The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-11-04
TeLEGRAPHERS' TALES.
Newfoundland That Kept watch--vaiue
of Rr.Iied Nuskrat-

Newfoundland Iliut hfpt " .AAe~
of Breiied Muskrsst-
Telegraph operators have queer ex-
,eriences at times, especially at the
oneIy railroad stations where travel IS
light, hours long and the work Is done
{ night. An experience meeting OF
ailors, SO far as the yarn spinning is
-oncerned, is as mild compared to
slegraphers' social session as milk IL to
tar's shore leave. Several knights OF
he key We're sitting about a table down
o>f after hours recently, when the
ongues began 10 wag about experi-
noes. Gil Bradley started the ball.
Il was sent one night to sub ON the
rexas and Pacific at a little station
.alled GoTaol," he said. There was
,De hotel of four rooms a mile from the
elegraph ststson and two or three
:abins about tire same distance off. The
regular operator had his rooms over the
station and fTeighthouse, where sup
slies were received for the coal mines
several miles away. 1t was the loneliest
place ever struck, but | had 10 work.
After fixing Things / lay down ON a
bench TO wait -or the next freight L
mppose dozed for jumped up with a
start at feeling a cold. wet nose showed
into my face. There was big New
ioundland dog wagging his sall as mer-
lily as a buzzsaw cuts through soft
wood. Well, that dog ran first to the
lighted lantern ON the door, then back
TO me, and then pretty soon L began to
;hink something was wrong. Up got,
and he led me all through the freight
house. up TO the operators rooms and
pack to the office; then calmly went TO
sleep with one eye open and one ear
pricked up. I waited for the train, but
before heard it he began TO bark.
1.-The next night the same perform
ance Well, after that / used to go to
sleep. and for the week was there that
dog kept watch. You see, the regular
was fond of sleep at night, so he could
play poker all day. never told ON him,
but that was a well trained dog.
That's no experience, said Billy
Marshall ''There was only half thrill
in that Why, in 1888, during the biz
zard, | was holding down a night job
in New Jersey. 1t was the dreariest
spot that railroad official could pick
out for station. IL was so quiet i'll the
daytime that you could hear the sun
light CLINT ard at night the shadows
fall. 1t was showing when / went on
at night, Gnd all trains were blocked,
and by morning 1 was almost buried.
My lunch was lOrg ago gone, and felt
like grinding E.y tccth into some break
fast. Dinner tine came and went, sup
per hour passed, and no relief arrived.
| chewed ca lead pencils and rubber
BANDS until l felt like girl boOkkeeper.
| pulled in my Lelt and nearly cut my
self in two, but the old hunger was
there just the same. So tried To sleep,
but there was no sleep in me with that
gnawing at my stomach.
''All at once L saw three muSkrats
come up through a hole in the floor.
MusArat was better than starvation, so
l made for them with poker, killed
one. and the others got away to freeze
to death. Skinning that fellow and
dressing him didn't take long, and with
wire / rigged a broiler. You bet you-
life the smell Of that cooking rat was
Just great joy, and I'm no chink either.
Ii Just tickled me so that : fell asleep
ard only woke up when be was so burned
that the odor nearly ehoked me.
'The snowplow came along soon.
however, and when got filled up again
l was sort of glad l hadn't put down
the old muskrat after all He might nos
have agreed with me. New York sun