The night force consisted of two other men besides
myself. The "split trick" man worked until ten o'clock, the other chap
stayed around until twelve, or until he was clear, while I hung on until
"30" on report which came anywhere from one-thirty until four A. M.
After midnight I had to handle all the business that came along.
When I had received "30" I would cut out the instruments and go home.
One morning, about two-thirty I had said "G. N." to Galveston, cut out
the instruments, put out the lights in the operating room, and started
to go home through the receiving room and I was about to put out the
last light there, when the outer door opened and in staggered a half
drunken ranchman who said,
"Hold on there, young fellow, I want to send a message to St. Louis."
"I'm sorry, but it's too late to send it now. All the instruments are
cut out and we wont have St. Louis until eight o'clock in the morning.
Come around then and some of the day force will send it for you."
"But," he said in a maudlin voice, "I've got nineteen cars of cattle out
here that are going up there to-morrow and I want to notify my agents.
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