Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-01


on the other track, but there WASH [
| time to cross ahead OF the limited. "A
man was sent ahead with orders 10 let
the limited by and hold everything
| else until he should be called IN.
was fireman on the limited that night.
| and the place | write OF was IN the
middle of n 20-mile run. where the en-
gineer made practice OF catching up
any little time previously lost.
| | heard II sudden exclamation as
George. my engineer. shut of and
snapped on the air. | stepped 10 the
gangway and caught glimpse Of a
| fellow waving a red light frantically
as we flew by. In another instant We
rounded the curve and there was "A
headlight right In our face and eyes.
| George "horsed 'er over. and |
thought he would surely pull the sand
lever out by the roots. but In spite Of
all. that headlight came UP on us like
| a comet. OF course. we thought the
other fellow was crossed over on our
track. or he wouldn't have tagged us:
it didn't make any difference that he
had no right tn be there. there he was.
George yelled for me to git of" but
| single glance at the ground satisfied
me with my chances where | was.
\ moment later we rolled past the en-
CINE and half the train-which was on
its own track. The freight conductor
climbed up on our engine and asked
George If that BANKED fool had tagged
him. George sputtered and stammeTed
with nervousness before he found his
tongue. but when he did that conduc-
tor heard something that was well
worth listening to. Such a salvo OF
verbal pyrotechnics-George expressing
himself about the conductor. and he
about the fiagman-one hears but once
in lifetime
\ newly-locnted watchman's shanty
looking exactly like the end OF a box
car-set my scalp to tingling one night.
There has never been anything there
but the river before. ami when the
headlight glarrd on that very substan-
tial structure | Was sure my call had
arrived.
Another time tool box IN tunnel
partly covered with ovcrCluthcs and a
coil or rope. started me FOR the step.
under the impression that ii was rock
fallen from the roof. But thes, are
mere harmless scares which help to
hecp one awake. The engine gets Ly
them before you get off. and you are
back in your seat again breathing
anathema maranatha against the
thoughtless idiot who was the cause OF
II all. Then there are the other kind.
was poking UP long hill one night
when a red light suddenly showed UP.
followed at once by another. indicating
that the Caboose of the preceding train
was just ahead-and l was coming up
to IT with astonishing rapidity. yelled
to my fireman TO jump. and we had
barely landed in the ditch when six
cars and the caboose of the train ahead
climbed all over our engine. The train
had broken in two and this Was the
rear section that had trundled down
hill on top Of us.
Frequently l have been asked if rail-
road men are superstitious. think not
though they might be pardoned II they
were.
one night. after the meeting. Fred
Jones asked. with fairly well assumed in
seen a mysterious fiagman ut right near
the old stone house. this side OF Olicr-
doris Fan. Two or. three OF the men
looked around. quick and sharp. IA
though the question reminded them of
something. but nobody admitted he had
Darn funny. said Fred, putting at his
tiSaI ike Il fNbS on a grade. seen
out
~ resronsc 70 careful pumping jones
told me that on two occasions Oh tho
night trip fellow had sprung uut from
behind the ruins of the old stone hols.
and tagged him-not with lamp. hi
though II was night time. IN; with N
flag. He stopped both times but No mar.
was to be found. nor was there any oc-
casion for Tagging
ON the second occasion his conductor
limited with railroad frankness that
Jones was dopy. 50 Jones sa,d he woulu
disregard the fellows signal IL he ever
saw MIN again. As 10 details he remem-
bered only that both nights were bri.-
liantly moonlit and that u good breeze
was blowing.
About two months later. along IN the
fan, after a heavy rain. Jones ran into
bad rockslide quarter OF a mile be-
was Killed. but he escaped with a
sprained ankle. He came hobblins up to
me day, or two later. as | was o.l!ng
round, and said
Wal. done it
Done what?
Run by that stone hoUsc GaCman I
was teliin' ye about: wonder If they'll
think Imb dopy now"
He went on 10 tell ne that the same
dent. but, with his good name in mind
he dropped her Gown a notch. breathed
defiance at the spook through his teeth.
anu went through the CCt tail on end only
To pile up on the slide Il moment later
one night. long time after that. 1 was
Killing time on clearance. The moon
was about full. pretty well down in the
west, and there was n stiff breeze from
the same quarter. | remembered Jones
iiasman. and decided he would never have
better chance to get caught. ! shut off
anu let her ron on approaching the stone
house
Waving shadows on the track cast by
wees an, bhsn"s on toe bank above.
suggested a possible solution of the mys-
tei!. l kept my eyes fastened religiously
on the spot Jones had described. and
presently saw there was some thing there
Gradually the thing took form. until
when within train length. l could have
sworn that man was in front of me
waving q flag.
| put on brakes. slowed right down and
gave an answering toot loot. bat he paid
no attention. Then | crawlcd out on the
runhoard ard looked at the moon, which
was Just visible above the bank at my
right. AS the moon. flyrei- and the ma.
came itno line. he became blurrcd ana IN
distinct. and | observed that a small pine
tree on the bank was also coming into
! lines with Us. When the line was COM