They say if you follow the abandoned railroad lines of Arizona, eventually you will encounter the ghost of an old railroad man known as “Arizona Charlie” or “Desert Charlie”. He will not harm you—he is simply a guardian of the rails.
James C. Drumgold was known to every railroad man from Tucson to El Paso, and to Colton, California as ‘Desert Charlie". He was considered the self-appointed track walker of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Drumgold suddenly turned up again in 1909 and almost caused Jack Heyl—a Southerner Pacific rail engineer, to become faint of heart. "Desert Charlie" stunned everyone when he crawled out from under a freight train in the Yuma railroad yards one Sunday morning. He shook hands with Jack as if he had never been reported dead and buried.
Years ago, James C Drumgold lost his wife and children in a railroad accident. He lost the better part of his mind as well. He began to scour the railroad line out of El Paso always searching for his wife and babies. He walked the track inquiring to railroad men along the way for news of his loved ones. On his long journey, he became acquainted with the kind hearted knights of the rail who passed the word out for him. When he reached Colton on his first trip, they persuaded him to turn back.
For years and years he would trudge back and forth—always refusing to ride. He saved the Southern Pacific Railroad thousands of dollars through his news of washouts, obstructions, and other hazards along the rails.
He lived through a small sum of money sent to him each month by his brother--a jeweler in San Francisco. Early in 1909, his wealthy brother decided to come down to Arizona and place him in a private asylum. Soon after Drumgold was confined, it was reported that he had given up and died.
It was thought that this strange soul of the desert had passed into history until he turned up that Sunday morning in Yuma. No wonder Heyl thought he had seen a ghost! Railroad men believe Charlie's ghost will wander the rails forever. As you scour the Southern Pacific bare railroad beds—keep your eyes open for a visit from Charlie. He is still out there...searching for the past.
For more stories about "Arizona Charlie", see link below.
For more information: Debe Branning nazanaza@aol.com
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