The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1895-05-17


lonely. Isolated switch aud telegraph
station. twelve miles cust. Fred and
! hai frequent chats over the wires Of
night, when the wires were compare.
lively free from business. Ms time
for going on duty was at y. M Ny
station was best known az "l.onc
witch, ' title given II by tEc train.
men because Of it~ being In such an
Isolated locality. II was. indeed.
lonely spot away out there ON the
dark mesa" and with only the occa.
sionnl howl OF coyote or the harsh
squeak Of sandhill crane 10 break
tho prevailing stiffness.
One saturday evening the G:Oj cast.
bound train was several minutes over
due at Gage. says the Philadelphia
Times writer. and among others with
mo In the waiting room noticed the
presence Of several ranchcrO-. They
were evidently from the South. and
the subject Of their conversation was
Apache Kid who had been COM
hitting dcprcdations along the south
crn border. lie had boon giving both
the Mexican and states officers con
siderable trouble. and, embroidered by
his success In cvading capture. he and
a number Of other red demons com.
prising his band Of Apachc- hud cN-
tended the limo ot their operations To
"A ranch on the outskirts uf the little
'grcasor' village NJ Upper Ciudad.
OF course. there was little or no
apprehension Of his attacking 20
I La "A l.saa
Of the outlying ranches were practical
ly unprotected aud at his merry un-
| less his murdcrous course was stopped
by the cavalry force stationed at
Fort plorson. did not apprchond
for moment that tho "kiln would
venture so far north ~ Lone
Switch'-indccd no such idea entered
my mind
When the train came into Gage sta
tion, twenty minutes latc. bound Tor
Lone SWITCH | got aboard aud
stopped on the platform of the smok-
ing ear, talking to one VI the brake
men. Soon the conductor joined M.
rcmarking at the same time
Too had about Albaugh. isn't it?"
asked him what he meant. Re
plying. he said:
why, didn't you know the boy was
taken down with mesa foyer this
morning? No. ~ stopped NJ Tunis.
the red was down, and aftor waiting
a reasonable time for clear signal
the conductor walked 10 the station 10
sec what was umiss. There he found
Albaugh srnseloss. all curlod up on
the lloor and raying like u maniac.
lie was placed on the train and taken
10 the hospital NJ Cambury. whore the
doctor pronounced II case of mesa
fever. with a slim chance for reooy-
cry. A substitute for Albaugh could
not be procured right away. ana for
the time being 1'unis station II closed
up
II was quite late when we reached
''Lone switch" The up train was
waiting for US, Each train soon passed
from my sight. and | was left alone
! with my heart oppressed over the con
dition Of poor Fred Albaugh.
shortly after midnight | ate my
lunch and then won't 20 u window Ia
take smoke and enjoy the COO
breeze. lighted my pipe and gazing
outside found the moon and star,
shining brightly. Tho surface of the
mesa was smooth and undisturbed
, and not even the cry Of a night. bird
broke the unnatural silence. A mias
matte Vapor. light and ethereal hui
, deadly In It's poison. was arising from
/, the dark loco-grass. The tall cactus
looked weird and spectral In the moon
light. The telegraph wires, touched
by a light current Of air. hummed ant
/, walled, omitting music like that o
! an KOllan harp. Gazing from my
|, window | beheld the serricd looking
< landscape, and turning to my instru
a mcnt, ! heard the blurred tick. tick
n tick. that 10 my distorted imagination
v sounded like death lSncll. SUDDEN,
4 the sounds became more rapid aut
o perfectly clear, and easily dociphorot
the call for my station-''L 2S.' Thi
/ agitatod me physically ana mental!
Ia "A manner ! cannot describe.
4 hurried 10 the table and answered ia,
!, the summons. Then waited for por
i, haps thirty or forty seconds. tn,
. ticker sounded again. and the messag
y ! ffftlNfh NfuFlA lFbfN lll' hhbol
!, my veins and was almost Frustrated
l, II was;
l. flee for your life Apaches have
looted station and started West Ma
tlfy all trains. 'A.-2L'
That message was from Aibaugh'
station and signed with Alhaugh'
!, name and number. Recovering par
- italy from my frlghts gave qulol
, look out OF the window. The mesa
/, was still unru1ed. and no new object
" we're in sight Would have time {;
repeat the message TO the yarlou
trains as my duty required and as m.
manhood dictated, or to save my owl
life must at once desert the static
= and ny and hide MYSELF
?. These thoughts possessed my min
, but moment, and ! resolved 10 stan
q by my post and do my duty, even II
i cost mo my existence. Quickly open
= ing the circuit. flashed the warnin
e message over the wires This don,
: without distinguishing my lamp, ile
/ from tho station and over the mesh
& did not run In the open, but 70
J. t.,...l a., ,,,tp.a nf "A .hulloW aruIl