The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1897-07-17
A FOILED ROBBERY.

"A l. OlDAD AOODDAAo l. .
Twas telegraph operator at Essex,
on the R. and S. railroad, on the
night of the fourteenth Of Deem
Der, 1883. There had just been an
unusually heavy snowstorm in the
mountains about 200 miles west of
Essex, making a virtual blockade of
the road. No western freight or
passenger train had been through
for ~ hours, and freights from the
east had been held at principal
points to prevent blocking the sid
ings at way stations and SO hinder
restoring regular traffic when the
snow blockade should be broken.
The R. and S. was single track
road through this part of the state.
The storm had reached us, but not
more than three inches of snow had
fallen around Essex. It was still
showing lightly at o'clock in the
morning when the thrilling incl
dents of that night commenced.
was alone in the station and had
been so for some hours. The usual
loiterers of the village had left early
because of the storm. At half past
~ the night mail train drew up. I
handed the telegraphic orders, as
usual, to the engineer and conductor
"a copy to each-and, as the rule
was, they read them aloud to me. I
well remember Conductor Wilson's
tone of surprised interest as he read:
proceed to Winslow and await
orders.''
Winslow was 48 miles up the road.
Usually the mail train passed from
four to eight freights in that run,
and the orders always specified the
siding where train numbered So
and-so was to be met.
Wilson knew of the blockade in
the mountains, SO he expressed no
establishment at his orders, but sim
ply said, Unusually clear sailing
for us tonight, Brinton, isn't it,"
"Perhaps you won't find it so
clear sailing after you reach Carl
ton,' hurriedly answered as I ran
to the mail car, threw in the mail
bag and picked up the bag which
had been tossed from the train to
the platform.
AS I returned to the Office the en-
CINE bell sounded and the train pull.
ed out. I Immediately, as was my
duty, telegraphed to Jones Siding,
the next Office, ten miles above,
"Twenty-t two left west at 1871.
Jones was the first siding above
Essex, and the only buildings there
were an uncovered platform and
signal tower. The whole distance
from Essex to Carlton was a wild,
sparsely inhabited country, billy,
with dense woods.
There were two operators station
ed therefore: for the day and the
other for the night. Their names
were Jim Evans and Ned Aldrich.
They lived in the signal tower, do
ing their own cooking and getting
their supplies by the trains, but
being telegraph operators they
were less lonely than any other
young men in their isolated position
would be, for they were kept posted
in the news Of the country and the
gossip of the line.
I was well acquainted with the
clicks of both of them. For, strange
as it may seem to most people, each
operator has some popularity in
handling his telegraph instrument
that reveals his identity to another
operator at all familiar with his
messages, or at least to one who is
accustomed to read by sound and is
quick to notice little things. These
individualities are as marked to an
expert as the tones of the voice or
the sound of footballs are to most
people. Jim Evans was at the in
strument at Jones Siding when I
sent the message about the mail
train. I could have sworn to it, for
I recognized his click in response to
my sig nal. .... ....v~ @~.*. ..
The mail was due at Jones Siding
at about / o'clock. 1t made only
about 20 miles an hour. It could be
seen approaching the tower for sew
eral minutes before it passed. 1t
was the duty of the operator there
to inform me of the arrival of each
train, in order that I might know
whether the track was clear before
letting the next train west pass Es-
vex.
As l. O'Clock arrived and l had
heard nothing about the mail from
Jones, and had heard from the sta
ton below that the paymaster's car
would soon be due at Essex, called
up Jones Siding and asked, "Where