The Republican journal., 1897-08-12
wells description and it must have been


"Why, Mr.. c., what in the world is the
matter? Is there anything wrong with the
message?" inquired Miss Greenwood in an
anxious voice.
''No, the message is all right, but ="
Here l found that l had better say no
more, for had Miss Greenwood the faint
est suspicion that the man who had die
tated the message to her was messenger
from the spirit world it mi ght prove too
great shock for her nerves. as she was a
delicate and sensitive girl, and SO l babe
her good day and stepped from the office.
| paced up and down the platform in deep
thought for a few minutes, and then | re-
solved more strongly than ever to carry
out the orders of the dead brakeman; and
noting that it was three O clock, l knew it
would be seven hours before the express
was due at G. Mills. | seemed to feel
| should pass in safety, or whether it would
be thrown on the siding and wrecked.
'Watch the SWITCH, kept ringing in my
|
ears | began to teel the heavy strain on
my mental system, realizing as did the
great responsibility which had been as
sumed by me.
| The next thing for me was to visit the
/ G., switch and examine it and make a mi
mute inspection of the surroundings in
order to get an accurate knowledge of all
details. One mile up the track brought
me to the grist mill at the siding. 1t was
an isolated spot, and as | approached the
switch, instinctively as it were, l felt a
creeping sensation come over me, as if l
could discern the form of George Bidwell
urging upon me more forcibly, the i'm
portance of watching the SWITCH Near
the right of way here was small, wind
ing stream, tributary to the Connecticut
river, which furnished the motive power
for the grist mill A few rods west Of the
mill was the switch which permitted the
setting off of a car of grain occasionally
on the siding for the mill. The siding
upon which the cars were set terminated
just beyond the mill at the edge of the
mill pond, beneath which was a rocky
precipice extending many feet below. The
mill pond was natural basin, surrounded
by huge cliffs, having a background of
heavy timber. Altogether the place was
a gloomy one and well adapted to the
purposes of a train wrecker, should the
l. ,;+b.
preaching from the west under heavy
speed would be thrown upon the siding
with such velocity as to surely carry it
over the embankment, providing it was
not ditched when it struck the tempered
switch. 1t was certainly the most danger
Gus location on the entire railroad, and
many accidents had occurred here since the
siding was constructed, resulting each
time in large loss of life. The place
had been aptly designated by the railroad
crews as ''The DEVILS Chamber of Death.'
t'What must be my plans | asked my
self, while looking down into the fearful
chasm, whose rock bound sides resembled
lliC tCClll VI SOiilS IIcllSlSl. kcuOulI
the express be thrown upon this siding
while it was running at its usual high
speed it would certainly be thrown over
the embankment and not soul could
possibly escape. More forcibly than ever
was the message of the dead brakeman
ringing in my ears, "Watch the switchn'
SO much of a reality it seemed that | felt
l must be dreaming. No, was not, and
furthermore, | commenced to realize the
awful responsibility which had been
thrown upon me by the dead brakeman.
els it not possible l asked myself, ''that
his spirit is watching me through the
mysterious haze which separates the seen
from the unseen, and that he is conscious
of the danger which menaces his former
train?n | was convinced that his spirit
had indeed called upon me to guard the
switch o-night and | determined that l
power to protect the train. l besought
Almighty God to give me the strength
and power to act, for supernatural though
the message might be, l would not dare
to refuse its command. Up to this time
l had revealed nothing of the affair to
living person and l made up my mind to
keep it still secret. | at once began to
lay my plans for the ''Watching of the
switch.''
Very fortunately a car loaded with grain
was standing on the siding near the mill,
having been set off there the day previous
by the local freight. Only small portion
of the contents had been removed. While
meditating upon the best plan to adopt,
and idea struck me to climb into the car
and bore small hole in the end of it,
which would command an unobstructed
view of the switch. This would give me
an excellent vantage point, and at the
same time, afford me cover. The car was
of that style of build which has small
sliding door in each end, sufficiently large
when thrown open to admit of the en-
trance of a mans body. l would enter
through this door and close it after me,
Each of the regular doors on the sides of
i l1