The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1896-07-22
GRIZZLY BILL.

GRIZZLY BILL.
''Thrilling?' said the major. "Well,
l should say so. It was the most excit-
ing thing that ever occurred to me.
Why, can't even think of it now
without shuddering little. was con-
siderably younger in those days than I
am now, At the time ] was telegraph
operator and dispatcher for the Noun
tain Valley Railroad company in west
ern mining country. 1t was wild and
lawless country, and was not much in
love with my place, but being poor
was obliged to accept the conditions
with the best possible grace.
"Goldton, where l was located, was
really nothing more than railroad sta
ton. 1t was not ON the main line of the
Mountain Valley railroad, but on a spur
which ran to the Ingot mines. Travel
was not very extensive, in fact, but one
train q day passed my lonely station.
"On the fifteenth day of every month
l received by express for the superin-
tendent of the Ingot Mining company
tho money with which tho miners were
paid off The amount averaged between
$40, 900 and $4,000 On the 18th of
June in that year the superintendent of
the mines came to me and said:
Perkins, the pay money will be
here tomorrow, as usual, but want you
to exercise more than ordinary vigilance
in guarding it, as l understand Grizzly
Bill is operating in the mountains
again.
"Grizzly Bill was q name to inspire
terror The individual who bore that
unmusical sobriquet was an outlaw of
great daring and resolution. He stopped
at nothing. 1t was therefore quite
natural for me to feel some little trepi-
dation. l assured the superintendent,
however, that l would do all in my
power to guard the money and l think, "
continued the major with some self sat
isfaction, THAT kept my word i'll this
respect.
"During the night which followed. a
violent rainstorm swept through the
mountains. Shortly before 10 O'Clock
the next morning / received word over
the wire that the train from Pikeyille
could not get to Goldton owing to q
washout below Summit Rock. 1t was
thought that the track could be made
passable by afternoon and that the train
would reach my station before @ o'clock.
communicated these facts to the mine
superintendent by means of an assistant
who was always at the station during
the day
"At O'Clock that evening received
q message saying that it would be i'm
possible for the train to get through be-
fore or 10 o'clock tho next morning.
| sent word to this effect to the mine
superintendent, who, in turn, communi-
Gated it to the men. Feeling rather tired
I turned in carly that night. Sleep,
however, was out of the question.
1.-The baggage, freight, express and
telegraph offices were all under one
roof One corner Of the big warehouse
Git was hardly anything else) was parti-
toned off so rs to make private in
closure. This boxlike compartment l
used for sleeping, eating and the trans
action of the company 8 Geographic and
ceiver were affixed to a table conven-
iently near my bed. and If necessary it
was possible to transmit or take a mes
sage without even arising. OF course /
never found it necessary to do this; l
simply mention it to illustrate the ar
rangement of the office.
"Along toward midnight the telegraph
instrument began to click. | heard my
call, opened the key and asked what
was wanted. The operator at Pikeville
wired back that the train which had
been delayed on account of the washout
had started for Goldton and would
reach there between 8 and o'clock in
the morning. AT precisely Q 40 o'clock
the train steamed into Goldton.
1.-The express messenger alighted and
handed me huge and many sealed
package 1t contained SIT, 800
oh, that isn't all, said the mes
senger with laugh. I have a box i'll
the car that's as heavy as lead. We've
been wondering all the way up the
mountain what it contained.
"The box was lifted from the car and
placed on end in the freight department
of tho station. 1t was fully feet
long and wide-horribly suggestive
of the rough box in which coffin is in
closed. / thought of this after the train
had resumed its journey. put the pay
money in the safe, turned the combina-
ton lock and retired fell into dGze,
from which was aroused with start
by what seemed to be the ticking of the
sounder. 1t said as clear as if some one
had spoken: .Bewarel Danger threat
ems. sat up in bed. The moon was
shining brightly through the window
gazed intently at the sounder. 1t made
not the slightest motion, yet the message
came again, this time even more star
tlingly distinct than before. What could
it possibly mean? thought that l was
dreaming at first, but when the mystic
rious message was repeated for the third
time / came to different conclusion
don't believe in spiritualism, yet / am
at loss now to ascribe that inexplicable
communication to any other source.
AT any rate, upon hearing the third
message my mind instantly reverted to
the huge box in the freight corner. The
partitioning Of my little apartment did
not extend as high as the roof, but
merely to distance of about five feet
above the level Of my bed, and by
standing on the bed ] could peer over
the top and see all parts OF the interior
of the station. rose stealthily to an
erect position and looked over the edge
Of the partition. The first thing saw
was the box, standing on end near q
window in the extreme end Of the sta
ton, and as / looked saw its top slow
ly rise and mans head protrude itself.
It was thick, brutalized face, with
grizzled whiskers. Instantly it flashed
across my mind that it belonged to