The times., 1898-04-25
A NIGHT OPERATORS STORY.
Exciting Time With n Thief mt
Lonely Railroad Station.
From the New

Exciting Time With n Thief mt .
Lonely Railroad Station.
From the New York Sum-
The life OF telegraph operators in the
city is very unlike that of their brothers
in the country and the duties of the
commercial operator differ greatly
from those of the railroad man. The lat
ters work may not be as arduous as the
other fellows but it is frequently at
tended with much greater responsibility.
And one does not need to go to Mexico
or Montana in order TO satisfy himself
that the railroad operator also has ms
share of close shaves and hair-ralslng
experiences. A Sun reporter met recently
a veteran ''key twister" who used TO be
employed nights on the eastern division
of the Boston and Maine Railroad IN
New Hampshire. He tells a startling
story of his experience with burglar
while having orders from headquarters
to stop through freight. The predlca-
ment in which he placed himself by fall
ing asleep at his post should be warn
ing TO all night operators who have
hand in the movement of trains.
q. Just throw two or three shovelfuls of
coal on the fire every hour or so and
make yourself comfortable. There won't
be much doing tonight and after NO
goes-why. scoot home
Those were the last words Ed said
70 me as he buttoned his collar high
around his neck and hurried out of the
office
I'D was the regular night telegraph
operator at the little town of Hampton
situated on a single track railroad IN
New Hampshire. He was not more than
twentv-fye years old, and the monotony
of his work caused him to seek frequent
recreation away from the once IL
dance was to come on IN tne town nan
ar within ten miles of 1t Ed would be
| tbere provided he could find someone to
take his place for that night at the ofnce-
II was only sixteen at the time. rev
wears before my brother and two otner
| vo,Ing men. all older than myself, had
| b,1iIt a private telegraph line between
| tbeir homes in order, as they said, to
| Ias,-, how, 70 sling lightning well enough
| to work in a busy office Each became q
| very good operator and in time found
employment at his trade
| .Although an eager disciple of the art.
| 7 was almost too young TO have a thor-
| ouph knowledge of telegraphing when
my brother left home: but L knew enough
| about il to want to know more, and the
| dav and night operators at Hampton
were annoyed by my visits till they de-
| cided that / was an entirely hopeless case
and could even be trusted occasionally TO
! sub for them
| And that is what l had agreed to do
for Ed on the night mentioned-a cold
! and clustering night in February.
The task was not altogether an agree
| ,bla one No passenger trains stopped
at Hampton after 6:25 o'clock in the eve
| ming. After no one ever called at the
station TO inquire for freight. and by
| boIf mast 10 all sounds of footsteps on the
| platform ceased, only a dim hSht mere
| and there could be seen, and everything
| ahout the pIace appeared to be dead
"a thick snowstorrn, which set IN dur
| ipo the evening did not detract at all
! from The lonesomeness of my quarters.
| But every place is lonesome at nlght'
mused. and one cannot always nave
| company to cheer MIN.
..rrhis thought. coupled with the refiec-
tion that in the morning / was to receive
q n for my services, quieted nay fears
for the time being.
| "A red a white and a blue lantern were
| always kept burning in the once athight
in case they should be needed quickly. l
| examined each of these lanterns 10 see
II II was nroperly filled and secured, look
ed after the fire in the big coal stove,
| rcadiusted the relay wires, Nos. ana
t6 and lay back in the big cushioned
| armchair with the air of one who had
| done his full duty.
ASIDE from the clicking of the tele-
graph (Which was intermittent. and made
me start when it struck up suddenly after
a silence longer than usuaD, all that
could he heard was the groaning ana
siehing of the wind and the incessant ana
vyt,a arisone hun-m-I m m m -Tn-m OF the
wires outside the station. The blending
of the last two sounds was as doleful as
Ill.
the clang of bell-buoy IN violent
| storm.
..1welye o'clock came round. That
was n Iit,le too early for luncheon, but
felt hungry. and proceeded TO dispatch
the contents of a small basket which 1
had brought from home.
after that | became somewhat drowsy.
None of The trains, so far. had been more
than twenty minutes late, and / had re-
ported each of them promptly to ftad-
quarters when it passed my station.
THE temperature of the office must
have been so when ! turned the lamp
down to a mere slimmer. and again set
Tied back in the big chair about l2:i1
Through freight No. 252 from the north
would be due in quarter of an hour.
hadn. heard it reported up the line but
supposed it would be pretty nearly OF
time
THE storm appeared to be growing
dercer and l sat and listened to it.
How long ! listened do not know.
"a light pounding nearby made ms
Jump up.
What can that be- l asked my
self
THE pounding grew louder All the
Instruments were stIll auG the sound wa.
distinct.
Il stood almost breathless beside the
table.
I'm less than a minute | was convinced
! where ii came from.
In the back part OF the office were
he ticket windows opening respectively
into the mems and womens waiting
rooms 4 heavy blue shade on eacl
window prevented any one from seein!
the interior of the Office These Shade
we're always drawn after the departure
Of the last passenger train for the day.
''Sore one had broken into the WON
ems room and was trying 10 force opei