The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-10-04

A number OF railroad officials were
9gslatting after Il business meeting,
sSghen the discussion Glanced to drift
,glpon the question whether railroad
a9seU are superstitious.
Presented with the opportunity to
aEIsplay their knowledge some of the
--sassenger men drifted into the realms
Of esnteric Buddhism and pscychic phe
laomena, with touch of spiritualism
ShEoWn i'll, for full measure. Finally one
nf the party. passenger traffic man.
eyer. insisted that he was neither SUI
eerstitious nor cid he understand
.9gychic phenomena.
Just the same" he concluded, Il
Ind one of those psychic things happen
80 me when | was engaged in trying to
induce every one in Nashville to travel
10y the Louisville and Nashville. The
sarau Opera company was coming to
down 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
HAT time was your humble servant.
THE day before the grand opera sea-
gon should be upon us the advance
agent called upon me and, rubbing his
lands gleefully, declared that the ad-
vance sales had been enormous.
"'A good first night he declared,
would make the engagement 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 Oh time?
Il assured him that it was as he sup
posed. and he left me in 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. | laughed at
tie conviction at first, but it REQUIRED
TO me with irresistible force, and
could not get it out of my head that
the scenery was doing time on q side
track somewhere between st. Louis
and Nashville / 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 AZ
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 a division superintend-
eRt 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. It left st. Louis early last even
1ng and is coming special on fast
schedule 1t will be here within an
hour from now
'''How do you know all that?' l de
nanded.
"'Know it, know it?' shouted the ma
jor Wrathfully. How do | know I'm
aIiye? Haven't | got the reports
showing the makeup of the special. the
time it left ST. Louis and tie schedule
sn which it is running? You had bet
her 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, Z
have reason to know that the Grau
seenery is not on the way to Nash.
WILLIE
1.-THE majors wrath knew no bounds.
IS t,o ho
Somewhere on side track between
Tere and st. Louis l replied.
"'Young man. said the major, ris-
Ing, you are such blamed fool that I
will break my rule and take the trou-
HE to convince you that you are one
Instead of kicking you out of my Office.
Come with me-
sWe rushed upstairs to the train dis
patcher's office, where the major or
dered tie dispatcher to show me prog
ress Of the Grau special.
It's not progressing. It has been
lying ON the side track at Riolado for
Ave hours replied the dispatcher, and
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 trice
he had another engine tearing up the
track to get to Riolado from a point a
few miles away, and then he cleared
fghe track and gave the scenery the
ar5ght Of way clear to Nashville. That
run Of 1856 miles from Rielado to
Nashville stands as a southern record
today, but it burned up nearly every
car in the outfit to make it. The spe-
eias arrived thirty minutes before open
ing time. l had an army Of wagons
and men waiting for it, and before the
curtain was rung up every stick Of it
was in place."
''What did the major say?' was ask
- &c.
''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 it