The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-07-30
GRIZZLY BILL.

"Thrillings3 said the major well.
/ should say So. 1t was the most excit-
ing thing that ever occurred to me.
Why, l can't even think of 1t now
without shuddering little. was con-
slderably younger III those days than I
am now. AT the time | was a 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 I was located, was
really nothing more than railroad sta
ton. 1t was not on the main line of the
Mountain Valley railroad, but ON spur
which ran to the lnsot mines. Travel
WAS not very extensive, III fact, but one
train day passed my lonely station
On the fifteenth day of every month
| received by express for the superiu-
tendent of the lugot Mining company
the money with which the miners were
paid off. The amount averaged between
$l5, and 81, 600 On the 18th of
June i'll that wear 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 1t, as | understand Grizzly
Bill Is operating in the mountains
again.
"Grizzly Bill was name to inspire
terror. The individual who bore that
unmusical sobriquet was an outlaw of
great daring and resolution. He stopped
at nothing. It 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 l think, -
continued the major with some self sat
isfaetion, that kept my word i'll this
respect.
During the night which followed. a
violent rainstom 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 %
washout below Summit Rock. 1t was
thought that the track could be made
passable by afternoon ud that the train
would reach my station before 6 o'clock.
| communicated these facts TO the mine
superintendent by means of an assistant
who WAS always at tine 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
| sent word to this effect to the mine
superintendent, who, in turn, commune
Gated it to the men. Feeling rather tired
l turned in early that night. Sleep,
however, was out of the question
The baggage, freight. express and
telegraph Offices were all under one
roof. One corner of the big warehouse
lit was hardly anything else) was parti-
toned off so as to make a private in
closure. This boXlike compartment I
used for sleeping eating and the trans
action of the company $ telcgraphic and
railroad business The sender and re-
ceiyer were affixed to "a table convcn-
iently near my bed, and if necessary it
was possible 10 transmit or take a mes
sage without even arising. OF course L
never found 1t necessary to do this; l
simply mention it to illustrate the ar
rangement of the Office
along toward midnight the telegraph
instrument began to click. | 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 account of the washout
had started for Goldton and would
reach there between 3 and 4 o'clock in
the morning. At precisely 2 40 o'clock
the train steamed into Goldton.
1.-THE express messenger alighted and
handed me II huge and many sealed
package. 1t contained SIT, 800
3" oh, that isn't all, said the mes
senger with Il laugh I have box in
the car that's as heavy as lead. We've
been wondering all the way up the
mountain what it contained
THE box was lifted from the car and
placed on end in the freight department.
Of the station 1t was fully feet
long and 1 widc-hOrribly suggestive
of the rough box in which IL coffin is in
closed. | thought of this after the train
had resumed its journey. put the pay
money in the safe, turned the combina-
ton lock and retired. | fell into doze,
from which [ was aroused with a start
by what seemed to be the ticking of the
sounder 1t said as clear as if some one
had spoken: 'Bcwarei Danger threat
ems. sat up i'll bed. The moon was
shining brightly through the window.
gazed intently at the soundcr. 1t made
not the slightest motion, yet the message
came again, TINS time even more star
tlingly distinct than before. What could
it possibly mean; thought that | was
dreaming at drst, but when the mystic
rious message was repeated for the third
time | came to a different conclusion. 1
don believe in spiritualism, yet | am
at "A loss now to aScribe that ineXplicable
communication to any other source.
" At any rate, upon hearing the third
message my mind instantly reverted to
the huge box III the freight corner The
partitioning of my little apartment did