Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-11-06
SPOoKs AT The KEYS.
The Weird Experience of Railroad Tel
egraph Operator.

The Weird Experience of Railroad Tel
egraph Operator.
A knot Of dispatchers were discussing
their experiences at Minneapolis recent
ly, when a reporter joined the group.
James F. Forbes, chief dispatcher of a
division of the Chicago, Burlington and
Northern railroad, was telling a story
which had something of the uncanny
about it. When he had finished, the dis
patchers shrugged up their shoulders
and asked each other suggestively: "Do
you believe in the psychic forces?" or
"Do you believe in telepathy?" No one
answered, but an elderly dispatcher who
sat near said he believed in theosophy.
The story told by Forbes was as fol-
lows: "About 15 years ago." said Mr..
Forbes, 81 Twas employed at small way
station called Lucan, on the Grand
Trunk railroad 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 was another station
called Stratford, then headquarters Of
the train dispatcher, and quite town.
was night operator and dispatcher at
Lucan. I suppose all stories of this kind
open up ON the customary dark and
stormy night, to make the narrative
good, but this is true experience, and
the night was really dark and stormy
There was no lightning. 1t only rained,
and the wind howled around the little
station i'll dismal way, making grew
some company at best. AS I sat there
near the instrument, idle for moment,
I heard the clicking of the keys. 1t was
the train dispatcher at Stratford calling
up the operator at st. Mary's and me-
chanically listened to the message. 1t
was the usual form, Hold No. and
No. 2 for orders. The operator at st.
Mary's repeated the message correctly
and signed his name ON the key.
In about 80 minutes again heard
the clicking of the dispatcher's key, and
listened. By this time the sound of the
wind soughing among the trees had be-
come terribly mournful. So the clicking
of the key was company and music at
the same time, aud this is probably the
reason paid such close attention to it.
distinctly heard the message, and to
my dying day will be prepared to take
my oath to it: st. Mary's. No. 2 and
No. 20 may proceed. Signed, Galbart
and Farr.
81 knew that Galbart was the dis
patcher at that place and that Farr
was head switch tender, and, according
to the rules of the road, both men were
required to countersign trainI order
before it became effective. Sol thought
nothing more of it until heard the Or
der properly repeated and discharged.
Then suddenly the keys clicked again,
and st. Mary's said the message was
received, but not understood, as no ref
erence had been made to trains No. 2
and No. 30 before. Then the dispatch
ers at both stations 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 clicking and talking,
and then came from both st. Mary
and Stratford: we can find no such
record in any Of the dispatcher's files.
1t is not in the chief dispatcher's rec
Ords.
81 was completely astounded, T" con-.
tinued Mr.. Forbes, "and I could not
make it out. was positive had heard
the message go through. Then the dis
patchers along the line began to joke
and wired such messages as ghosts,
'spooks They were not as strict as they
are now.
"The whole thing made me nervous,
for train dispatcher doesn't like such
jokes while in the discharge Of respon-
sible 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 sta
ton called st. Paul, ON the Canadian
side, train No. 20 was side tracked and
stood with steam kissing as No crushed
past. 1t was an unusual thing. for No
20 never stopped there and always wait
ed at another station. So horrible ca
lamity was averted by a mysterious
ghostly message. If No 20 had not
learned by the inquiries over the wire
that something was the matter with the
train orders, it would have rushed past
the station and met in horrible collision
with No. 2.
81 don't pretend to explain it, re-
marked Mr.. Forbes, closing the narra-
tive, "and it probably never will be
explained. minneapolis Tribune