The Columbus journal., 1907-05-22
IL meM
0peysleIsIde

IL 04O 80 mn O9@
railroad statiea = not ~ -
giand seaG," said Tie taIEative rail
roaaA611giaDA operator. '0f esurDe.
the ehAEdest part o. the work = 10
keep awake through IL sllsat
watches a. Tie night.
"A year or - ago I Was night o.
orator 1t Yankee Cofnesa Afler q
Stebbins fron The post o0es cane
over to get Tie seven O'Clock nail bag
I wouldn't zee . soul an night. ! ~
not naturally timid. bat I Wa always
fearful lest some q the WandefinG
hoboes might get . yearning 70 $50
what was in the safe and give - .
rap over the COCO when l wasn't look
Ing.
ITO give things . more cheerful
aspect, the safe We had in the ticket
once had three or four holes In Il.
made by drills Of burglars In . pre-
vious unsuccessful attempt to get
through the Interference Of the safe.
That was before . night operator Vas
installed ut the Corners.
Nov, It would take . gentleman Of
. wonderful buoyancy q spirits to ut
In the ONCE night after night glaAcing
Ut those dril holes In the safe with
out getting pessimistic and falling TO
specializing - to whether the burg
lars were strong men with scars o.
their faces. ETC., and how long It
would be before they would think it
necessary to call again.
Yankee Corners was . dag stop for
the midnight express It wasn't often
that anyone travelling In the direction
Of that village was out 80 late at
night; therefore I was surprised to
see her slow up NJ night and, stop
ping. observe the brakeman carrying
OF IN inanimate object. They raped
on the station room door.
"THere's . dark man with . pack
age for you. Bill said one Of them ~
I opened the door. 4 suppose It's
against your rules. but II you leave
this one outside he'll be chawed up
into stew beef by morning
II unlocked the waiting room door
| and they laid the man with . thirty
snake jag ON q Of the benchesI He
| Just lay there and sn0red while
traipsed hack to the ticket once to
renew my vigil by the drill holed safe.
Say, II you ever want a real hard
Job ju3t try to keep awake while 10
tening to some N else sn0re. It's
the surest cure for insomnia you ever
tried. I just sat there and winked and
blinked.
"AIl Of q sudden the snoring ceased,
the ticket ONCE door swung open With
q crash and before l could wink IN
eyelash I was looking down the bar
rel Of q 40 horse power pistol and be
hind It was the nan with the s0uso.
He was sober enough now.
"'Come across with the e0mbina'
tion O that cake box. son. he said, 'oE
I'll make you look like the HOosic tun.
mel with the pip. Be good, Chester.
and I won't harm you
He played the game well. got In
aide the station o. . ph0ny jag and
now was going after the safe. I did
some rapid IRE thinking and decided
to simulate fright didn't have ia
do much Stimulating At that-and give
the wrong gig ON the safe.
He might play with 1t for . while
and maybe some freight would happen
along and come to my rescue. The
| SIGNALS were set at danger and they
would have to stop. I managed ia
gasp out some figures and turns.
".NOw, Chester remarked my mid.
night caller. I'll just tether you here
in the corner where I an look 1t you
while I 90 south after the money
with that he stood me up in . cor
ner with my wrists and ankles bound
80 tightly that twinges Of pain ran
all through my system. He fused and
fumed around that safe. but Of course
| couldn't get 1t open, while / hoped
and prayed for the freight that didn't
come. Finally he gave up with .
curse.
":Now, papa's little man. he said to
me. you've not been playing fair. You
tried to buffalo me. but 1t won't work
rye wasted 30 much time that I've got
to work fast now and blow the safe
open. I'm going to leave you tied in
that corner. You'll resemble Hob0ken
after . premature explosion In the
tunnel when It's all over
Then he unlimbered his kit Of tools
and began working at the drill holes
where his predecessors left OF. 1t
didn't take him long to finish drilling
and then he set the charge.
Farewell. Chester NJ his part
ing remark. You're about to 90 to
your reward. There will be . vacancy
on the night force At Yankee Corners
tomorrow.
AFTER he had lighted the fuse the
cracksman sidestepped to . safe
place. I wriggled and squirmed and
twisted while the fuse burned nearef
and nearer. but the cords on my wrist
only seemed to get tighter and tight
CT. The fuse was At the end
Bang! bang! bang!
"tSay there. you dope, II you don't
pull back your signals and let me 60
III report you at the super's once. Do
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