The Cairo bulletin., 1907-06-14

. anu iuTtHeTmore, III uldnt stop dis
turbing him and calling him out o
bed to ask such fool questions HI
would come down to the station ant
endeayor to change the topography
Of my face.
$50 lay down to rest, there being q
hiatus in the trains owing to small
freight wreck up the line But after a
brief interval was awakened by a
buzz right by my ear.
| Il jumped about 'steen feet when
| ! discovered that had made my bed
| right near the biggest rattlesnake |
had ever seen. He was all curled up
ready to strike. This was what had
been disturbing my rest.
Il grabbed broom handle and was
going to put him out of business. But
q kindly CLEAN Of something In the
snakes eye seemed to fascinate and
deter me from killing the reptile.
Well, sir, do You know that snake
seemed to have degree of intelli-
gence, and as had more or less ex-
perience in the training of snakes,
having been with a travelling circus in
my youth, / decided could teach the
reptile so he would be of use to me
in my business.
so gave him the high sign and in
a few minutes / had him charming
mice, with which the little station
was oyerrun. 1t wasn't many days be-
fore | had broken the snake, whom
christened Delirium Tremens, so that
he was regular alarm clock.
Il would make up my bed and on
the approach of a train the snake
would sound his rattles--he had 13 of
them-and wake me up. / would then
report the train as passing the station
and go back to sleep.
Il never knew old d. T. to fall down
on single train. i might have fore
seen, though. that snake with 10 rat.
ties was in for an unlucky existence.
"One day the electric bell on the
highway crossing which warned ve-
hicles and pedestrians passing along |
the road Of the approach of train got |
out of order 1t would be some time |
before lineman could make his APP.
pearance and readjust the apparatus.
The station agent was in pretty
pickle.
why | said, that's easy. I'll
Just put old d. t. up there in the bell
box and he will stay on the works and
10 the job up to the handle He did,
90.
There was only one thing which
MARRIED the happiness up there at
after adopted the snake as
assistant night operator. The station
gent had large hound which was
general facvorite around the sta
ion with the hangers on. But the
wonderful accomplishments of my
rained snake got noised around and !
ige's nose was out of joint.
'He plainly showed that Tremens z
yer, the dog was little afraid of ,
he snake and | had no fear that he
yould dare to violate the principles 4
the Hague conference and mix mat. o
srs up. a
The day that Tremens was doing q
uty as a crossing bell happened to b
g my pay day and strolled down to f,
he station about noon to get my coin. n
saw the station agents dog going al
ong ahead of me with his masters OF
nch bucket. II was his daily duty 81
see that his master got a warm al
nch. rs
las Tige happened along by. the
ossing bellpost Tremens was just bi
,ing relieved from duty. the bell hay. hi
g been repaired. When Tige spot fl.
d Tremens dropping from the bell al
* the green-eyed monster within
m overcame his fright. and letting
5 masters pail shift for itself he II,
lde a jump for the snake. ri
"Tremens curled himself up to
ike and succeeded in sticking his
lgs into Tige's neck, but not be-
e the dog had sunk his teeth into y
emen's publicity bureau and snap
q off his - rattles. Tremen's dead a.,
fangs fixed Tige up all right, and
! dog died before the sun set that
ening.
That night Tremens was on duty
usual. But he was no longer any
, as assistant night operator. Tige's ter
tn had put his fire alarm system on sol
Blink and he couldn't create any OF
re of a disturbance than a katydid Ev
a boiler shop. hin
Delirium had intelligence enough ver
see that he wasn't any good TO me- due
led to cheer him up by cornering are
Jig fat rat for him. He wasn't to and
cheered though. abb
Along about midnight ] heard a doc
uliar noise over near the cells Of ten
terry, and there d. T. had gore and SRI
nk some of the blue vitrioI water Cal
q the battery jar. He died in great the
ny spe.
All of which goes TO show Just res.
much stranger than fiction truth ear
~ is"