The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-09-12
THE LOST WIRE.


at sure was strange who was
stealing the wire up there on the
Lehigh and Hudson. popularity
known as the Lean and Hungry Rail-
road" said the old railroad telegraph
operator, who has gained a reputa-
tion for HIS work In assisting Truth
to rise after she has been crushed
to earth. "You see the road is put
ting up new line OF wires and they
! had lots OF trouble losing their equip
ment.
Most of the trouble occurred up
near Sugar Loaf Mountain, near the
old cemetery, just the other side OF
Eastchester station. They never
could seem to find out who stole the
wire.
"a fellow would be sending mes
sages up the road to the different
summer resorts-'Love me and the
world is mine'-and other kilograms
of the soft boiled egg variety-fIom
guys in the city to their girls in the
mountains, but the messages never
would get to their destination.
Whoever pinched the wires would
leave Just enough of the metal wire
hanging from the pole to reach the
ground, thereby making a circuit and
the wire would work all right be-
tween Eastchester apd the end of the
line, but the next morning we would
get postal card from the summer re-
sort saying they lost the wire at
such and such a place. The wire
thieves were literally running the
business of the company into the
ground.
so the management stationed
night watchman up near the old
cemetery to nab the marauders and
teach 'em to keep their hands off the
company's property. For the first
three or four nights there was moth
ing doing on wlrS thieves.
"One night about o'clock as we
regulars were sitting around the big
stove in Duff Masten's grocery store,
talking over the general condition Of
the onion crop, the watchman STUN
bled into the front door, almost
frightened to death. He allowed
that 1t was ghosts from the cemetery
who were swiping the Lehigh wires.
Res Conkling and all of us pooh
poohed the idea of ghosts There
were a good many operators buried
in the old cemetery, but they had had
enough trouble with wires during
their lives without trying to cabbage
any after Death.
Barney Smith and thres or four
more of us framed up an expedition
to find out the why's and wherefores
of this ghost business. We Jour-
neyed up there by Sugar Loaf Noun
tain several nights withou: any re-
suits.
About ~ O'Clock on the fourth
night we were about leaving in dis
gust when there was a whirring
sound up behind one the large tomb
stones in the grave yard and a large
object went flying over to one of the
telegraph poles and began pecking at
the wire there.
BY gosh, it's spiritsr cried Char
ley Crist, one of the exploring band.
Change your brand said |. I'll
tell you what it is. It's an eagle
I'D heard only a week or two be-
fore about pair of bald headed
eagles which had been seen up on
Sugar Loaf Mountain. Barney Smith
agreed with me that the wire pirate
was the male eagle stealing wire
to build a nest for his mate.
Yes, sir, sure's you're born. OF
course, the wire wasn't as heayy as
the modern telegraph wires and
could coil nicely into a fine nest for
the lady eagle. The warm mes
sages which had circulated through
the wires to the summer girls would
aid materially in Matching the eagles
eggs.
1t wasn't very hard for the big
strong male eagle to snap off length
OF wire and fly off with coil of it
around his neck. OF course 1t was
just by accident he left enough OF it
flying to stick into the ground.
We'll, sir, the company tried its
best to kill that eagle, placing a
bounty of $50 Oh his head. But no
one seemed to shoot straight enough
to Kill him, or else he was so tough
the bullets took no effect. Even so
sure shot as Barney Smith failed to
bring him down. The big bird was a
pest, too, for every time he wanted
to add an L to his nest or build a new
apartment he'd Just draw on the tele-
graph line.
THE super was at a loss as to
what to do. Finally l hit upon a
scheme. Why not put in a special
brand of barbed wire? It was obvi.
Gus that If lady eagle was prepar.
ing TO lay an egg and sat down on a
piece of barbed wire, she'd change
her mind about laying the egg and
say 'Prunes' or words to that effect
in eagle language
"My scheme worked all right and
after the barbed wire was Installed
the depredations ceased, although
many sharp messages we're sent over
the line"
Say" observed the tall. cynical
conductor, you've got those nature
takers spiked to the switch. New
York Sun.