Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-09-05
A CUNNING
VISITOR
By JAMES c. BRADY

readers get ours. What surprises me
is that we don't get more than we do.
"We're so liable to be attacked for il.
legal purposes. But when we consider
the number of express messengers who
are killed by train robbers and station
agents forced to give enticing telegraph
signals to enable road agents to hold
up passengers, there's a good deal do
ing in this line for us, after all.
1--WE had a personal experience
that's a tri1e different from these, and
I tell you when it was on there was
enough in it to make my hair curl. l
was employed in one of the signal
block towers on the G., P. and D. rail.
way. Some distance west of my tower
was a switch that led into a gravel
pit. The company hadn't worked the pit
for some time. and the track leading
into it was in a dilapidated condition.
If ever a gravel train had attempted
to 20 over it there would have been a
spill.
Life in a block tower is rather dull
music. l slept there and had my room
comfortably fitted up. I've always
been fond of reading, and books took
up the principal part Of my time. The
road was neither of the greatest nor
least Importance. but there were three
tracks and an average number of
trains to look out for. Still, sometimes
there would be quite an interval be-
tween the passing Of the trains.
lone afternoon 1 was sitting with a
book when I heard a step on the stairs
leading up into the tower. Then there
was a knock at the door. l opened it
and quite a respectable looking man
stood outside.
"'I beg pardon he said. but would
you mind showing me the modus oper-
andi Of this system? I've passed the
towers on railroads many times and
always wondered what you gentlemen
are doing perched up here. pulling at
these levers
"Now, if l had dared l would have
told him that no one was admitted to
the towers; that they were places on
which so much depended that the rule
was never to be broken. but notwith-
standing the mans respectable appear
ance, l felt that a refusal meant death
to Inc. I concentrated all my effort to
avoid showing the slightest suspicion
and said that l would be most happy
to show him the apparatus and explain
its working. Advancing to the levers.
I first explained the fundamental point
that it was intended to admit but one
train at a time on a block. Then l
told him how by pulling this or that
lever l changed the direction Of trains.
He listened to me attentively till | had
got through then asked a number Of
questions calculated to convince me
that he was really trying to under
stand what l vas telling him. He
seemed especially anxious to know how
I worked switches that were not in
sight. told him that their being in
: sight made no difference to me, be-
cause l knew that a certain position Of
the lever produced a given result.
81 passed a gravel pit up above
here he said. into which a track was
laid. Now, how would you proceed to
switch a train on to that trackT
II pushed a certain lever, telling him
that the switch now stood to turn a
train from the main track into the pit.
I noticed that he concentrated his
vision on the lever and noted especial
~ how it worked. When he was salts
fed I threw the lever back into it's for
mer place.
my talk being finished. the man
thanked me and said that he was wait
ing for the 7:50 up train and it was
so much pleasanter waiting in the
tower than in the station below that
he would be obliged if l would permit
him to wait there. l assented, pre-
tending to do so gladly and steeled
myself for whatever was about to hap.
pen, for I was sure the man had some
sinister design.
"At 7:2O l told him that he would
hardly have time to reach his train
whereupon he said he thought he
would take the next one. since be
couldn't walk fast on account Of q
4 weak heart. When the $50 passed
what I had expected happened. The
man jumped for the lever l had tolG
him would turn the train into the
gravel pit and threw it to accomplish
that result.
II stood looking at him as though as
tonished. not daring to let it appear
that l had suspected him. He looked
after the train for awhile. taking GU
his watch to note the time. evidentl.
intending to give the few minutes re
quired for the train to reach the grave
pit, for he would not give me an op
p%ortunity to avert the disaster he in
tended. When ample time had passes
for the train to be wrecked he left th
tower and ran after it as fast as pos
sible.
"But he and the gang that were work
ing with him were disappointed.
had demonstrated on a switch below
instead Of above.
II didn't know but that when b
found that I had tricked him he wouh