Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-01-14
TOMMY BROWNS BEST GIRL,

Ichilly bloWH WAS not to be envied
For a young fellow with his gifts IN
the way of conversation and good
looks, to be stuck away in a place like
Sutton's Corners, was, to say the least
of it, hard luck. Sutton's Corners was
u way station on the J.K. & @. branch
not even on the main line itself There
were only two passenger trains a day
each way, and now and then a long,
struggling freight. Sutton's Corners
consisted mostly of big frame depot
painted 4 dirty red, with Il number of
more or less dilapidated frame build
ings inhabited chiefly by railway men.
and those who worked in the neighbor-
ing saw mill. The only two-storiaL
building in the place had once been
painted white, but it sadly needed an
other coat; there still could be read on
its sides the words, in faded black let
ters, Compton House." and this indi-
Gated that the place had been intended
for a hotel, but the hotel business in
Sutton's Corners did not pay, and now
the building was occupied by the sta
ton master, to whom Tommy paid four
dollars a week for board and lodging
A young man without money or influ-
ence has to work his way I'D in this
world, and Tommy had been glad to get
the job Of telegrapher at Sutton's Cor
ners when the place was offered to him.
He had been there three months, and
was just beginning to realize, in it's
deadly truth, what q God-forsaken hole
Sutton's Corners was. If he had been
on the main line there was chance
that some news might have come over
the wire, but being branch that led
to nowhere in particular, nothing came
orders, and such like uninteresting
matter. There was not a soul in SUIT
toms Corners that Tommy cared to
speak to, and as he was young man
of reasonably good habits, not drinking
or chewing tobacco, he didn't know
what on earth to do with himself after
o'clock. He had to stick to his office
until 4 O'Clock in the afternoon when
the so-called eastward express went
by, which was the last train that day.
After it cleared the station there was
nothing more for Tommy to DO except
now and again, when he had an order
from headquarters that a special of
some kind would happen along, but if
that message from headquarters did
to come before o'clock Tommy was
free to do what he pleased with HIM
self for the rest of the day.
Tommy was an expert telegrapher,
knowing his business down to the
ground, or, as he himself said, down to
the ground wire. Most of the opera
tors on the branch were not as expert
as they might be, and Tommy some
times amused himself when there were
unimportant messages to go by sending
them on so fast that the other opera
tors had to break in upon him and beg
him to go slow. The only operator who
could take a message as fast as he sent
It was the fellow at Hobbsville, twenty
miles further on from Sutton's Corners
and the next station to it, for stations
were not close together on the branch.
Tommy at once made up his mind that
the young man ut Hobbsville knew
something. because he was so expert
at the key; thus the two struck up an
acquaintance which Tommy declared
kept him from going melancholy mad.
Thrust not be supposed that the ac-
quaintance of telegraphers is the same
as that of ordinary people. Tommy had
never seen his friend at Hobbsville, be-
cause each of them had to stick to bust
ness until the last train had gone, and
after that there was no way of going
up or down the line, for there was not
even a hand car at either OF the two
stations. However, they became very
firm friends through chatting along the
wire.
The other fellow did not know Tom
my as Tommy Brown, but as
S. N, which was the signal for SUIT
tons Corners, whereas Tommy always
called his friend II. B., the signal for
Hobbsville. Tommy, over the wire,
told H. 3. all his good stories, and IL.
B., who had a packet of his own, re-
turned the favor. and, as | have SAID,
the two became the best Of friends
through the twenty miles of telegraph
wire that stretched between them.
One day when Tommy was cusslng
over the wire about the dullness OF his
situation he SUDDENLY asked II. b.
question.
Say, II. b. he clicked out, ARE
there any girls over at Hobbsville!
Mary GIRL responded FL. Il. discon-
solately, and it seemed as it the very
instrument ratified in sympathy. How
are you off for girls at Suttons Cor
ners?'
"Why," said Tommy, 'I'm in the
same box as you are. There ism
soul to speak to in the place, but oio
women"
81 must confess" said III. B., that
is one of the drawbacks of this place.
l would give anything to nave siii
to speak to, but there isn't any. l sup
pose, though. that you have girl wait
ING for YOU down East"
NO" said Tommy, ito tell the tru ruth
l haven't. If had, and she wrote iiie
a stack of letters, it wouldn't De 50