The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-09-20
A PSYCHIC MESSAGE
~ ROlx5ED A RAILROAD OFFICIAL TO
SUDDEN ACTIVITY.

| Passenger Traffic Manager Got
Warning of the Mislap.
A number of railroad officials were
chatting after business meeting.
when the discussion CHANGED to drift
upon the question whether railroad
hen 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 spiritualisD
thrown in for full measure. FINALLY one
Of the party. passenger traffic man.
Rger, insisted that he was neither SUI
perstitious nor Gid he understand
psychic phenomena.
Just the same" he concluded Il
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
1yver our line. thanks to the persuasive
lbility of the Louisville and Nashvilles
gentlemanly representative, who al
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 gleefuIly, declared that the add
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 u.s.
suppose that scenery is on the way al!
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 us 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 II FIST. but it required
| to me with lrres .stib.o force, and |
could not get it out OF my head that
the scenery was doing time Oh side
track somewhere between st. Louis
md Nashville remembered that the
opening opera was to be Aida. which
requires the double stage and there
fore an endless amount of scenery. AZ
cordingly if that scenery did not ar
rive no makeshift would supply the
want of it.
"By early afternoon | 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 a matter that was really none OF
my business. | asked him if the Grau
scenery 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" / de
manded.
"'Know it, know it?' shouted the ma
jor wrathfully. How do l know I'm
alive? Haven't | 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 I'M
less you can talk sense
"'Just the same, major insisted. I
have reason to know that the Grau
scenery is not on the way to Nash
Vile
1.-THE majors wrath knew no bounds.
"'Where is it, then: he snorted
Somewhere on a SIDE track between
here and ST. Louis l replied
young man. said the major. rs-
| 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-
eve 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
cts not progressing. 1t has been
lying on the side track at Riolado for
AfC uOULS, lcJlISu II4c QlSDdLCNSf, ana
I've been securing the system for an
engine. The specials engine went
dead
1.-THE major forgot me, forgot every
thing, except that special. In a tricG
he had another engine tearing up the
track to get to Riolado from point q
few miles away. and then he cleared
the track and gave the scenery the
right of way clear to Nashville That
rum of 1S5 miles from Rolado to
Nashville stands as a southern record
today, but it burned up nearly every
car in the outfit to make it. The sne
cial arrived thirty minutes before open-
ing time. | had an army Of wagons
and men waiting for it, and before the
curtain was rung up every stick of 1t
was in place"
what did the major say?" was ask.
ed.
"The next Gay he sent for me and