Connecticut western news., 1897-04-29
GRIZZLY BILL.

ing thing that ever occurred to me. Why, I can't even think of it now without shuddering little. was con- siderably younger in those days than I am now. At the time I was telegraph operator and dispatcher for the Noun tain Valley Railroad company in vest ern mining country. It was wild and lawless country, and was not much in love with my place, but being poor I was obliged to accept the conditions with the best possible grace.
 "Goldton, where I was located, was really nothing more than railroad sta. tion. It was not on the main line of the Mountain Valley railroad, but on a spur which ran to the Ingot mines. Travel was not very extensive, in fact, but one train day passed my lonely station.
 "On the fifteenth day of every month received by express for the superin- tendent of the Ingot Mining company the money with which the miners were $15, 1000 and $18,000. On the 14th of June in that year the superintendent of the mines came to me and said:
 Perkins, the pay money will be here tomorrow, as usual, but I want you to exercise more than ordinary vigilance in guarding it, as I 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. I assured the superintendent, however. that I would do all in my power to guard the money, and think" continued the major with some self sat isfaction, "that kept my word in this respect.
 During the night which followed. violent rainstorm 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. It was thought that the track could be made passable by afternoon and that the train would reach my station before o'clock. I communicated these facts to the mine superintendent by means of an assistant who was always at the station during the day.
 At o'clock that evening received message saying that it would be inn possible for the train to get through be- fore 9 or 10 o'clock the next morning. I sent word to this effect to the mine superintendent, who, in turn, communi- cated it to the men. Feeling rather tired I 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 Git was hardly anything else) was parti- tioned off so as to make private in- closure. This boxlike compartment I used for sleeping, eating and the trans action of the company's telegraphic and railroad business. The sender and re- ceiver were affixed to table oonven- iently near my bed, and if necessary it was possible to transmit or take mes- sage without even arising Of course l never found it necessary to do this; l simply mention it to illustrate the ar- engagement of the office.
 Along toward midnight the telegraph instrument began to click. I 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 8 and 4 o'clock in the morning. At precisely 3 :45 o'clock the train steamed into Goldton. 'The express messenger alighted and handed me a huge and many sealed package. It contained ST, 1900.
 Oh, that isn't all, said the mes- senger with 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. It was fully feet | long and 4 wide-horribly suggestive | of the rough box in which a coffin is in- closed. 1 thought of this after the train had resumed it's journey. put the pay money in the safe, turned the combina- tion lock and retired I fell into a doze, | from which was aroused with start | by what seemed to be the ticking of the | sounder. It said as clear as if some one | had spoken: 'Bewarel Danger threat ems sat up in bed. The moon was shining brightly through the window. l | gazed intently at the sounder. It made not the slightest motion, yet the message came again, this time even more star tlingly distinct than before. What could it possibly mean? I thought that I was dreaming at first, but when the myste- rious message was repeated for the third time I came to different conclusion. don't believe in spiritualism, yet I am at 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 in the freight corner. The partitioning of my little apartment did not extend as high as the roof, but merely to distance of about five feet above the level of my bed and by standing on the bed I could peer over the top and see all parts of the interior of the station. I rose stealthily to an erect position and looked over the edge of the partition. The first thing saw was the box, standing on end near q window in the extreme end of the sta ton, and as I looked saw it's top slow ly rise and mans head protrude itself.
 It was thick, brutalized face, with grizzled whiskers Instantly it flashed across my mind that it belonged to Grizzly Bill.
 ''The sight sent my heart into my