Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1891 — GHOSTS OF TAMARACK. [ARTICLE]

GHOSTS OF TAMARACK.

Spectral Forma Go Stalking on Th; Hill Airy Terms That Inhabit The Snow-Shads. A Heailesi Man in The Yards at Summit— Superstitions That Awe The Railroad Knights. ’ -—— — “Go down -through the shed and flag the supply train,” was the order conveyed to a brakeman bv his superior the other day “on the hill,” while the train lay in a drift of snow. “Look out for ghosts at Tamarack,” ejaculated one of the snowfighters who had been trying to snatch an hour of rest. The brakeman smiled grimly. There was no defiance in the look that he gave, but it was easy to discern a bit of fear. The mention of Tamarack was the signal for a general conversation upon the subject of spooks. Therein troi-e or less superstition among all mankind, and railroad men have their share of it. Yet there are no braver men in the world, and no occupation where fear lessuess is demanded to a greater extent It is quite often possible to in>

press with a spook story the most vat iant of engineers who would face the boldest risk with no thought of fear. Nothing natural could daunt him, but the supernatural causes him to quail. Tamarack fs the dread and dismay of more than half of the trainmen on “the hill.” It is neither a city, village nor settlement, but merely a side-truck with the necessary switch in the dark shed, four miles above Cisco. The name is coupled with many dismal memories of engineers, firemen and brakemen who have been killed in collisions through the carelessness or inadvertence of those whose duty it has been to attend the switch. It is said that no less than fifteen men have thus met with fearful deaths in the dark shed at this point, six having been killed in a collision there some eighteen months ago. Now, when trans approach the spot, in thedism I shadows of the timbers seem to lurk the ghostly forms ol maimed and crippled men, spectral bodies clad in robes of white, wander-ing-sbuls returned to haunt tne scene of their disbursement from the flesh. Many sturdy men refuse to be convinced that it is fancy that outlines the dreaded forms. Men who are not superstitious in anything elsa quail before the very thought of Tamarack. Everything about the spot conspires to impart a feeling of terror in the minds of those beset with superstitious fears. Even by day the shed is dark nearly throughout its stretch of eight miles; the studding has become black and grimy from the smoky belchings of the locomotives, so that even the occasional ray of sunshine that strays through a crack in the inside of the shed murks the gloomy air. “You can call it superstition.” said a strapping fireman who was listening to the talk, “but there’s ghosts there sure, for I know men who've seen ’em.” The brakeman who had to make the tour of the sheds stepped Out unnoticed. “I know a conductor on a freight,” continued the big fireman, “who wouldn’t pass Tamarack without locking his caboose for a thousand doll. rs. I braked for him three months and we passed that switch once a week during all the time. ~ “ ‘Come in here and don’t leave me alone,’ cried thefrightened conductor.” “ ‘But I must set the brakes.’

“ ’On, damn the brakes,’ lie said as he cau >ht me by the arm and hauled me into the caboose. Then he shut the door and locked it, and I couldn’t get him to look out of a window until we’d gone a mile.” Jim McMasters, conductor of the totary plow train, listened to nil this. “I ain’t got a bit of superstition in me, but there are lots of men who swear that there are plenty of ghosts on the hill.” Several of the men twisted themselves into a position where they could face McMasters. Trainmaster Agler baa ordered that the rotary must work that night.aud us it.was regarded as dangerous work by night the gfioSt stories did not put them in a very cheerful frame of mind. But Jim proeeedftd: ... v

Now there’s Ed. Murray. We all know that he isn’t superstitious any more than I am. But Ed swears he saw a ghost in the yard at Summit one night His train had just pulled in and he started down lhe track with his lantern. Ahead stood a locomotive that sent a stream ol bright light from the headlight along the track so that be could see as plain as day. Right ahead he saw a headless man standing on the track. It whs just as plain a« ever a man saw anything. The ghost w sn’t one of these white things with wings either. It was dressed like anybody up here and wore a heavy rough overcoat Murray looked at the appa* rition several times to make sure. There it was and no mistake, a powerfully built man but without a head. Ed was paralyzed. He got over to the station as quick as he could. The headless man-begun to move towards him down the track but in a moment disappeared. Ed was too frightened to watch very closely and couldh’i tell in what direction the startling apparition had gone. He wasn’t in a hurry to get out of the station. If ever yov. see Ed Murray he’ll tell you that he saw that headless man and that there’s no doubt of it”

Presently and while ehosts were still the subject of discussion the brakeman, who hid been sent past Tamarack opened the door of the gloomy car. “He never went at all,” exclaimed one of the men. The brakeman swore that he had actually fulfilled hia orders, but nona of the boys believed him. But nobody seemed to blamec.him for not passing T marack on that dark and stormy night. - Will Heaven Help the Self-Helpfnll Newsboy—Please, mister, will you give me 2 cents to get a night’s lodging? > Minister—. But 2 cents won't pay for that, my little friend., Newsboy—Na sir. But if I had 2 cents I could pilch with the other boys, and perhap* win a pile.—New York Sua.