The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-08
TeLEGRAPHERs' TALES.
A Newfoundland That Kept Watch-valus
of Broiled Muskrat.

n ACKNOWLEDGING Innt kept w htcn-volu0
of Broiied Muskrat.
Telegraph operators have queer ex-
periences at times, especially at ths
lonely railroad stations where travel 10
light, hours long and the work is done
at night. An experience meeting of
sailors, SO far as the yarn spinning is
concerned, is as mild compared to
telegraphers' social session as milk il to
tar's shore leave. Several knights Of
the key were sitting about table down
town after hours recently. when tho
tongues began to wag about expert
ences. Gil Bradley started the ball.
~ was sent one night to sub on the
Texas and Pacific at little station
called Gordon" he said. "There was
one hotel of four rooms mile from the
telegraph station and two or three
cabins about the same distance off. The
regular operator had his rooms over the
station and freighthouse, where sup
plies were received for the coal mines
several miles away. 1t was the loneliest
place / ever struck, but / had to work.
After fixing things / lay down on
bench to wait for the next freight
suppose dozed, for jumped up with a
start at feeling cold, wet nose showed
into my face. There was big New
foundland dog wagging his tail as mer-
rily as 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 began to
think something was wrong. Up got,
and he led me all through the freight
| house, up to the operators rooms and
back to the office; then calmly went to
sleep with one eye open and one ear
| pricked up. waited for the train, but
before heard it he began TO bark.
"The next night the same perform
ance. Well, after that used to go to
Sleep and for the week I 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 we'll trained dog"
"That's no experience, said Billy
Marshall "There was only half q thrill
IN that. Why, in 1883, during the bliz-
card, was holding down q night job
in New Jersey. 1t was the dreariest
i
out for station. 1t was SO quiet in the
daytime that you could hear the sun
light CLINT and at night the shadows
fall. 1t was showing when went on
at night, and all trains were blocked,
and by morning l was almost buried.
My lunch was long ago gone, and felt
like grinding my teeth into some break.
fast. Dinner time came and went, sup
per hour passed, and no relief arrived.
chewed ON lead pencils and rubber
bands until felt like girl bookkeeper.
pulled in my belt and nearly cut my
self in two, but tho old hunger wal
there just the same. So tried to sleep
but there was no sleep in me with thai
gnawing ut my stomach.
''All at once l saw three muskrat
come up through a hole in the floor
Muskrat was better than starvation, 81
l made for them with poker, killet
one. and the others got away to freez
to death. SHINING that fellow ant
dressing him didn't take long, and witt
J wire l rugged broiler. You bet you
life the smell of that cooking rat wa
just great joy, and I'm no chink either
1t Just tickled me so that l fell ASLEEP
and only woke up when he was so burne'
that the odor nearly choked me-
1.-The snowplow came along soon
however, and when got filled up agail
, l was sort of glad l hadn't put dow
the old muskrat after all. He might no
have agreed with me. New York Sun