The Opelousas courier., 1905-11-18
q Lucky UiStake.
BY ALvAH MILTON KERR.

l taught Tommy Sands the art OF
telegraphy, and obtained for him his
first position, that OF night operator at
Sturgess. He held the position just
twelve hours, then came back to me
discharged, but happy. The reason for
this was that Tommy, like some other
people, valued his life more than he
did a working position.
Viewed as an individual, Tommy was
fairly capable. Considered as a begin
ner in railroad station work, he was
competent enough, but, as sometimes
happens, the duties OF his position ap-
parently doubled the very hour that
saw him attempt the work of the office.
When he left his home station to take
charge at Sturgess, I particularly ad-
monished him to keep cool, for much
in railroading depends on normal. pres
ence OF mind; but, Of course, a lad of
eighteen cannot reasonably be ex-
pected to remain quite so much a
master of himself as an older man,
and Tommy, upon his introduction to
the Office at Sturgess really met
troubles enough to Try a veteran. {
In the first place, he had everything
to do at the station. All the items in
cluded in the comprehensive term "ev-
erything" canno be specified here, but
some of them may be mentioned. He
had to watch the wires and take orders
and kilograms, sell tickets and check
baggage, throw the maii-pouch into
the doorway of the mail-car when the
passenger-train arrived, unload and
load express and answer questions.
This latter is a very disconcerting task
when a mar is new to a station and
really doesn't know what he is talking
about. lh+E. ~
OF course Sturgess was not a large
place, and ordinarily the Sturgess night
operator, particularly when accus-
toned to the work, did not find his
duties very exacting. But with Tommy
that night it was different; he unfor-
tunatelys struck a rush Of business and
through it a very odd experience
When Tommy arrived to begin his
work it was raining in the Elk River
valley, softly at times, then again so
generously that it roared on the tin
station-roof and made the lamp
lighted platform look like an expanse
of boiling glass. In these moments of
exuberant downpour, thunder rolled
up and down the valley, and the tele-
graph armatures jumped and .seaut-
tered senseless1y. Even when the
sluice-gates Of the sky seemed no more
than fine drilling sieyes, far-of light
ming sent its swapping signs along the
wires, interfering with the transmits
sion OF orders and messages.
But OF course no operator who real.
ICES the responsibility of his position
cuts out his instrument ON account of
lightning unless the play of celestial
fire is absolutely dangerous. Tommy
could not well cut out his during the
time OF most danger that night, for
the despatcher called him three-quar-
ters Of am hour before the Eastern
Mail was due, at ten o'clock, and eau
toned him to watch close and be on
hand, as he might be needed for or
ders. a.
After that things went lively with
Tommy. The omnibus from the prin-
cipal hotel brought a load OF passeng-
ers. Among them were three "drum-
rners," two Of whom were of the ex-
acting. hectoring sort, with a large
Quantity of exces baggage. Tommy
weighed the trunks, which were huge
and heavy, in order to determine the
excess, and the drummers protested
and tormented him with abuse while
he made out-t1e excess-slips.
Then in rushed a rain-wets wedding
party, laughing and screaming and
throwing rice, and6lling the waiting
room to s~ufocatien.
The bridegroom was 50 excited lie
could hardly tell where he was going,
and was a long time fumbling about
his clothes. in quest OF money with
which to pay fer the tickets, while the
bride clung to his arm and laughed
and s~queaked, as she svainIy tried 10
ward off the flying rice. During the
uproar a gray old farmer and his wife
pushed throughS the crowd to the ticket
windowaThey were going to Duluth.
and Tommy found 1t quite impossible
to allay their nervousness with suffic-
lent information.
The confusion and the perplcxinr
demands upon him augmented his ma
tural anxiety until his scalp prickled
and his cheeks flushed with excitement.
Tommy was half conscious that his
mind was not working normally III the
general confusion, and the near ap-
proach of the mo1fsiit when the East
ern Mail was duequickened both the
general clamor and his own nervous
ness. On account OF the rain, the bag
gage. which filled two trucks, had
necessarily to be left under cover until
the last moment, and the young eper-
ator was wondering with alarm il he
should be able to get it out of the
baggage-roorn and to the train in
time.
The Eastern Mali proved to be
twelve minutes late and the waiting
crowd piled Tommy with all sorts Of
annoying questions. Ait the moment
when the Mail was due by schedule.
the dcspstchcr called Tommy, and he
few to the Key. The pay-car was COM
ing fn fIr r,lfev v,ifJ, {ta da~s