West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-01-19


powerless to do anything, but pay
the bills that were handed them
weekly, aud some shrewd detective
work was being done, but to no
avail. However, the mystery was
solved zone day this week, shortly
after the train had left Tunnelton
for Kinewood, by Jacky Sterling,
who had the train In charge that
day. He had loaded some supplies
for the lrona mines in one end of
the car that serves for coach and
baggage car combined, and had
carefully locked the door with an
iron paddock and placed the key in
his pocket, and remarked that there
would be nothing gone that day,
and was busily engaged in collect.
ing fares from two woebegone trav-
elers, as well as telling Of some of
his remarkable experiences since
his employment with the road, in
cluding train robbery and other
things, the most remarkable OF which
was run that he engineered through
from Tunnelton to Kingwood.
distance of ten miles, with the
coach and one box car for train.
covering the entire distance in one
hour and thirty.fve minutes, and
only off the track once, which is the
fastest record time ever made on
the clerk water" Just in the mid
die Of one of his most exciting
stories, a dreadful Kissing, which
sounded as il a steam pipe had been
bursted, cracking of eggs and turn
ing over Of boxes was heard in the
other end of the car Whereupon
Sterling pulled the bell cord and
had the train stopped and summoned
his men and armed them with picks,
coupling pins and hand axes and
proceeded to carefully unlock the |
door, expecting to be met by one or
more of the Davis gang of house
breakers that have since been can
tured, but instead very large and
dangerous rattlesnake was seen
coiled up IN the other end of the
car, Kissing and shaking ITS rattles
vigorously and showing plenty Of
fight. After a very lengthy struggle
the snake was dispatched and sev-
eral OF the party had narrow es-
capes from being bitten, and was
found TO measure 70 feet and seven
inches, and was adorned with 20
rattles and a button.
After the excitement OF battle had
somewhat subsided and an exami-
nation of the car was being made as
to where the reptile had entered the
car, it was found that it had turned
the egg crate directly over a hole in
the floor of the car about 10 by -
inches that had been cut there TO
make some steam pipe connections,
but since abandoned, and led back
under the main part Of the car,
which had a false bottom. The
snake had eaten about one half of
the crate and was preparing to 20
back to his hiding place, when it
found that it was trapped and be-
came enraged and was making the
Kissing noise that led TO its discov-
cry; otherwise had it remained i'm
there until the car had reached
Kingwood, some one might have
been bitten by the deadly snake.
1t is supposed that the snake is
one that escaped from a show that
was wrecked on the road last sum-
mer near Howesville. IL was brought
to this place by the trainmen and
presented to II. II. Potter, who has
il stuffed and can be seen any day
by anyone doubling this story. Mr..
Potter says that it is the finest spec
linen Of the reptile tribe he has ever
seen and prizes it very highly.
Every one connected with the
road IS breathing much easier al
present and things are again running
smoothly. The instructions from
the general managers Office were
that the story was not to be told, as
il might injure the passenger traffic.
but one Of the TRUSTEES Who had I'M
bibed too freely Of Tunnelton fire
water told the tale in a soft drink
Emporium here, where he had gone
to quench his thirst, and from there
the story became public.
Moral-Don't drink frcwater.