Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-09-13
CHAPTER OF DISAPPOINTMENT
Horrible Railroad Accident Man
Badly Injured---The Dead
Brought to Life.

brought TO Lie.
Business in the city is dull at present,
and items are so scarce that it, keeps a
local moving quite lively to gather up a
sufficiency to satisfy the public craving
tor news, which they naturally expect to
find dished up for them in the local col
umns of the PUBLIC LEDGER, regardless
of time, appetite, expense, feelings or
weather. Almost melancholy, but hoping
for better luck, we wander up one street
and down another, hunting for some
thing new, and wishing that we were
rich enough to own horse and buggy to
drive around and pick up news, or had
plenty of stamps to pay for rides on the
street cars. But few startling items re-
ward our researches and expenditure of
shoe leather these days, and our craving
for the material to manufacture fiat or
spicy paragraph often goes unsatisfed.
In our peregrinations we passed one OF
the numerous buildings in course OF
erection, stopped and admired the
growing beauty of the structure as ex-
hibited by every additional brick laid,
counted the number of men at work, and
thought what correct account of the
accident we could write if the building
was 10 fall at that moment. We turned
to leave, when one of the men at work
slipped and fell from the scaffold Our
note book was out in twinkling, and
the pencil was ready to mark down few
words that we're to form the foundation
I for an article, the head of which would
state, Horrible Accident-Man Falls
from Scaffoh and Breaks His Neck
Leaves Wife and Seventeen Small
Children" On looking up we saw that
he had caught to projecting plank and
saved himself We left rejoicing moral
ly, but itemically sorry. A friend in
formed us that the cars had run off the
track and there had been an awful
smash-up, several lives being lost. To
the depot we started in hurry to gel
the facts at headquarters, and found
| that there had been no smash-up, no lives
lost, and that one car only had been of
the track, which had delayed the train
for few minutes. This had grown into
terrible accident by the time it reached
us. We started along Madison street
and when near the bayou bridge, saw a
man advancing who appeared to be very
much detected. He is candidate for a
municipal office, and was probably study
ing how much it would cost him to keep
up the appearance of liberality, by treat
ing voters before the election comes off
His eyes we're bent on the ground, his
hand was on the railing of the bridge
and he walked along apparently uncon
scious of the place and the danger
that was before him if he con
tinued on his course and stepped
off the bridge on to the sidewalk that was
about twelve feet below. We paused anC
were about to shout to him to warn him
from taking the fatal step, when he
Jumped back, Mortified at his narrow es
cape. Thus was spoiled another gooC
item, the chances of the election of BIZ
competitor, aud a suit for damages
against the city On Main street, a maj
started to run across the streeta as dash
ing young gent with fast horse and I
handsome buggy came tearing along
But the good driving of the fast you'll
turned the horse in time TO prevent thu
fallen man being injured Again disap
pointed, we started for the Office
where a gentleman gave us some fact
that we spread ont and dressed up in gu
best style A Memphis lady had died a
Cairo with the cholera and been for
varded to her friends in this city. Be
fore consigning the corpse to its las
resting place they eoneiuoeu 10 TAKE
FINAL look at the features Of the deceased
and on removing the cofin-lid we're as
tonished to find the young ladys hand
close to her face. They took her out Q
the coffin, and after applying violent re
s,oratives had the satisfaction Of SEEM
signs of life being in the body. The!
continued their efforts, and she was soo'
able to give her experience while en-
tombed in the coffin. After writing tn
article, We headed it The dead brough
10 life" etc, and as we were giving th
manuscript to the foreman our fnen
came back and said he had since learne
the case occurred at Cairo. thorough
,...l 80 sat down and wrote thl