Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-09-09

.,
side the limits Of this city. At the
tine Of the occurrence of the incident
herein stated an operator by the name
Of Brady was on duty nights, and none
loved practical joke better than he
A constant lounger around the Office
'Poindexter and big lazy companion
named Julius. Numerous plans were
devised to make these two worthless
steer clear of the office without re-
sorting to force, but all were failures.
Now and then julius would be missed
for two or three nights, but Dexter,
as he was called for brevity sake, al
ways turned up at nightfall and left
with the break of day.
The telegraph Office proper was a
small partltioned-off apartment from
the waiting room for passengers, and
contained one chair. On the evening
in question a terrific storm broke sud-
denly over that section, and about a
dozen persons, Dexter included, took
refuge in the station. Considerable of
the doWn-pouring rain came in under
the door and swept by Brady into the
little telegraph department. A wet
floor will act as an effective ground
or magnet for the wire in case a per-
son places his hand upon any of the
instruments while his feet rest upon
the floor.
Brady knew this, and also knew
of 'Dexter's' habit of falling asleep if
left alone for a few minutes. Think
ing to give the old darby a shock and
a fright, Brady called him to the office
and told him to watch things while
he attended to something else out
side.
Dexter fattered by the respon-
sibility placed upon him, Immediately
closed the door and took a seat in
the chair. Two minutes had hardly
passed when his head fell forward up
on his arms, which were spread out
on the table, one of which covered
the telegraph key, and a loud snore
announced the fact that he had fallen
asleep, as anticipated.
''The storm ragged with unabated
fury, and all the storm beaten people
in the station except Brady forgot
Dexter in discussing the electrical
display in the heavens.
All at once vivid flash of light
ming was seen, followed by a thunder
GUS peal. At the same instant shrek
came from Dexter followed by the
crash of breaking boards, as the thin
partition came tumbling down, and
out rolled the old darby into the midst
of the terrified spectators.
1T was seen that 'Dexter's' coat was
on fire, and the onlookers at once
sprang to his aid, beat out the fire
and pulled him to his feet. Then it
vas found that it was a case of more
frightened than hurt, but Brady real
lied that he had almost fathered a
tragedy.
1T was surmised that the bolt had
come into the office over the wire,
jumped the lightning arrester fastened
to the switchboard and came out at
the key on which 'Dexter's' arm rested,
the wet floor making a sort of ground
wire out of the old darky's body
cit would be hard to say whether
Dexter or the dozen and more people
in the station were the most frighten-
ed. The simultaneous crashes were
something terrible to the ear, and all
wfo could get out of that little room
had left in bunch, thinking the
building had been struck by lightning
and was falling in upon them.
=" Dexter Immediately pulled out
for other parts, and although seen in
the vicinity, no amount Of coaxing
could get him to come near the office
for months afterward. He evidently
told Julius of his experience, for he,
too, disappeared, and for many nights
thereafter Operator Brady kept up his
n Chilly vigil alone
AS the following sensational tale
came from the lips of a Western tele-
grapher, who made one of the group
Of railroad men, he playing an i'm
50. g2ffizfie' .XAaa vbpUk: Dvbgmf
portant part in the incident, and as. his
veracity has never been questioned
the tale was accepted by the writer
at the proper value of undiluted truth,
and so passes into the record of tale
undoubted from the then wild and
WOolly west
I'm my early experience with the
telegraph business, said he, Il was
located at place called Medicine Hat
a small group of shanties on the North
ern Pacific railroad, as operator, ticket
and express agent. Medicine Hat
could be classed among the towns as
being 80 miles from nowhere. What
little business was done was On ac-
count of a mining village some 80
miles back in the mountains. The en-
tire population of Medicine Hat could
have been easily crowded into the
little village station.
! One night, after day Of the most
sultry weather that I had experienced
that summer, l was detained at my
Office on account OF delayed trains. A
continuous roll Of thunder, accompa-
MED by sharp flashes of lightning in
/ the distance, warned of an approach
/ wanted to get to my boarding shanty,
about quarter of a mile up the road,
4 before the storm broke. I was lean
/ ing back in my chair musing over the
events that had brought me west,
when suddenly voice broke upon my