The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-02-20
The GHOST Of THE
ROUNDHOUSE.


train may not even be acquaintances
and yet all goes well. The conductor
may take out three or four different
engineers In a week. and yet no trou-
bic arises. 1t is different when you
come to the cab. The engineer must
have his own fireman.
For three years Engineer Simpson
and Fireman Dhvis had occupied a
cab together on the run Of the noun
tain division. At Butler the engineer
had q family and home. and the fire.
man boarded with him. They were
not related I'm any way. and yet the
two looked so much alike that railroad
men nicknamed them the twins In
every two men thrown together one is
the stronger. In this case it was the
engineer. He intuitively led the way
In all things. and his fireman followed.
Brothers could not have been greater
chums. Davis might have had an en-
CINE in front Of freight train after a
couple Of years. as he had thoroughly
mastered the mechanism OF the steam
monster. but he would not take It, He
preferred the subordinate position for
two reasons. First. it kept him beside
!iis friend. and. second, Simpson had
whispered to him one day:
lin. don't try it. You haven't got
the nerve. II pinch came you'd lose
your head and bring about some awful
disaster. I'm not saying that you
wouldn't stand up to your work in
row with any man, but keep clear Of
the throttle. I've watched you. and |
tell you that dark night. heavy
tremble like q girl, while / poke my
head out of the window and whistle
defiance to danger"
That's it. l can't get over being
scared" replied Jim. When it's thir-
ty-five an hour and a moonlight night.
| can whistle, too. but the darkness
and the speed to make up lost time
take it all out of me. When we were
six minutes behind in making the sid
ing ut Grand Bluff the other night
and found the express booming down
upon US, / prayed to God and jumped
the cab You haven't said a word to
me about it. and I'm hoping you never
will. it was the fear. TOm-such fear
as l never have outside the cab and
the fear that l never can control
Keep me on with you. l want no en-
CINE for myself"
Tom and Jim had been pards for
nearly four years. when there came an
accident that killed the engineer and
50 injured the fireman that he lost an
arm. The engineer was buried and
forgotten by all but few. and the
cripple was given a place in the rail-
road roundhouse as night Waterman.
He had held the place only a single
month when strange reports began to
be circulated. He had seen the ghost
of his dead engineer in the cab Of his
! old engine as she stood over the Gin
| der pit. He saw again and again and
| whispered the news with white lips.
the master mechanic. and the official
asked him In a blunt, unfeeling way:
Jim. do you think l put you down
In the roundhouse to make a fool Of
| yourself"'
| mo, SIR"
Then don't see Tom Simpsons
ghost again. II you do. l shall think
you have taken to drink"
And nothing but water ever passes
my lips"
But this ghost business is all non
sense. l am surprised that a sensible
man like you would tell such n yarn"
"Mr. White" said Jim. as he moved
a step nearer and dropped his voice to
! whisper 1.-The ghost comes two or
three times week and sits in the cab
/; of old $50 and looks at me- and that's
hGod's truth. but from now on I'll say
nothing about it. Why shouldn't 1t
come? Tom was the best friend a
man ever had"
1t was a month after his interview
! with his boss that the ghost came
: earlier than usual one night. 1t was
q night Of darkness and stOrm-a night
to try the nerves Of every engineer
due to 90 out or come in. The watch
man had gone his rounds, and old $50
was kissing over the cinder pit after
a long run when the ghost appeared In
the cab and said:
Jim. it's bad night outside"
1T is that, Tom" was the reply.
Il told you once that l doubted your
nerve Perhaps / was wrong"
NO, pard. You hit the truth
Il wouldn't do you wrong for the
~.