The sun., 1907-04-07
THE NIGHT OPERATORS T,LE
A vigil with a Hair Drilled Safe In = IOnrD
station.

4 vigil With a Half Drilled SAFE In = IOnrI,
station.
The life OF a night operator in railroad
station is not all one grand song" said the
talkative railroad telegraph operator "Of
course. the hardest part Of the work is to
keep awake through the silent watches Of
the night.
"A year or so ago was night operator
at Yankee Corners After 81 Stebbins
from the poet Office came over ~
get the o'clock mail bag I wouldn't
see a soul all night. am not natur-
ally timid, but l was always fearful
lest some OF the wandering hoboes might
get q yearning to see what was in the safe
and give me a rap over the COCO when
wasn't looking.
ITO give things a more cheerful aspec'
the safe we had in the ticket oftce had
three or four holes in il. made by drills Of
burglars in previous unsuccessful attemp'
J TO get through the interference of the safe
That was before a night operator was in
stalled at the Corners.
"The burglars were frightened awav
before they completed their task, The
company never thought II was necessary 70
stake US with a new safe or have the evi-
dences Of the handiwork OF the craoksmsn
effaced from the old one.
Now. il would take a gentleman NJ
wonderful buoyancy OF spirits 10 sit in the
Office night after night glancing al those
drill holes in the safe without getting pessi-
mistic and falling 90 specializing a 10
whether the burglars were strong men
with scars on their faces. etc. and how
long il would be before they would think it
necessary to call again.
Yankee Corners was a hag stop for tho
midnight express. II wasn't often thst any
one travelling in the direction Of that village
was out 90 late at night; therefore was
surprised TO see her slow up one night and
stopping, observe the brakeman carrying
of an inanimate object They raped on
the station room door.
Here's a dark man with a package for
you, Bill, said one OF them as ] opened the
door i suppose it's against your rules 10
take drunk inside the waiting room, but II
you leave this one outside he II be chawed up
into stew beef by morning
Il unlocked the wait ing room door and
they laid the man with thirty snake jag on
one OF the ben ches. He just lay there and
snored while traipsed back TO the ticker
Office to renew my vigil by the drill hoed
safe
Say, il you ever want a real hard job JUST
try to keep awake while listening 90 some
one else snore. It's the suTest cure for in
somnia you ever tried. ! just sat there and
winked and blinked,
SAn Of a sudden the snoring ceased. the
ticket office door swung open with crash
and before l could wink an eyelash WAS
looking down the barrel of a 10 horse power
pistol and behind it was the man with the
souse He was sober enough now.
Come across with the combination n
you look like the Hoosio Tunnel with the
pip. Be good, Chester, and l won't harm
you.
HE played the game we'll. got inside the
station on phony, jag and now was going
ing and decided TO simulate fright l
didn't have to do much Stimulating at that
and give the wrong gig on the safe
He might play with II 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
l managed TO gasp out some figures and
| turns.
Now. Chester remarked my midnigh'
caller, IN just tether you here in the cor.
, ner where l can look at you while 60 south
after the money
with that he stood me up in a corner
with my wrists and ankles bound 40 tightly
that twingee OF pain ran all through my
system. He fused and fumed around that
safe. but OF course couldn't get IT 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 ne
you've not been playing fair. You tined
| to buffalo me, but IL won't work. I've wasted
| so much time that I've got TO work fast nov
and blow the safe open. I'm going 10 leave
| you tied in that corner. You'll resemble
| Hoboken after premature explosion IN me
| tunnel when it's all over
Then he unlimbered his kit Of tools ant
| began working at the drill holes where his
predecessors left Of. II didn't take him
| long to finish drilling and then he set the
charge.
Farewell, Chester, was his parting re-
mark. You're about to go To your reward
| There will be a vacancy on the night force
at Yankee Corners tomorrow.
After he had lighted the fuse the cracks,
man sidestepped to a safe place. Iwriggled
and souirmed and twisted while the fuse
| burned nearer and nearer. but the cords
| on my wrist only seemed 20 get tighter ana
| tighter. The fuse was at the end
Bang! bang! bang!
| Say there, you dope, II you don't pun
back your signals and let me go I'll report
| you at the super's Office Do you kno"
| you're holding No 81 shouted some one
And l recognized the genial voice ~
! Mat Fuller, the engineer Of Eastern Express
| No. 9. Listening to the snores Of the drunk
| in the waiting room had been too much Tor
me and ] had dropped or 70 SLEEP and
After let No. 20 I went out IN thS
waiting room and there was the drunk
sleeping an soundly cs sver, only with
groan now and then when the pink animas
made counter march and attacked 7m
an - rlNh .s1I a.