El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-06-30

curing telegraphic orders. The
night in question was very cold and
| stormy. Fully three feet of snow had
fallen and it was still coming down
very fast, while a high wind was
piling it in big drifts across the
track. On a night like that the inces
SAINT humming of the station is enough
of. itself to put sentinel to sleep,
and that, coupled with the hour ] lis,
and an Office temperature of 80 degrees
was more than my weary frame could
resist. fell sleep knowing of course
that G-would look after my calls.
After what seemed to me like twenty
minutes, but what was really more
than two hours, was awakened by
the sharp clicking of the telegraph
instrument near my head.
ok 12,' was being made with
great rspidity, the call of my Office
preceding it. I knew it was the train
dispatcher, the abbreviation meaning
squick!we want you to hold trsin!'
81 answered the call and the COM
mand came back quick and sharp:
&c Hold No, PAL for ORDERS
$50. K.,' said I, and Immediately
hung the proper signal, a red lantern,
outside the door.
"Then came to my senses and look
ed at my watch.
Twenty five minutes past three!
And I have heard no train in almost
three hours. Had No PAL got past? 1
wondered. I found that it had left NJ
at 1880, and the run from NJ to H.
usually took about fifty minutes. I
knew the storm would probably delay
the train somewhat, but two whole
hours? 1t was unlikely. Then heard
No. 24S reported from P, and knew
that she had received orders to meet
PAL somewhere between P---- and H.
"What if No. PAL had got by me and
was trying to reach P-before the down
freight? In that case the trains were
bound to crash together in the storm;
there was no help for it. My excite
ment was increased by the repeated
calls of uthe train dispatcher to ask II
No. 241 was in sight.
Not yet l answered, trem milling
lest my hopes were in vain.
"Three ,thirty-fve and no train.
went out on the platform and listened.
Not a sound could be heard above
that Of the wind, and an engines head
light wouldn't have been visible ten
RAIDS away"
81 went back, grounded one of the
wires, so as to cut out A Office, and cal
led G, hoping to find whether No. 241
had reached there. No answer. Then
1 remembered that from to was G's
time to bunk off, and knew it was
useless trying to get him.
'sTen minutes more and the freight
had not arrived.
"'Sure it hasn't gomez asked the
train dispatcher, excitedly, as though
doubling me.
"'For Gods sake don't let it get by
you!' he urged.
"Well, O'Clock came, and my cour-
age was giving away. I could see how
two hours or so might be needed for
freight to go over twelve miles on such
q night, but three hours and over. So
slow run had never been known on
the road.
"Whst was to be done? To admit
my uncertainty meant the loss of my
Job, and to brave it out any longer
seemed almost criminal. In my des-
pair finally decided to tell the train
dispatcher the plain truth-that 1 had
been asleep at my post, and that No.
241 probably went by more than an
hour ago. The fact would be known
in few hours, anyway, l argued, and
1 would then be arrested for causing
death. convicted of criminal negli-
gence and sent to prison.
st was then Ais. l drew long
breath and went over to the telegraph
desk. Headquarters was again calling
to ask if the train had arrived, and ]
broke in abruptly:
"'You may as well know that'-but
the sentence was never finished. 1
heard faint putting and grating, and,
looking out, saw the engine of the
belated train opposite my Office window.
My heart leaped up about foot, and,
taking firm grasp of the key of my
Instrument, l announced:
e. No PAL h-e.r-e!'
"Deep snow, a terrific wind and the
blowing out of the cylinder head
on the engine had caused the de-
lay.
"Maybe all's we'll that ends we'll,
but that experince put an end then
and there to my practice of sleeping
while on duty. New York Sun.