Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-02-16
FLED BACK TO CAB
RAlLROADER TELLS OF EXPERT
ENcE WITH "GHoST."
Turned Out to Be Harmless, but He
Admits 1t Gave Him Just About
the Prize Scare of
His Life.

along the railroad; lots of them. Get |
under the skin of the boys on the |
night runs, and if they like you and |
YOU are properly qualified, well-pos-
Sibly they will tell you, who knows? |
But it will be necessary to have their |
confidence, for they are very reticent |
about discussing their friends of the |
shadows, for these ghosts are usually |
rafting good fellows whose society is
rather enjoyed, remarks a railroad
man, in the Buffalo Express. Some
times, however, they fail us, and-but
I'll tell you.
[ was coming up from New York
last fall on the Chicago express No. 5.
l turned in early, but the car was
hot and stuffy, and after tumbling
around for an hour or so, finding it
impossible to sleep, l dressed and
snapped stories with the train crew
until we reached Wilkes-Barre, when
| went ahead and climbed on the en-
CINE, thinking that the night run up
the river would straighten me out.
I was awakened, however, by the
fireman who, entering the cab at that
moment, began to unfold a weird tale
concerning a headless man with lu-
minOuS body who, on nights like this
haunted the woodlands of the river
bluffs below Glendon's eddy; how the
apparitiOn had appeared to many of
the boys on the night runs, and was
L., 10,
Il glowing arm in salute as the train
swept past him; how he had been re-
peatedly seen leaning against an old
stump near the entrance of a small ra
vine, and at another time, how the en-
gineer of Il Symbol Liner found him
sitting on a rail- only to disappear in
mist as the pilot point touched him.
You can rest assured that I lost all
desire for sleep as he continued to
relate the various doings of this fero-
cious goblin, and l was mighty glad
we were travelling 50 fast that even
a vigorous, ill-mannered ghost
couldn't catch us with Il handicap. But
it was another case of the unexpected.
The airbrakes were suddenly applied
and speed was gradually reduced I'M
til we came to a full stop, not far as
best l could judge owing to the dark
aess, from the long sweep near Prim-
rose creek at Fenton's ferry.
Something had gone wrong with the
engine and the engineer, fireman and
myself were soon on the ground, look
ing over the big machine. 1t was only
tri1ing matter-a lost pin from one
of the big siderods-which was
promptly located and neatly repaired,
when, CHANGING to glance behind me,
what did | perceive, to my horror,
standing on the bank, not dozen feet
away, but a phosphorescent parsonage,
to my imagination at least ten feet
high, with long legs and arms, but
lacking head, showing out in bold
relief, glowing and brilliant against
the intense black background like a
set piece of Fourth of July fire.
works.
And when it shook itself together
and slid down the bank, started for
the engine, stood beside the engineer
and watched the repairs being made
my hat simply went up about -four
inches and 1 had urgent business
right back in the cab of that loco
motive with every window and dool
closed tight to keep out the night air
Just as the first faint streaks OF
dawn were playing tag with the river
mists and the feathered songsters
were caroling forth their welcome tC
the early morn, from every tree anG
bush along the river, as we rolled
across the long bridge at Towanda,
came to and glanced across the cal
at my companion of the night, an(
although l knew that my expression
demanded an explanation, none was
Forthcoming, bland smile being his
response; and it was not until WE
reached the end of the run, on time
and were seated together on an ole
box In the roundhOuse stall, that HI
lOOsened up. And what do you think
Why, that terrible headless monster
was only poor, old, innocent Ger
man who had unearthed small weir
of radium in the immediate vicinit!
of where we had stopped, and while
working the same during the nigh
! time to avoid meddlers and interior
! ence, permitted his clothing to be
J come impregnated with the radian
stuff, to the CONSERVATION of thu
night-liners, Internationally becoming
for a short period, the Shining Spiri
Of the Susquehanna.