Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-04-17
HAUNTED BY A /,
TELEGRAPH MESSAGE I

G~o~~~A
Dick Ramsey and | had gone West tC
make our fortunes. What that means
none nut an Eastern boy who has tried
IT can tell.
We roughed it together. sometimes
faring well when we happened to fall
into the camp Of hospitable Western
er, but more often tramping it from vii
Iage to village looking for the work
which was never found and WONDERING
when we should strike our streak" OF
luck.
Finally we separated, Dick 10 take
she position OF station agent at Lake
willie, new settlement. to go TO Riy.
erdale ten miles beyond. 10 hold a SINH
lar position. We could talk by wire
hut we found that further communica.
ton would be impossible, for we were
well tied down, and, after our separa-
tion, did not see each other again.
Dick was gentle sort of fellow, one
of those dreamers who never get on III
a worldly way, but the dearest compan-
ion imaginable. I missed him terribly
for while. but his occasional talk al
the wire told me he was alive and we'll
One afternoon there came frantic
cali at the wire, and | hurried to the
instrument to hear Dick tapping off the
words that the express train had been
delayed and to hold the runaway due
at the station ten minutes later, until /
heard from him, Directly after the
message came the line Express train
in sight Something wrong. Stand
by" | waited a full minute, then
came Dick 5 familiar tap-tap: Express
is being run by strange hands They
have stopped ri this station. Send re-
lief"
There WAS a seconds silence: then
before | could flash the alarm along
the line, the tapping began again. II
ran: Everything all right Good
bye"
signaled for him to repeat the mes
sage, and again came the words: ''Ev
-erything ali right. Goodbye"
held the instrument in my hand and
debated with myself upon my course
OF conduct. ] did not want to need
lesSly send the alarm along the line
On the other hand, why had Dick SEN
his first message? | touched the in
strument and asked: rs everything al
right, Dick?' And the answer cam,
back, Everything is all right"
1t did not seem at all like Dick.
touch, but | laid it to nervousness anC
quieted Iny fears while / waited for tn,
runaway"
recalled that Dick had told me owe
the wire the previous evening that thu
runaway would have a large sum o
money aboard, which it was to transfe
10 the express at his station.
When the runaway" came up | no
tilted the engineer that the express wa
waiting for him at Lakeyille. and ais
casually mentioned that the alarm hat
come from there: but that afterward
had received message that all wa
well.
He seemed disturbed and advised M
to repeat the story to the United State
Marshal aboard, which / did, with tin
result that the train pulled out of tn
station prepared for emergencies
though .aeither they nor / thought any
thing OF the hasty message that Ia,
been flashed 20 me.
Ten minutes later the message cam
over the wires from Lakeyille: "Foun
train in charge9o of highwaymen. Die
Ramsey murdered at instrument
Object was TO rob the runaway. bu
we oyerpowered them after desperat
struggle. Notify the stations along th
line 10 send relief.
This. in brief, was the story of tn
death OF Dick Ramsey, and after ha
seen him laid away in the graveyard q
Lakeville packed up my goods an
journeyed further on, for | could ut
remain 50 near the scene of my oil
friends death.
Well strange things happen. an
after ] had found a position with Ii
same company fifty miles away | wa
assigned back To Lakeville
found the village grown into Sc
clement OF very fair size and the simp
little station replaced by very pr
tentious one, while the humble lit
churenyard. where they had burie
poor Dick Ramsey was gay with flow
ering shrubs, and spires OF marble lif
ed themselves here and there anon
the trees. Dicks grave was SIT
marked by the rude cross had plac,
over IT,
Well in the duties OF my new pos
tioB am afraid forgot Dick. and (,
weeks at a time never thought of Il
mound behind the church, and the .po
fellow who had come with me frc
home and whose joys and sorrows b.
been mine for 80 long.
In Dicks place AT the instrume
there sat an honest little chap aud a
sisting him was another lad. for Il
station at LaGevillc now boosted hs
a dozen employees.
High above the station. on a bill
that commanded the finest view OF t