The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1898-04-30

Th~ s4vesfar. Whiea Cot the ststlos
txeHz Prom sd
"T NEVER had but one real ady.n

IT NEVER had but one zeal adven-
taFe IN my whole raiIroading ex-
per7enee.e remarked the route agent Of
fhe Jersey road. 1T was when was q
station agent down IN the pines, the
last place on earth that anyone would
icok for anything out Of the common
run. Mine vas little fivelier than some
Of the stations because it yeas junction,
but the local traffic did not amount to
anything 10 speak 81. except IN the
haekelberry Or cranberry shipping sea-
son. The rest q the ffeighting and ex-
pressing Was oysters and fresh fish from
the shore road aad mari and general
supplies coming down the road for gen
eral distribution. We had eight trains
a day On the main Inc and two on the
shore branch The junction consisted
OF station between the tracks. with a
wasting-roorn. ticket Office. and freight
house all under enc roof. slept in the
ticket Office and took ny meals at one
Of the SIX houses IN the neighborhood,
and you can imagine that the life was
about a. noa0f0nous as anything a
young fellow could be assigned 10.
There was scarcely enough work at
times 10 keep awake In the daytime,
and such thing - a holiday was not
20 be thought Of. put In three years
of IL before / had my adventure, and
that got me q change.
Along early In September a tramp
steamer came ashore about ~ miles
down the beach In thunder squall and
became o hopeless wreck. Then came
the work Of stripping her and sending
her cargo 10 View York. II had to come
from the shore. because she was almost
high and dry at low tide, and the stuff
all came up by the shore branch and
WINS transferred at the junction. Most
Of IL was In solid carloads. such as cot
fee and hides, but there was some light
stun which the owners expressed, and
one night Billy Baker, the baggage
muster Of the shore train, came into
the Office with box about foot long
ali covered with seals and turned it
over 70 me, saying: Look out for that,
IKE. That's money, and guess you had
better sleep on II until the owl comes (
in looked at the waybill he handed |
me and saw that he had receipted for /
value 5000. never had that much I
money in my charge before, and IT made /
me nervous, but receipted for the box |
and stood it behind the door inside Of 1
the ticket office Five minutes later
two sirangers spoke 10 me on the plat /
form and asked the road to Newburv. |
told them and they went away. a mo- I
ment later Jack Thompson. who lived I
about four miles back IN the pines.
drove up IN bis ramshackIe wagon and |
unloaded a small box. saying. I guess |
that's the last this season. There's 1
four nice big ones in there. Kinder
ciost quarters for EN-. but there's I
plenty Of air holes. and reckon they'll
60 all right. Send them up on the owl
tonight
This was One Of Jake's regular ship. /
ments and ] made no comment, 7 vas /
TOO busy thinking Of the MONEY pack /
age. and somehow the yisi, Of she ,ooo 1
strangers kept coming 10 10 ny mind. 4
They looked ike seafaring men aod
tough ones. too. and wondered What
they could want 10 Newburv or whether
they had really ief, the junction. rot
20 nervous about them that f,eVsn 20
listen for noises and 10 really EXPECT a
visit from them before 12.tO. when ~. |
owl was due had an Old revolver in 1
The money drawer. but now that ri
thought ! might need IL hsgan "a 4
realize what worthless thing il vas.
The last time I tried 70 fire n found 4
that IL would not 60 on and I bad In.
tended 10 send il 70 town b. one of The
irainmcp and have u fixed. Just then
was startled by noise and found II /
was my inndlady's little girl come 10
tell me that I was late getting 10 SUP.
per. ] told her that I could not leave
and asked her 10 bring something over.
felt much Drawer after getting some
thing 10 eat and began 10 look around
for place 10 hide the box Of money
until the train came. There was d big
pot stove IN The waiting-room and con
cluded that WINS just the thing. hut the
box would not 60 into the door aud
had 10 hisjoint the pipe and lift the top
~ The stove TO get 1t in. Then stuffed
old papers around IL and pot the top
and pipe In place felt easier then
md went back 10 The Office aud had
little talk eser the wire with u friend
down he line. telling him about mv
trouble. lie promised 10 tell the crew
u he owl how ! was fixed and he did
T. then sat down and read a novel
Tor did not dare 10 lie down for fear
u going 70 sleep II must have been
Hose 10 ten o'clock when heard foot
'eps on The platform. and then the
loor Of the ssiiing.foom was pushed {