The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-09-28
GRIZZLY BILL.

|
should say so. II was the most excit-
ing thing that ever occurred TO me.
Why, / can't even think Of il now
without shuddering little. l was con-
siderably younger in those days than l
am now. At the time was telegraph
operator and dispatcher for the Noun
tain Valley Railroad company in a 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 was located, was |
really nothing more than railroad sta
ton. It 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 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
the money with which the miners were
paid off. The amount averaged between
$15, 900 and SIS, 900. On the l4th 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 / understand Grizzly
Bill is operating i'll the mountains
again.
"Grizzly Bill was a namc to inspire
49,, x,,1 Al N
unmusical sobriquet was IN outlaw OF
great daring and resolution. He stopped
at nothing. 1t was therefore quite
natural for me to feel some little trepi-
dation. assured the superintendent,
however, that / would do all in my
power to guard the money, and think,
continued the major with some self sat
isfaction, THAT l 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 Pikeville
could not get to Goldton owing to a
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 O'Clock.
l 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
message saying that it would be i'm
, possible for the train to get through be-
fore or 10 O'Clock the next morning.
7 sent word to this effect to the mine
Superintendent, who, in turn, commune
, Gated il to the men. Feeling rather tired
I turned in early that night. Sleep,
| however, was out of the question.
: 1.-The baggage, freight, express ant
} telegraph offices were all under ont
I roof. One corner of the big warehouse
r (it was hardly anything else) was parti
4 toned off so as to make a private in
t closure This boxlike compartment
used for sleeping, eating and the trans
{ action of the company's Geographic ant
: railroad business. The sender and he
o ceiver were affixed to a table conven
d iently near my bed, and if necessary /
G was possible to transmit or take mes
!, sage without even arising. OF course
o never found it necessary to do this;
n simply mention it to illustrate the al
s rangement of the Office.
"Along toward midnight the telegrap
y instrument began to click. l heard M
IS call, opened the key and asked wha
i was wanted. The operator at Pikevill
y wired back that the train which ha
been delayed OH account of the washou
y had started for Goldton and woul
Z reach there between 3 and 4 o'clock
Is the morning. At precisely 2 AS o'cloc
y the train steamed into Goldton.
20 1.-THE express messenger alighted an
D. handed me huge and many scale
package. 1t contained $17, 500.
"Oh, that isn't all, said the me
!. senger with laugh. i have box
~ the car that's as heavy as lead. We''
- been wondering all the way mp Il
"a mountain what it contained
"a 1.-The box was lifted from the car al
n placed OH end in the freight departmel
Of the station. 1t was fully Z fe
!, long and wide-horribly suggesti'
- Of the rough box in which a coffin is i
> ,losed. thought of this after the trai
:, had resumed its journey. put the p'
r. money in the safe, turned the combin
-. ton lock and retired. fell into doz
"a from which was aroused with sta
~ by what seemed to be the ticking Of q
"a sounder. 1t said as clear rs If some OF
or had spoken: Beware! Danger threa
. ems. sat up in bed. The moon w
zoo shining brightly through the window.
90 gazed intently at the sounder. 1t ma
a not the slightest motion, yet the messa
.os came again, this time even more sta
,ts tlingly distinct than before. What cou
90 il possibly mean? l thought that W
:, dreaming mt first, but when the myst
- rious message was repeated for the thi
time came to different conclusion.
don't believe in spiritualism, yet a
40. at loss now to ascribe that inexplicat
% communication to any other source.
~, AT any rate, upon hearing the thi
~. message my mind instantly reverted
o the huge box i'm the freight corner Il
~, partitioning of my little apartment
;,o not extend as high us the roof, /
IA merely to a distance of about five II
. above the level Of my bed. and
~, standing on the bed l could peer o,
. it the top and see all parts of the inter
zen of the station. l rose stcalthily to
ion erect position and locked over the e.
on of the partition. The first thing $
was the box, standing ON end nea
window in the extreme end Of the $
ton, and as looked saw its top sic
VI ly rise and mans head protrude its'
al. ,c1 w