Evening journal., 1896-10-26
i. LGaGApAeRs, TALES.
s Newfoundland -bat Kept Wntch-value
% Hroilt 4 Musl1rat.

Newfoundland That Kept Wntch-valuc
% Brnils 4 lfusIsrat.
Telegraph operators have queer OK
rcriencos Gt times, especially at the
lonely railroad stations whero travel is
iglt hours long and tie work is doro
PC night An experience meeting Of
.ailcrs, SO far as tie yarn spinning is
cCIccrcd, il as mild compared to q
la.crraphcrs' social session as milk is to
tar's shore leave. Several knights Of
lhe key were sitting about a table down
town after hours recently. when the
tongues began TO wag ebout expert
snccs. Gil Bradley started tho ball.
II was sCnt cne night to sub on the
Teas ard Pacific at o little station
,allod Gordon, - ho said. "There was
one hotel OF four rooms a milo from the
telegraph station and two CT three
rsbins about the same distance OFF. The
regular operator had his rooms over the
station and froighthouse, where sup
plics were received for the coal mines
several miles away 1t was the lonehest
place I ever struck, but / had 10 work.
After fixing things l lay down on a
bench to wait for the next freight. !
suppose / dozed, fer jumped up with q
start ct feeling a cold, wet nose showed
into my face. There was a big New
fouldland dog wagging his tail as mer-
rily as bu2zsaw cuts through soft
weed. We'll, that dog ran first to the
lighted lantern ON the door, then back
to me, and then pretty soon l began to
think something was wrong. Up ! got,
and lie led NE all through the freight
house, Up 10 the operators Iooms and
back TO the Office; then calmly went tc
| sleep with one eye open and one cal
priclsed up. l waited for the train, bat
before heard it he began to bark
''Iho next night the eamo perform
ance Well, after that 1 used to 60 K
sleep, and for tho week was there tha
dog kept watch. You see, the regula,
wcs fond Of sleep at night, so be coulC
play poker al day L never told on him
| but that WAS a well trained dog"
THAT'S 10 experience, said Billy
Marshall. There was only half thrill
in that. Why, in 1888, during the biz
zard, l was holding down night jol
in l,cw Jersey. It was the drearies
spot that railroad official could picl
out for station. It was SO quiet in th
day ytime that ycu could hear the sun
light CLINT and at night the shadow
fall. 1t was showing when 1 went o.
at night, and all trains wero blocked
and by morning I was almost buried
ny lunch was long ago gone, and fel
like grinding my teeth into some break
fast. Dinner timo came and went, sup
per hour passed, and no relief arrived
/ chewcd on lead pencils and rubbe
bands until felt like girl bookkeepeI
pulled in my belt and nearly cut my
self in two, but tho old hunger wa
but there was no sleep in me with thi
, gnawing at my stomach.
"All at once / saw three muskra
come up through q hole in the foo
Muskrat was better than starvation,
/ made for them with q poker, killC
one, and the others got away TO free
to death SSinHing that fellow an
dressing him didn't take long, and wit
wire rugged a broiler. You bet yol
> life the smell Of that cooking rat WI
a just great JOY, and I'm no chink eithe
1t just tickled me so that l fell asle'
and only woke up when he was so burn'
{ that the odor nearly choked me.
r 1.-THE snowplow came along 500
however, and when got filed up aga
, / was sort of glad hadn't put doy
the old muskrat after all. lie might Il
n haYe agreed with me. Now York So