The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-12-09
BILLS GHOST.

lulclest hlnQ OF cheIIy PIE.
Everybody envied Bill while he was
livin' an had the run. But soOn's he got
killed one man'd take the train. run 1t
for week or so an then let go sudden.
Pretty soon It commenced to be noised
aroun' that engine 413, that hauled Bills
train, vas haunted by his ghost.
"You see poor Bill was killed In rather
a peculiar way. He run into trolley car
at a grade crossin' one eyenin', and In
the mix-up the feed wire OF the trolley
busted, one end Of II hittin' BIZ an send
In charge Of electricity through his
body that killed him. They said that the
electrical display when that feed wire
swiped the locomotive would made the
towers at Coney look like a tallow dip.
when the noisins were gettin pretty
loud the master mechanic sent for me
one day. DO you believe In ghosts
Portly?' says he TO me-
Not SOS you can notice IT, says l.
"'Well, TO tell the truth he says,
there's some pretty tall stories goin'
round as to how poor Bill SuclIney's
shade Is hauntin' 4l3. an It's got so that
we can't keep regular man on the
train
81 don't blame Bills ghost for but
tin in, says l, seem the bad fist the
fellers that took the Job are maxim
at keepin' up 10 time | don't see how
any self-respectin' ghost could keep of.
"The outcome Of my interview with
the boss was that was detailed to the
train. An the men that had been on the
run came arOun' TO see me with faces
that'd make a lily look Ike piece Of
tar. tellin' Of peculiar rappin's an sich
tantrums as ghosts have been supposed
to kick up ever since the days when true
knights went around loOkin like one OF
the 81 varieties an horses wore kimonos.
"Oh. shucks, I'm from Missouri
You've got to show me- says. I guess
you fellers couldn't keep up to the time.
n swung a bluff to be taken of
81 went on the run. feelin' pretty well
contented with myself. Everything
went lovely that night
"The second night bein' nasty, rainy
night I shut both the back n front
doors on my side Of the cab to keep as
dry as possible. Comin' into the first
station. as | was slowin' up. I glanced
ahead. an holy couplin' pins II there
wasn't Bill Stickney peerln' right in the
front window Of the cab at me. with both
his arms raised at full length over his
head
We'll. II fiabbergasted me so that I
come within an infnitesimal recess OF
runnin' By the station an into a switch
engine right ahead. There was no deny
in Il; Il was Bill. didn' holler out TO
the fireman; an when we got away from
the station Bill's ghost faded from view.
Now never believed in ghosts. but
I'll admit was puzzled, an so ratified
that I forgot to shut Of the injectors un-
I'll reminded by my fireman that we
weren't runnln' a sprinklin' cart for
the commuters gardens.
well. sir, Bills shade came again
! II seemed to have a likin' for habitation.
! He didn't show up 'cept at the depots-
Once in awhile he'd make a fieetin' ap-
pearance goln' roun' turns; an at the
end Of that run I was nearly out OF busi-
ness.
"I didn't say anything to anybody.
didn't want 'em to get the laugh on me
One OF the boys came around an kinder
asked me II I'd noticed anythin'.
Nope l says. I was too good friend
OF Bits for him to chase after me. any
way. He knows I never did any anvil
warmin' on him, an that I'll look after
the 419 same as he would hisself.'
BILLS ghost failed to show next night
II was warm and clear. Soft went along
for three or four nights Then we hac
a dreadful storm, an had to keep al
the windows closed 'cept the one on the
side out Of which had to stick my coco
occasionally to get signals.
'T'd most forgotten about the ghost
But great strippin' eccentrics! Wher
we slid into the first station n I looked
ahead. there was Bills shade peerin' al
me through the front window again.
"Now. Bill says, go away n b'
a good boy. Don't como round pesterin
me. Amt doin' all can for the Alb
Just the same as you would? An amt
eoInf IN right on the card every night
same as you did yourselfT
But though I talked to the spectel
with tears in my eyes II had no effect
an when I uncovered my lamps hi'
rhostlets was still on the frin line
thought II was about up to me to regre
10 report an pass In my victual certif
cate. I started 10 make my getaway
through the back cab door without thu
formality OF openin' It an
There was a crashing Of glass as
backed against the door which brough
me to earth again. When looked L
see n the ghost was following me he wa
gone; that Is. a part OF him was. He wa
broken right off below the waist line II
tagged pieces which I knew in an in
slant we're reflected from the back cal
door. then was pretty sure had th'
, ghost mystery solved.
Maxim an investigation OF the jagged
pIeoes OF glass IN the rear door foun'
that the electricity from the trolley fee'
wire had made a negative OF Bill in th'
glass, just like magic lantern slide
when he was eleotroouted.
Every time light shone through tn
back door II would throw life size pic
ture on the glass door in front Whei
p Bill made bis noetin' appearances the,
we're caused by the lights behind us; an
when we stopped near the electric light
Z in the station. Of course the pictur
would be thrown on the front windo7
good an strong.
Say. honest. that's so. But wan
Won to know. though. that at no time diI