The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-11-15
AvERTED A SMASH UP
HIS SCHEME WAS SIMPLE AND THOR
oUGHLY EFFECTIVE.

A Safe Plan, Not Patented, Tint Way
he Followed by Rnilrond Telegraph
Operators who Must Go 20 sleep
While on Duty.
However tired or overworked he
may be the railroad operator who al
lows trains to smash into each other
while he pounds his eur is n brainless
idiot" snid william James, an old
timer. when l was a youngster |
was In charge of n station down In
Pennsylvania went to sleep on duty
because couldn't keep awake. Trains
met there every hour or so. and | was
the only person to run the business at
that point. | went to sleep and slept
six hours, and there wasn't any smash
up or the slightest possibility Of one so
far as my station was concerned.
II was 10 years old when | applied
for Job to Superintendent Pitcairn Of
the Philadelphia and Erie. lie took
me on Immediately and sent me out to
Kane. That was the place where Or.
Kane, the Arctic explorer, once lived,
and It was named FOR him. Kane is on
top of mountPin, WITH Wilcox M the
bottom on one side and Wetmorc un
the other. Oil is the great product
there now, but I'm 1866 the traffic was
I'm general freight. Big trains met at
Kane, and for small place the traffic
was considerable
81 was met mt the station by n big,
wild eyed man, who said that he guess
ed I was the kid that was going 20 re-
lieve him. He said he was glad To- get
out, but he guessed ia like the work.
You'll have the night trick said
he, and you'n only have TO be here
from p. IN. TO Z II. m
81 looked up with dlsmay, but he
was striding ahead into the station
He instructed me In my duties, told me
of n country tavern about two miles
away and then swung ON TO the train
that had been waiting 20 minutes for
/ lunch and was gone.
"Whcn the day man relieved me the
next morning, put for the hotel and
found 1t after trnmping about for two
hours and made arrangements TO stay
there. The proprletor's wife seemed
to take II motherly interest in me, and
that afternoon when started for work
she had bang up lunch of fried chick
on and jam and things.
"Well, that night about IL O'Clock |
got hungry for that chicken and hauled
out my lunch basket I had Just got
things nicely spread out on the instru-
ment table when I'm come Il fat engi-
neer.
"'Hcllo, kidr said he That's too
good feed for you Itll give you bel
lyache, sure's the world
"Whercupon he put me on n bench,
sat on my legs ana ate my supper
Then he got up, sucking his teeth and
said:
"'See them woods over thereT point
ing across the track There wasn't
anything else IN sight. Wen, them
woods Is 40 miles long an 10 miles
wide an chuck full o berries Con eat
y'uself t death
"IIe walked leisurcly out 10 his en-
gine, and | went to the lunch shouty
just below the station and ate up two
days salary before | discovered how
determined the keeper was TO have
plenty of money to support his old
age.
"rhe next day didn't go to the no
TEL but stnid near the station and
plotted revenge. IL was the custom to
telegraph up from Wilcox the number
Of passengers who wanted meals Mt the
Kane lunch shanty, and when got the
first message thnt night after vninly
scheming all day an idea struck me.
The message read, six suppers on 27.'
made 1t read 26 and carried 1t to the
lunch keeper, who fairly danced with
glee at the unexpected rush. lie un-
doubtedly saw Fifth avenue mansion
for his old age. Just as - pulled in l
rushed into the shanty with message
purportlng to have come from Wilcox
saying that at the last moment 20 pas
sengers had decided TO stay there over
night to take part I'm n local political
celebration. Flynn was furious and
went TO the conductor for corrobOra-
ton. The latter heard with a grin the
story of the 26 prepared suppers and.
remembering his own experiences with
Flynn's prices on two or three occa-
sions, simply shrugged his shoulders
and said:
"'How en- help itr
wen, the loss or sleep thnt day ana
the excitement did me up, ana about IL
o'clock found couldn't keep my eyes
open. | took the red lantern and nail
ed the tin bottom TO tie in the middle
of the track and went TO the edge OF
the woods and lay down. When /
awoke, the day operator, who had been
dragged out of bed two hours ahead of
time, was getting the Philadelphia and
Erie railroad system into operation
again after six hour suspension Of
service.
"But there wasn't any smash up and
no lives had been lost, ana | got JOB
two days afterward at Titusyille. D.
New York Sun
GiIbert's satire.
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