The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-11-24
THE MISSING FREIGHT.
BY HAROLD NAEMANSSON.

man unfortunately happened to be near.
and rushing up, began clubbing us all,
under the impression, l suppose. that
we were an organization Of bandits
about to make a raid on the village.
After an extended period Of general
misunderstanding, alteration and per-
sonal injury, the tumult was stilled,
and we all returned to the depot. Here
Dimkins wired st. Louis. only to be In
formed that fast freight Number
FOrty-Six had left that city on time
and that nothing unusual had tran
spired.
"As nothing could be made Of it we
started back along the tracks TO Dala-
beke, where we arrived without incl
dent of any kind. Part of the railroad
ran through a wood which was fenced
off by posts and barbed wire. The rest
of the way the railroad ran through
open prairie.
at was ridiculous to suppose that
fast freight train could have utterly
disappeared between Kalakoka anu
Dalabeke and the only probable ny
pothesis seemed to be that TompKins
was mistaken in some way In suppos-
ing that the train had passed haia-
koka."
Thus ends the doctors narrative.
The next morning it became evident
that fast freight Number Forty-si1
had in some way disappeared. Chica-
60, however, took it as JOKE. Ihe
newspaper reporters went down TO
see Tompkins, who had seen the MISS
ing train pass Kalakoka. They
plagued and exasperated him to such
an extent that he resigned his position
in disgust. A Chicago paper printed
q funny article in regard to Tompklns'
entitled, 1.-THE Freight That Didn't Ma
terialize." The Federal Express COM
pany's representative called on the
president of the B. r. & G. s. Il. X.
and was informed that freight Num-
Der Forty-Six had not yet left st.
Louis. The Federal Express c0m-
pany's representative expressed MS
satisfaction and inquired when last
freight Number Forty-Six had not yet
left st. Louis. The Federal Express
company's representative expressed
his satisfaction and inquired when
fast freight Number Forty-Six would
leave st. Louis, because she had
$4,000 in currency aboard, and the
Federal Express company was anx-
ious.
The president of the B. r. & G. s.
r. II. answered that the $4,000 was
all right and that the disquieting
rumors were nonsense. Then ne
wired st. Louis that fast freight Num-
Der Forty-Six must be found at once.
st. Louis replied that they would I'M
mediately put on tracer. and there
| after maintained silence.
At Crescentville, Illionis, there were
sensational doings. The bank had just
managed to hold its own for the day
| by the method of taking an UMPIRE
cedentediy long time over doing every
thing. When the hour for closing
came there were certainly over 200 ex
cited clients of the bank waiting theil
turn to withdraw their money. anC
these people camped in the street fol
the night. making all kinds Of treats
and vowing all kinds Of vengeance
against everybody connected with thu
bank If they should not be pait
promptly the next morning. The ON
GERS and employees of the bank staye'
inside and did not venture out.
About 4 o'clock in the morning al
extraordinary thing occurred. A poss
of men rode into Crescentville, wei
armed and wearing masks. The
rode straight to the bank, were &C
mitted after short parley. and di
not come out again.
But at nine In the morning the ban
opened its doors, and the run bega
anew with great desperation. d.
posftor after depositor was paid of III
til scarcely any were left, and the pet
pie stood around and talked about
; There seemed to be no end to til
banks resources, and at last a lars
and influential customer exclaimed
1.-THE bank is all right and we al
{ a mack of fools. am going to d
= post my cash again.!
, There was a murmur of approvs
t and then everybody began to laug
!. Right after the influential man fC
9 lowed a long line Of people desirir
: to re-deposit the money they had on
e lust withdrawn. Such a day of bu'
a moss the Crescentville bank never hi
f before. and it Is not at all likely ev
r TO have again. An enthusiastic NEE
= ing was held at the Masonic hall tn
t evening, at which it was unanimor
n " resolved to nominate Nelson I'll
: ham as next mayor of Crescentvil
r Tn the meantime, the b. X. & @.
r. r. people were still hunting I
). fast freight Number Forty-Six. TIL
@ hunted for it in the train yard in a
4 about ST. Louis. Single cars had be
/ lost In those yards In great profusi
and never found again, but when
4 whole train could get lost like this
y was evident that there must be ca
Il lessness somewhere. During
a search a reporter discovered engl
: Number Forty-Seven in a neglect
! looking roundhouse and promp
a wired the news to Chicago where
:. Information was considered as gu
# important, although in what exact
lation no official could say. 1t "
o quite possible. Number Forty-Sev
having been found. that Num-
=. Forty-Six might not be far OF. uni
ye 1t had accidentally plunged into
a Mississippi, or strayed to Kansas Z
of by means of misplaced switch.
w Dimkins of Dalabeke had accep
" the explanation that the train co
IN not have left st. Louis, and {