THE SIGNALMAN ON THE MIDLAND.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5934, 12 September 1890, Page 4

THE SIGNALMAN ON THE MIDLAND.

There aro probably about a million men employed iv various capacities on the Kailways of Great Britain—a number large enough, if they were soldiers, to overrun Europe. Upon the intelligence, fidelity, and physical condition of this vast army depend the lives of the multitudes who are constantly travelling by rail. Any sudden and serious disability happening to ono o them may result in a disaster which would put hundreds of families in mourning. Accustomed iih it- is to sate and ewi" colnt -->" auce from point to point the- public scarcely realises this fact- The olio*", brief narrative, which is strictly true, Will therefore be read with interest •— , Un the Midland Ra.lu-av, tweit, -thrct miles south of Carlisle, there . a 1 Ul station called Ctilgatth Here there ... signal-box iv which Sigualma.« Andre v Agge is to be found on duty daily. As is the case with all other signal boxes, this one contains the levers and tho usual complicated electric and mechanical contrivances for making and receiving signals Mr. iWe is oudiiry nearly everyday, and takes hisluucheons without leaving his post. He iis a sturdy mm of thirty-five, in good health, and no complaint has over been made against him by the Company or by tho public ; yet au incident occurred a few years ago that camo near depriving him of his position and his life. For some time he hud not felt well, the worst and most_ dangerous phase of his indisposition being a kind of giddiness that -would seize him unexpectedly and, as he described it, "set everything to moving and twisting round and round." Tho doctor told him frankly that it was a symptom of a still more radical complaint brought on by too much eonfiiiomont. and by his irregular habits of eating and sleeping, and that he had better abaudon his work for a while, and try a change of

scene. „. But this was easier said than done, tie had a family to support, and couldn't afford the luxury of a vacation. He knew no other business, and could not risk the loss of his place. His work was always done, however, no matter how ho felt. But it is only fair to say he bad many anxious hours over it. His ailmont, which ho had discovered to be indigestion aud dyspepsia, now set up more alarming symptoms. A physician at Appleby assured Aggo that there was serious trouble with his kidneys and bladder. "Bin," said tho doctor to the Signalman, " tbe result of the condition of your digestion. Your blood is pmpoued by your stomach, and evory organ of the body is crippled by it." ... . This was a miserable outlook tor Agge, who went back to Calgaith with small courage for his work. He took hold, ihon.-h, as well as ho could, and kept up uutif ouo morning several weeks afterwards. He was in bis box a* usual when of sudden a sharp pain shot through him *8 though ho had been stabbed with a knif ■ He tumbled down on the locker in the signal-box and lay there all the foreno.n in -cut o distress and agony. For thr tune hts work wasa secondary consideratPn. t'naole to ro-maan in that position an- longer he '?'*<* <*°™ and rolled on the noor. Th- pam in his hips and back *.«" --o that ho compared it to bei-g cut with dull knives and niereed with hot irons. Aggo was alone wh.-n the _iack came, uiidasuobody except, railway .dicials are allowed m the signal boxes' "i ! was some time before his plight „-.,'* V'.seovored. Finally, however, the st'-'i'ai-masrer camo in, tho neighbors were ' Ml riinonfd ami the suffering man was put i.toa trap' and taken to his house, half a ■mil'.-awav. Thero he was ill for weeks, part of the time unconscious. When the physicians had avowedly got to tho end of their resources it was agreed that the Stenalmai.'s end was only a matter of a very little time. This was the situation when a singular thing hapnened. Two or three years bofor. while A ego was feeling the earlier svci-iocs oi* his disorder, he had taken a ine-l': ia" that helped him ; getting bettor In; p.-.- the bottle aside, still half full, and fo:-.: it altogether. i-Y-.v, as ho was almost in a dying condition, his memory flashed up ono day, aud .'re distinctly recalled where he had put it. A search was made aud then it was found. The prostrate Signalman began using it and, to the astonishment of neighbors and doctors, in a few days was able to get out of doors. We may mention that the medicine was tho well-known preparation, Mother Seigel's Curative Syrup, although to advertise the article is"not the chief motive for this little narrative. As a matter of fact, Signalman Aggo kept ou doctoring himself with it, and it cured him, be its nature what, it may. He went back to his boxlong aero, and this incident is printed in order that th" reader may know more of the character and experience of a large and faithful body of publio servants.