The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1905-03-29
A PSYCHIC MESSAGE
1T RouSED A RAILROAD OFFICIAL TO
SUDDEN ACTIVITY.

The Story of a Special Train That
Was Sidetracked and How the
Passenger Traffic Manager Got
Warning of the Mishap.
A number of railroad officials were
chatting after a business meeting
when the discussion CHANGED to drift
upon, the question whether railroad
men are superstitious.
Presented with the opportunity to
display their knowledge, some of the
passenger men drifted into the realms
of esoteric Buddhism and pscychic phe.
nOmena, with touch of spiritualism
thrown in for full measure. Finally one
Of the party, a passenger traffic man
ager, insisted that he was neither SUI
persdtious nor did he understand
psychic phenomena.
"Just the same" he concluded, 81
had one of those psychic things happen
to me when was engaged in trying to
induce every one in Nashville to travel
by the Louisville and Nashville. The
Grau Opera company was coming to
town for weeks engagement, and the
outfit, scenery and all, was coming
over our line, thanks to the persuasive
ability of the Louisville and Nashville's
gentlemanly representative, who at
that time was your humble servant.
'The day before the grand opera sea-
son should be upon us the advance
agent called upon me and, rubbing his
hands gleefully, declared that the ad-
vance sales had been enormous.
GA good first night he declared,
would make the engagement a record
breaker. If everything goes well to-
morrow night they can't stop us. /
suppose that scenery is on the way all
right and will show up on timer
Il assured him that it was as he sup
posed, and he left me in a happy frame
of mind. The next day as was sitting
in my Office thinking about nothing
particular the conviction flashed upon
me that it was up to me to get the
Grau scenery to town in time for the
opening performance. l laughed at
the conviction at first, but it recurred
to me with irresistible force,3 and I
could not get it out of my head that
the scenery was doing time on a side
track somewhere between st. Louis
and Nashville. l remembered that the
opening opera was to be Aida which
requires the double stage and there
fore an endless amount Of scenery. Ac-
cordingly if that scenery did not ar
rive no makeshift would supply the
want of it.
"By early afternoon 1 had worked
myself into a state bordering upon
nervous prostration, and finally bolt
ed for Major James Geddes' Office. The
major was then division superintend-
ent, and, after apologizing for mixing
up In matter that was really none of
my business, asked him If the Grau
s6eAery was on the way.
Certainly it is,' he replied convinc-
ingly. 1T left st. Louis early last even
ing and is coming special on a fast
schedule. 1t will be here within an
hour from now.'
"'How do you know all that' I de-
manded.
"'Know it, know it?' shouted the ma
jor wrathfully. How do know I'm
alive? Haven't l got the reports
showing the makeup of the special, the
time it left st. Louis and the schedule
on which it is running? You had bet
ter go back to your Office, young man,
and keep on selling tickets. Don't med
die with the operating department un-
less you can talk sense
"'Just the same, major I-insisted, Il
have reason to know that the Grau
scenery is not on the way to Nash
ville.'
'"The majors wrath knew no bounds.
"'Where is it, thenY he snorted.
Somewhere on a side track between
here and st. LOUIS replied
"'Young man. said the major, ris-
ing, you are such blamed fool that
will break my rule and take the trou-
BILE to convince you that you are one
instead Of kicking you out Of my Office.
Come with me-
"We rushed upstairs to the train dis
patcher's Office, where the major or
dered the dispatcher to show me prog
ress Of the Grau special.
"Tt's not progressing. 1t has been
lying on the side track at Riolado for
five hours replied the dispatcher, and
I've been securing the system for an
engine. The specials engine went
dead
'"rhe major forgot me, forgot every
thing, except that special. In a trice
he had another engine tearing up the
track to get to Riolado from a point a
few miles away, and then he cleared
the track and gave the scenery the
right of way clear to Nashville. That
run of 1876 miles from Riolado. to
Nashville stands as southern record
today, but it burned up nearly every
car in the outfit to make it. The spe-
cial arrived thirty minutes before open
ing time. had an army of wagons
and men waiting for it, and before the
curtain vas rung up every stick Of it
was in place"
''What did the major say?" was ask
ed.
"The next day he sent for me and
said, Young man, the next time you
have one of those nutty lunches hit
the main line and see me before 1t
works Off '"-S. G. A. in Chicago Rec
Ord-Herald.
HOnOr1 Easy.
People who were present smiled at
the little passage Of arms which took