheaded
or cut into quarters, as the robbers
we're in Ali Baba, that her lips began
to tremble some sort OF thanks. But
the minute she showed that she was
conscious the robbers lost no time in
telling her why they had taken such
pains to bring her round She was
to stay with them until eight o'clock,
when the mail and express was due,
and signal and stop the train at the
Millegeville siding, q desolate side
track half mile down the track from
where they we're.
"a few minutes before eight o'clock
n little figure sat on q big tie, at the
switch, at the west end of the Millege-
vile siding. One OF the robbers had
switch key and had turned the
switch SO us to throw the train off on
to tho siding. This in itself they
reckoned would cause the train to
stop. The signal lamp at the switch
had been twisted around until it showed
the white light of safety, and the
CLEAN of the bulls eye shed just
enough light to show the robbers in
ambush at the edge of the woods that
their unwilling little accomplice was
whiting and ready to give the signal
which would give them the oppor-
tunity of robbing the express and mail
cars of the most important treasure
bearing train then run by any rail.
road in the State of Illinois.
at must have seemed ages to those
four watchers. AT last, however, the
rumble OF the approaching train could
be heard up the valley. As it flew
through the sleepy little hamlet of
Millegeville it whistled and the noise
re-echoed against the quiet hills. To
the robbers these sounds meant only
the rapidly approaching chance of
rich gains, but to Elsie, who had risen
and was standing back n short dis
tance from the track, those familiar
whistle shrieks meant far more. They
meant that her fathers engine was
drawing the train and that il he should
recognize her in the dark all her plans
would iniscarry, However, there was
no time left for speculation. Six eyes
cleaned with satisfaction through
three b!ack masks as the little figure
at the switch light began to slowly
wave a white handkerchief as a warn
Ing signal to the approaching train.
1.-THE infinite pleasure of having
their we'll laid plans carry without
mishap was felt by the robbers, as FL
sic waved more and more furiously,
and the engine could be distinctly
heard shutting off steam and slacken-
ing for the stop. Then suddenly came
n quick change. "Chu, chu, chu, 1"
came in quick succession from the To-
comotive, as her drive wheels slipped
on the track and made wild plunge
forward. "Chu, chu, chu, chu, chu,
chu," again came from the engine.
What could it mean2 Tie speed of
.ne tsK.1i vas increasing ihsSesd of'ai-
minishing. Elsie was now signaling
wildly, yet onward, faster and faster,
came the mail and express. 1t en-.
tered the siding and flashed past the
little figure at the switch light. Even
the sudden unexpected swerve from
the main line on to the siding had not
diminished its rapidly increasing ve-
locity. In moment more 1t had
passed from the siding on to the main
line again and the sigual lights on the
rear platform disappeared around a
curve up the line.
"The robbers row left cover and
came over to find Elsie in faint, the
second time that day. This time,
however, they did not stop to bring
her to. There was no time to be lost.
She had done her full duty, fulfilled
every promise she had given them.
Certainly she was not to blame for the
train not stopping. Little did those
men know rs they left her and disap-
peared in the woods that Elsie Powers
had given her father that signal OF
safety universally known among rail.
road men as the "high ball" Only a
railroad man, certainly no technically
unsophisticated tramp or robber,
could have told that those handker.
chief wavings meant All right All
right Come on full speed! Come
on full speedr instead Of Danger !!
and 'Stopv From her earliest in
fancy, when she played train with the
parlor chairs. Elsie knew we'll the
whole code of technical railroad sig
nails, and she also knew that unless
her father recognized her at toe
switch his unquestioning obedience tc
the signals of the road would save the
mail and express from robbery.
"Up in Chicago, on the desk of thC
President of the Jacksonville, Nal
chester ard Springfield Railway, hal
buried under sea OF important let
ters and official papers, there is lit
tie silver frame, containing photo
graph of the little girl who, when onl,
twelve years old, saved the mail anC
express from robbery at Millegevill'
siding, Each year, when the Presi
dent inserts in his annual report t.
his Board of Directors For tn
efficient service rendered by all EN-