The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1896-12-31
TELEGRAPHERS' TALES.
4 Newfoundland That Kept watch-valul
Of Broiled Muskrat.

- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xn0B kA6RG w 0tC0-- 8k00
Of Broiled MuskEat.
Telegraph operators have queer ex-
periences at times especially at the
lonely railroad Stations where travel is
light, hours long All the work is done
at night. An experience meeting of
sailors, SO far as the yarn spinning is
concerned, is as mild compared to a
telegraphers' social session as milk is to
tar's shore leave. Several knights Of
the key were sitting about table down
town after hours recently. when the
tongues began to wag about expert
ences. Gil Bradley started the ball.
~ was sent one night to sub Oh 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 distanceY,ff 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 I lay down on a
bench to wait for the next freight. I
suppose I dozed, for jumped up with a
start at feeling cold, wet nose showed
into my face. There was a big New
foundland dog wagging his tail as mer-
rily 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 began to
think something was wrong. Up I 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. We'll, after that used to 90 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. I never told on him,
but that was we'll trained dog.
"That's no experience, said Billy
Marshall. ''There was only half a thrill
in that. Why, in 1888, during the bliz-
zard, was holding down night job
in New Jersey. It was the dreariest
spot that a railroad official could pick
out for a 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 I went on
at night, and all trains were blocked,
and by morning was almost buried.
My lunch was long ago gone, and I felt
like grinding my teeth into some break
fast. Dinner time came and went, sup
per hour passed, and no relief arrived.
I chewed on lead pencils and rubber
bands until felt like girl bookkeeper.
pulled in my belt 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 I saw three muskrats
come up through hole in the floor.
Muskrat was better than starvation, so
made for them with a 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 rugged broiler. You bet your
life the smell Of that cooking rat was
just great joy, and I'm no chink either.
It just tickled me SO that I fell asleep
and only woke up when he was SO burned
that the odor nearly choked me.
"The snowplow came along soon.
however, and when got filled up again
I was sort of glad hadn't put down
the old muskrat after all. He might not