The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-22
JERks lN cROCPs o. FIVE.
Fish stWEa ~ a { = only once AcCused W
URtruthruBnesS by liis EsOss.

I~RtruthuEnesS by His BOss.
u a never ScouseJ OF telling a lie 10y
h superintendent Of telegraph bht once. -
said the old railroad telegrarher VII" would
rather tell the truth than eat wooden nut
meGs. and / must confess that the circuIn-
stances were peculiar.
You remember that switching toNsr
along the shore Of Upper Nuicnng Lake,
don't YOU? And undoubtedly you have
heard about the size and abundance Of hsh
in that inke' Well. | must say that they
are no idla Jress agents yarns.
A operator nm duty Mt this tower has
numerous opportunities. 10 ilsh right from
the rear windows Or the tower. which over
look the lake. Many's tile fine mes ~
fish | nave ysnked from ita depths.
You could just drop q SET line from one
OF the windows. pull II in every hour or So.
and be- sure of wi or three fine ~rickeTcl
or lake trout ct n setting. Yes. Stree.
| rot so much brain food at hat tower
that ] could almost ave been eligible to
membership in an Indiana authors colony.
THE fishing was particularly good Of
nights. AZ those times ! world make my
most remarkable catches.
One night. or rather. one early morning, .
I was startled by the operator in the next
tower east calling me viciousIy on the
telegraph wire.
81 am holding an important special
up here for "A clear block. Has tina train
backed over yet that You signalled me had
crossed to the w%estbound track
- ~'TbRt's-news TO me- | rep led. I've
never siGnalled YOU that a train nad crossed
OveT TO the westbOUnd track
L don't like TO call yOu a liar. he flashed
back. but i surely got a CrOssover signal
from you IN the bells and | demsn a clear
signal before | let this directors special
come west TO you
You'd nave less liking to call me a liar
If 1 were in striking distance, l wired him.
as no man has ever called the that and got
away with it,
He insisted. however. that ! had given
him a bell sigma that the ~westbound track
was occupied by u train which had crossed
over from the eastbOund track for some
purpose at my tower.
There you're ringing it again nOw,
he said.
Il was nowhere near the bell KEYS and |
rushed over to the bell button connecting
MS with the next " cast. What dye
think?
MY sei line had slipped from the usual
nail in the windOw frame and become
firmly knOttPd around the bell button.
Che other end in he lake had hooked a big
fish and Of course each violent bid the big fish
made for his liberty would jerk on the bell
key. which was ftted in the side Of the
tower nearest the lake.
1T inst happened that the fish would
make its jerks and squirms for liberty
in groups of Ave. We blocked trains by
bells, and this grouping Of five bells was our
code signal to the next tower east that an
eastbound train had crossed over and was
occupying the westbound track.
Naturally tho operator in the next
tower had no way Of knowing that the
signals were being waited to him by a hsb.
lie thought the westbOund track had been
blocked by a train crossing over, which
was frequently le case at our tower.
SO he held the special up. We patched the
thing up and the special was only delayed
about fifteen minutes.
-Of course ! was called down to the
main Office early the next morning for an
explanation OF the delay 10 the special.
I took the captured fish down as a working
did happen. | had no Interior purpose in
taking the fish. a lake trout weighing about
six pounds. with me.
Would you believe II. he wouldn't stand
for the story at ALI No, STREE. Said he
thought ] had been asleep and didn't know
Just what I was doing when ! rang the
bells. However. as ne had no proof that
l was sleeping on duty he'd just lay me
on for ten days Tor carelessness in letting
the fish line hang 80 near the bell key.
HE also kept the working model. He
even minated that I was lying. Now, say,
you don't think I'd tell a lie. do yOu. old
spOrt?"
Well" said the tall. cynical conductor.
Il arm in the thrOes Of the Christmas spirit
and-no. | don't enc as | wOul care to
limit you TO one"