The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-07-21
COW REPORTED ON TIME.
Failure of n Hallway TeleErapher's
Novel Scheme to BE Walked
ut the Right Time,

John e. Foley, chief deputy in the
office of the United States marshal at
indianapolis, used to be telegraph
operator and his last service in that
capacity was for the Wabash Railroad
company at the little station of Den
yer, Ind. He had night job, says
the New York Sun, and lonesome
one. for the inhabitants of Denver
were usually in bed by nine o'clock
and from that time till 1880 a. M,
when he left his Office, there was not
soul stirring in the town. The
operator was off duty as soon as the
1880 fast freight passed the station
and his report was sent in, but the
time dragged intolcrably upon his
hands and he often fell asleep despite
his desire to stay awake. After
awhile he began to take the risk OF
mapping a little during the night and,
as the fast freight was the only
train that passed through between
ten o'clock and daylight, he felt him
self reasonably sure of being awak-
cned by the noise of the train.
One night. however, he was awak.
ened suddenly and he thought he
heard No. 81 go past the station. He
rubbed his eyes and listened and then
rushed to the door and looked up the
track. He could hear Il rumbling
noise, but n curve in the track cut of
view of the trains red lights, if 1t
was really train, and Foley did not
know what to do. lie seated himself
at his instrument and pretty soon he
heard the agent at Il station further
north report the train on time. Foley
then sent in his belated message and
fully expected to be called up the
next day for an explanation, but his
hardness appeared to escape atten.
ton. The incident convinced him,
though, that he could no longer de-
pend upon the passing train to awals-
cn him and he must stay awake. Sew
eral nights of close watchfulness fol-
lowed, but he found it difficult to
keep awake without going out and
walking up and down the track. This
proved more lonesome than staying
in the office, but it finally suggested
an eXpcdent which he proceeded to
AS soon as all the loungers about
the little station had left for their
homes, Foley tied cord to q tele-
graph pole across the track just op-
posite the station window and passed
the other end into the station. To
this end of the cord he tied q couple
of oyster cans, and then he sat down
and viewed his work and called it
good. He conld now take n nap, no
thought, without fear of No. 81 pass.
ing by without waking him, for the
engine would snap the cord in tvs,
and the falling cans would bring him
to himself i'll an instant. So Folegl
adjusted himself in his chair, placed
his feet on the table by the ticker
and leaned back for n nap. He was
aroused by the falling of the cans
about him and in the confusion he
heard or thought he heard the clattcr
of the rapidly passing train. Looking
at the clock he saw it was precisely
1880 and he sent in this message to
the chief train dispatchcr:
"Numbcr 81 on time"
Satisfied with his experience. Foley
gathered up his cans and laid them
away for another occasion, and then
put out the lights, locked the station
door and turned to go home. At that
moment his eyes fell on a brindle COW
standing by the side of the track and
gazing at him in mute astonisllment.
At the same moment he heard the
whistle OF an approaching locomotive
and realized that he had reported No.
IL on time when it was fully five
minutes late. The next day an opera.
tor appeared at Denver to take
Foley's place and before night he was
out looking for another job, but he
still contends that his scheme would
have worked had not that brindlc
cow broken the cord to which the
oyster cans were attached.