Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-12-04
Ssleeted Misesllamt.
CANNIBALISM In THE CARS.
BY MARK TWAIN.

VISITED st. Louis lately, and on my
way West, after changing cars at Terre
Haute, Ind, mild, benevolent looking
gentleman of about forty-fve or may be
fifty, came in at one of the way stations
and sat down beside me. We talked to-
gether pleasantly on various subjects for
an hour, perhaps, and found him exceed
ingly intelligent and entertaining When
he learned that / was from Wa hipgton,
he Immediately began to ask questions
about various public men, and about Con-
gressional affairs; and | saw very shortly
that l was conversing with man who
was perfectly familiar with the ins and
outs Of political life at the Capital, even to
the ways and manners and customs of pro-
cedure of Senators and Representatives in
the chambers of the National Legislature.
Presently two men halted near us for a
single moment, and one said to the other !:
Harris, if you'll do that for me, I'll
never forget you, my boy" ~
My new comrades eyes lighted pleas
antly. The words had touched upon a
happy memory, l thought. Then his face
gloom. He turned to me aud said
Let me tell you story-let me give
you secret chapter of my life-a chapter
that has never been referred to by me since
it's events transpired Listen patiently,
and promise that you will not interrupt
me-"
I said / would not, and he related the
following strange adventure, speaking
sometimes with melancholy, but always
with feeling and earnestness:
THE STRANGERS NARRATIVE.
On the 10Th Of December, 1858, started
from ST. Louis in the evening bound train
for Chicago. There were only twenty
four passengers, all told There were no
ladies, and no children We were in ex-
cellent spirits, and pleasant acquaintances
were soon formed. The journey bade fair
to be happy one, and no individual in
the party, think, had even the vaguest
presentiment of the horrors we were soon
to undergo.
At II D. m. it began to snow hard.
Shortly after leaving the small village of
Weldon, we entered upon that tremen-
dous prairie solitude that stretches its
leagues on leagues of houseless dreariness
far away toward the Jubilee Settlements.
The winds unobstructed by trees or hills,
or even, vagrant rocks, whistled fiercely
across the level desert, driving the falling
snow before it like spray from the crested
waves of stormy sea. The snow was
deepening fast, and we knew. by the di-
minished speed of the train, that the engine
was ploughing through it with steadily
increasing difficulty. Indeed it almost
came to dead halt sometimes in the
midst of great drifts that piled themselves
like colossal graves across the track
Conversation began to flag. Cheerfulness
gave place to grave concern. The posi-.
bility of being imprisoned in the snow, on
the bleak prairie, fifty miles from any
house, presented itself to every mind and
extended its depressing influence over
every spirit.
At two o'clock in the morning / was
aroused out of an uneasy slumber by the
ceasing of all motion about me. The ap-
palling truth flashed upon me instantly
we were captives in q snowdrift "All
hands to the rescue" Every man sprang
to obey. Out into the wild night, the
pitchy darkness, the billowing snow, the
7 driving storm, every soul leaped, with the
consciousness that moment lost now
might bring destruction to us all. Shovels
hands. boards anything, everything, that
could displace snow-were broughtinto in.
slant reouisition. 1t was weird picture
that small company of frantic men fight
ing the banking SHOWS, half in the black
est shadow and half in tie angry light O
the locomotives reflector.
One short hour suficed to prove tht
utter uselessness of our efforts. The storm
barricaded the track with dozen drift.
while we dug one away. And worse thar
this, it was discovered that the last grant
charge the engine had made upon The
enemy had broken the fore-and-att shaft
of the driving-wheel! With free track
before us we should still have been help
less. We entered the car wearied with
labor, and very sorrowful. We gathered
about the stoves and graYely canyasset