The Goodland republic., 1906-12-28
BREAm PMgEaIEB 4 WREGk
MYSTERIOUS ExPERIENCE or
TELEGRAPH OPERATOR.
Avoke in the Nick Of Time 90 Prevent
Swift Approaching Catas-
tFOphe.

Bassett in Kansas City recently ''It /
was the coolest winter 1 ever knew. /
In January, 1854. snow ren to the
depth OF two feet and drifted to such |
an extent as to I'LL the railroad cuts
and prevent the running Of trains for
two or three weeks. The weather
grew very cold after the big snow fell
and thousands upon thousands Of hogs
that were waiting at the stations along
the railroad 10 be shipped east per
ished through the bitter cold and Of
starvation
Three weeks after the snow fell
the road was reported about open for
traffic The first express from St Jo-
seph passed Cameron about 8 o'clock
in the morning and was to be follow
ed by another about noon. One train
left Hannibal early in the morning
later in the day. had been up night
and day since Friday getting but lit
tie sleep, and Sunday morning re-
ceived instructions to keep in close
touch with the telegraph instrument
all day. About 1 o'clock the wire
east gave out and I could do moth
ing with the dispatcher's office at
! BrOOkheld. After dinner went over
to the Office to wait the coming of
i the second express from St. Joseph. I
took on my coat and put on my slip
pers, intending to throw myself upon
the Office lounge and pass the time
/ reading I had no intention Of going
/ to sleep and picked up Les Misera-
bles,' by Victor Hugo.
II was deep in the adventures Of
| the hero, Jean Val Jean, and nothing
disturbed the quietude OF the little
[ depot Suddenly it seemed that was
not alone and upon looking up 1 be
held a man standing beside the couch.
had either fallen asleep or was in
| that subcOnsciOus condition wherein
| events are said to be mysteriouSly o1-
| vulged to the human mind. Before I
could speak, the man standing by my
i side said:
I am Jean Val Jean; come with
me for many human lives are in
He took my hand and seemingly
/ with no effort on my part We gained
/ the platform outside. We arose IN
/ the air and sailed rapidly eastward,
/ Three miles east we descended and he
pointed to the telegraph wire 1t had
| been knocked down from pole by
falling tree and was lying upon the
! ground, but not broken I raised II
/ from the ground and repaired il tenn
i pOrarily, when we again aScended and
my guide cOnduted me back to town
! My next sensation was Of still ly-
/ ing upon the lOuch while the little
| telegraph instrument on the table
NEARBY was rafting furiOusly, and /
/ realized that the train dispatcher was
calling my Office frantically. Ny Of
fice call was r n, and he would call
r. N, r. n, and sign b, which was
his Office call heard him say dis
tinctly, as il asking a general question
over the wire:
| - Has anyone heard R n during
1 the last hOur2 Great God! why don't
he answer No. 2 has orders to run
/ through to Cameron and No 1 east
should be held there until it arrives.
Then he would call me again I
must have been in a semi-cOnsiOUs
condition, for, although dreaming, /
fully realized that the two trains were
in imminent peril, but L could not
awake. Slowly I began to arouse my
self and at first was perfectly con-
scious but had no power Of vOliuon-
/ 1 heard No. 1 from the west pull up
at the depot platform The Oh1ce
door was locked and the couch was
| resting upon could not be seen from
the window. I heard Count Har-
ris, the conductor, say to Hank Shen-
an, his engineer:
Let's run on to Kidder, the opera
tor doubtless has no orders and Is
sSThe bell sounded and I heard the
! train move slowly away. At this point
IL became wide awake and my mind
| was clear and active. I had a posi-
tive conviction that, although had
| been dreaming, the two trains had
been so strangely revealed TO me.
Without hat or coat and in my slip
pered feet I rushed out through the
depot sitting room onto the PLATFORM
| and beheld the train pulling away
and fast gathering speed. Fortunate
" the conductor, Count Harris, was
| standing upon the rear platform OF
/ the last car and I ran towards him
| waving my arms and shouting Wild
'' signal for the side track, Mr..
Harris Hurry, for Gods sake will
turn the switch
| Harris comprehended instantly the
| situation and seized the bell rope As
| I ran shouted to the engineer:
| Hurry, Hank; you have not a
minute to lose. I'll attend the switch
| ''The engineer had also realized the
situation and had reversed his engine
The rear end Of the train had nearly
| passed the east end Of the side track
and the moment il was clear turned
the switch and the train soon began
| to move back. stood with my shoul-
der against the switch rod watching
the wheels in a spirit Of dumb fascin-
alton as each one took the side track
1.-The engine had gotten about half over
| when something had momenJarliy
expected took place. Around the bend
in the road, less than quarter OF
mile distant, the shril whistle OF NO
2 sounded on the crisp winter air and
a few moments after the train dashed
Into view and came laundering down
the grade It was too late for the
i engineer Of No. 2 to slacken his speed
and when the last wheel Of the engine
Of No. 1 had taken side track No
! was not over a hundred yards away
Il shall always remember the feel
ings Of terrible apprehension felt
during those few moments. with a
supreme effort I threw the switch con-
Meeting the main line and almost al
| the same moment No darted past
me. The experience had gone
through must have been too mucn
for my nerves for the next thing re-
membered was lying beside the
switch rod and Enginer SherrOn was
lpouring water in my face from an en-
| zine sprinkler. I heard him say:
Z" He is coming around ali right,
and I presently cried out In an excited
and almost hysterical manner, Hank
Is it all right2'
/ " You can bet your sweet life it IS
my boy he replied, and I want TO
say that you shore got there on sched-
ule time
In the afternoon had the section
/ men take me towards the east on q
handcar- At the same spot the wire
! was on the ground as had seen Il
in the dream and I repaired It tenn
porarily, Just as I had done in my
j dream When returned the instru-
ment was ticking away lively and
1 reported the matter briefly 70 the