Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-03-11
KEY FOUNDERS YARNS.
A Newfoundland That Kept Watch
Value of Broiled Muskrat.

Telegraph operators have queer ex-
periences at times, especially at the
lonely railroad stations where travel is
light, hours long, and the work is done
at night, says the New York Sun. An
experience meeting of sailors, so far as
the yarn-spinning is concerned, is as
mild compared TO telegrapher's social
session as milk is to a tar's shore
leave. Several knights of the key were
sitting about a table down town after
hours recently when the toughs began
to wag about experiences. Gil Bradley
started the bail.
L was sent one night to sub on the
Texas and Pacific at a little station
called Gordon he said. There was
one hotel of four rooms a mile from the
Geographic station, and two or three
cabins about the same distance off. The
regular operator had lis rooms over the
station and freight house, where sup
plies were received for the coal miners
several miles away. 1t was the lone
Hest place I ever struck; but | had to
| work. After fixing things | lay down
O44 q DCAO41 ~ Ncl1l AN'I lAS HSAI Il GISs H.
l suppose dozed, for jumped up with
start at feeling a cold, wet nose shov-
ed into my face. There was big New
founding dog wagging his tail as mer-
rily as a buzz saw cuts through soft
wood. Well, that dog ran first to the
lighted lantern on the floor, then back
to me, and then pretty soon | began to
think something was wrong. Up | 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. l waited for the train, but
before I heard it he began to bark.
The next night the same perfor-
| nance. Well, after that | used to go
| to sleep, and for the week I was there
! that dog kept watch. You see the
I regular was fond of sleep at night, SO
he could play poker all day. I never
! told on him, but that was a well-train-
! ed dog"
''That's no experience" said Billy
Marshal. There was only half thrill
in that Why, in 1888, during the biz
gard, was holding down a night job in
New Jersey. 1t was the dreariest spot
that a railroad official could pick out
for station. It was so quiet in the
| daytime that you could hear the sun
! light CLINT and at night the shadows
! fall. Tt was showing when I went on
at night and all trains were blocked,
! and by morning I was almost buried.
My lunch was long ago gone, and
and I felt like grinding my teeth into
| some breakfast. Dinner time came
and went, supper hour passed, and no
relief arrived. I chewed on lead pen
ellis and rubber bands until l felt like
a girl bookkeeper. pulled in my belt
and nearly cut myself in two, but the
old hunger was there just the same. So
I 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 a hole in the floor
Muskrat was better than starvation, SO
[ made for them with a poker. killed
one, and the other got away to freeze
to death. SHINING that fellow and
dressing him didn't take long, and with
/ wire l rugged a 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
| burnt that the odor nearly choked me.
"The snow plOw came along soon,
however, and when got filed up again
I was sort of glad I hadn't put down
the old muskrat aftec all. He might not
have agreed with me-