The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-12-14
A FOlLED ROBBERY.

Twas telegraph operator at Essex,
On the r. and S. railroad, on the
night of the fourteenth Of Decem-
ber, 1858. There had just been an
unusually heavy snowstorm in the
mountains about 200 miles west of
Essex. making a virtual blockade of
tho road. No western freight or
passenger train had been through
fol 19 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 a single track
1 road through this part of the state.
/ The storm had reached us, but not
I more than three inches Of snow had
fallen around Essex. 1t was still
nowing lightly at o'clock in the
morning when the thrilling incl
4 dents of that night commHnced.
4 Twas alone in the station and had
= been so for some hours. The usual
4 loiterers of the village had left early
y sscause Of the storm. At half past
a2the night mail train: drew Mp. I
4 banded the telegraphic orders, as
A usual, to the engineer and conductor
"a copy to each-and, as the rule
vas, they read them aloud to me.
\ veil remember Conductor Wilson's
8 toneof surprised interest as he read:
Proceed to Winalow and await
4 aders."
s Winslow was 48 miles up the road.
q Usually the mail train passed from
q four to eight freights in that run,
: sad the orders always specified the
adlng where train numbered So
saand-so was to be met.
Wilson knew of the blockade in
the mountains, 80 he expressed no
q astonishment at.hiscr1ers, but sim
3ply aaid, Unusually clear sailing
lot us tonight, Brinton, isn't ita"
s. Perhaps you won't find it 30
clear sailing after you reach Carl
ION, / hurriedly answered as I ran
U 70 the mail car, threw in the mail
3ag and picked up the bag which
aad been tossed from the train to
'hs platform. s.
81 As i returned to the office the en-.
5gne bell sounded and the train pull.
% out I Immediately, as was my
outy, teiegraphed to Jones Siding,
,he next Office, ten miles above.
"a Twenty-Five left west at 1881"
Jones was the first siding above
sssex, and the only buildings thero
sere an uncovered platform and a
&'snal tower The whole distance
prom Essex to Carlton was q wild,
Mrsely inhabited country, billy,
with dense woods.
There were two operators station
~ u therc-one for the day and the
3Oler for the night. Their name.s
3mere Jim Evans and Ned Aldrich.
laey lived in the signal tower, do
as their own cooking and getting
nelr supplies by the trains, but
pelns telegraph operators they
'Sa"efe less lonely than any other
young men in their isolated position
be, for they were kept posted
|s;ui 'ne news Of the country and the
gossip of the line.
was we'll acquainted with the
Sneks q Of both of them. For, STRANGE
- - " may seem to most. people, each
sp!or peta!or has some popularity in
S1a. S1l''i'ng his telegraph instrumen,
Sa 1a' reveals his identity to another
serator at all familiar with his
osages, or at least to one who is
SIS r.: ,M:ustomed to read by sound and il
sFS,.k sa: to notice little things. These
1iVidualities aro as marked to or
Spert as the tones OF, tho voice o.
IT, sound of fo8tfalls are to mos
upio Jim Evans was at tho in
@ Aament at Jones Siding when