The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-07-09
The Night
Operator Tale

grand song" said the laxative rail
road 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 I was night op
orator at Yankee Corners. After 81
Stebbins from the post Office came
over to get the seven o'clock mail bag
l wouldn't see a soul all night. ] am
not naturally timid, but l was always
fearful lest some of the wandering
hoboes might get a yearning to see
what was in the safe and give me .
rap over the coco when / wasn't look
ing.
ITO give things more cheerful
aspect, the safe we had in the ticket
Office had three or four holes in it |
made by drills of burglars in a pre- |
vious unsuccessful attempt to get |
through the interference OF the safe |
That was before night operator was |
installed at the Corners.
Now, 1t would take a gentleman OF
a wonderful buoyancy of spirits to sit
in the office night after night glancing
at those drill holes in the safe with
out getting pessimistic and falling to
specializing as to whether the burg
i lars were strong men with scars on
their faces, etc, and how long ii
would be before they would think ii
necessary to call again.
Yankee Corners was a flag stop for
the midnight express. 1t wasn't often
that anyone travelling in the direction
of that village was out so late at
night; therefore / was surprised tc
see her slow up one night and, stop
ping, observe the brakeman carrying
off an inanimate object. They raped
on the station room door.
Here's a dark man with a pack
age for you. Bill said one of them as
/ opened the door. I suppose it's
against your rules. hut if you leave
this one outside he'll be chawed NJ
into stew beef by morning.
81 unlocked the waiting room door
and they laid the man with thirty
snake jag on one of the benches. He
Just lay there and snored while !
traipsed back to the ticket office &c
renew my vigil by the drill holed safe.
Say, if you ever want real hard
job Just try to keep awake while lis
, tening to some one else snore. It's
the surest cure for insomnia you ever
tried. l just sat there and winked and
blinked
) "All of sudden the snoring ceased.
the ticket office door swung open with
, a crash and before / could wink an
eyelash / was looking down the bar
| rel of 40 horse power pistol and be
2 hind it was the man with the souse
! He was sober enough now.
t "'Come across with the combina
9 ton o. that cake box, son, he said, OF
' I'll make you look like the Hoosic tun
s mel with the pip. Be good, Chester
}, and 1 won't harm you
] HE played the game well. got in
side the station on phony jag AND
now was going after the safe. l die
t some rapid fire thinking and decided
t to simulate fright didn't have tC
, do much Stimulating at that-and give
; the wrong gig on the safe.
"He might play with it for a while
and maybe some freight would happier
along. and come TO my rescue. Th'
T. signals were set at danger and the!
r would have to stop. l managed Il
gasp out some figures and turns.
Now. Chester remarked my mid
Z night caller, III just tether you her
in the corner where can look at yol
{ while 1 go south after the money
3 with that he stood me up in a cor
5 ner with my wrists and ankles boun,
{ so tightly that twinges. of pain RAJ
; all through my system. He fused an
s fumed around that safe, but of cours
; couldn't get it open, while l hope
s and prayed for the freight that didn'
3 come. Finally he gave up with
5 curse.
Nov, papa's little man. he said :
) me, you've not been playing fair. 70
{ tried to buffalo me. but it won't worl
; I've wasted so much time that I've GO
s to work fast now and blow the SAT
3 open. I'm going to leave you tied i
5 that corner. You'll resemble Hoboke
{ after premature explosion in tn
5 tunnel when it's all over
3 Then he numbered his kit of tool
5 and began working at the drill hole
{ where his predecessors left off.
5 didn't take him long to finish drillin
s and then he set the charge.
8 Farewell, Chester was his par
ing remark You're about to go
{ your reward. There will be vacano
5 on the night force at Yankee Corner
{ tomorrow
y After he had lighted the fuse ii
y cracksman sidestepped to sal
place. l wriggled and squirmed an
twisted while the fuse burned neart
| and nearer, but the cords on nay -fii
only seemed to get tighter and tigh
err The fuse was at the end
"B-a-n-gl bang! bang!
"'Say there, you dope, if you don
pull back your signals and let me 6
III report you at the super's office.
i you know you're holding No. 81 shou
ed some one.