Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-10-30
GRIZZLY BILL.

= nAARAAa 1aI ~ - N4R 49, W 49,
ing thing that ever occurred 10 inc.
Why, I can't even think Of it now
without s~huddering q little. 1 was con-
siderably younger ia those days than l
am now. At the time I was a telegraph
operator and dispatcher for tho Noun
tain Valley Railroad company in "a west.
ern mining country. 1t was a wild and
lawless country, and / was not much in
love with my place, but being poor /
was Obliged to accept tho conditions
with the best possible grace.
"Goldton, where / was located, was
really nothing more than a railroad sta.
tion. It was not IN tine main line of tho
Mountain Valley railroad. but IN a spur
which ran to the Ingot mines. Travel
was not very extensive, in fact, but one
train a day passed my lonely station.
ION tho ifteerth day Of every month
/ received by express for the suporin-
tendent of the Ingot Mining company
the money with which the miners were
paid off. The amount averaged between
SI5, 900 and S1S. 900. On the 14th of
June in that year the superintendent Of
the mines came to mo and said:
"'Perkins, the pay money viii be
here tomorrow, as usual, but I want yor.
TO exercise more than ordinary vigilance
in guarding it, as I understand Grizzly
Bill is operating in the mountains
again
"Grizzly Bill was a name to inspire
terror. The individual who bore that
unmusical sobriquet was an outlaw Of
1903 I,~s.,. ur,1 A.rn1-AsD,, To aA1,,.l
of nothing. 1t was therefore quite
natural for me to feel some little trepi-
dalton. / assured the superintendent,
however, that 1 would do all in my
power to guard the money, and I think, "
continued the major with some self sat
isfaction, ''that 1 kept my word in this
respect.
During tho night which followed, .
violent rainstorm swept through tie
mountains. Shortly before 10 o'clock
the next morning l received word over
the wire that tho train from Pikevillc
could not get to Goldton owing 20 q
washout below Summit Rock. 1t was
thought thnt the track could be made
pnssable by afternoon and that the train
would reach my station before G O'Clock.
I communicated these facts to the mine
superintendent by mean of an assistant
who was always at tho station during
the day.
eat . O'Clock that evening I received
q message saying that it would be in
possible for the train to get through be-
fore 0 or 10 o'clock tho next morning.
I sent word to this effect to the mine
superintendent, who, in turn, communi-
Gated it to the men. Feeling rather tired
1 turned in early that night. Sleep,
however, was out of the question.
1.-THE baggage, freight, express and
telegraph offices were all undcr one
roof. One corne Of the big warehouse
lit was hardly anything else) was parti-
toned of so as to make q private in
closure. This boxlikc compartment l
used for sleeping, eating and the trars-
action Of the company's Geographic and
railroad business. Tho sender and re-
ceiver were affixed to q table conven-
iently near my bed. and if necessary it
was possible to transmit or take a mes
sage without even arising. OF course l
never found it necessary to do this; 1
simply mention it to illustrate tho ar
rhngoment OF the ONCE.
"Along toward midnight tho telegraph
instrument began to click. 1 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 accoun of the washout
had started for Goldton and would
roach there between 8 and 4 o'clock in
the morning. At precisely 2 :45 O'Clock
the train steamed into Goldton.
"The express messenger alighted and
handed me a huge and many sealed
package. 1t contained $17, 800.
"'Oh, that isn't all, said the mes
senger with a laugh. 4 have a box in
the car that's as heavy as lead. We've
been wondering all the way up the
mountain what it contained
1.-THE box was lifted from the car and
placed ON end in the freight department
Of the station. il was fully z feet
long and 4 wide-horribly suggestive
of the rough box in which a coffin is in
closed I thought Of this after tho train
had resumed its journey. l put tho pay
money In the safe, turned the combina.
ton lock and retired. 1 fell into a doze,
ANbm hnAlu WA hApunlu Win u starr
by what seemed to b. 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. l
gazed i~ntently at the sounder. 1t made
not the slightest motion, yet the message
came again, this time even more star
tlingly distinct han before. What could
IL possibly mean? / thought that l was
dreaming at first, but when the mystic
rious message was repeated for the third
time / came to a different conclusion.
don't believe in ~spiritualism, yet 1 am
at a loss now to ascribe that inexplicable
communication 10 any other source.
"At amy rate, upon hearing the third
message my mind instantly reverted tC
the huge box in the freight corner. The
partitiOning Of my little apartment did
mot extend as high as the roof, bui