Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-12-29
\ sTRuGGLE F0R LIFE.

eident which l witnessed Richmond
more than twenty years aeo.
1t occnTEf the N~alsR@oppQsit,
which the cN stAlas-a point - WN|cl
the river, rushing over a bed offre
more or less elevated Aboxesthe suTtle
forms q variety of rapid streams, in whiel
it was at that time the habit OF. boEst'
swi n. When the river 4sslows thest
sire ms are Comparatively safe TO tn
bathef, II heis a good swimmer; but
when the current is swollen by rms the,
become very violent and dangeroaslsG
dangerous, indeed that the hest swimmer
make haste to getato, shoreSG
At the time meptionedI Eas bathing n
the falls, when the sudden rising of the
stream warned me of the coming danger
and / hurried from The water in an in
conceivably brief space h river rose sew
eral feet and, haitian hour afterward, the
wholed0retdth of the falls was a roar1ng
raging, foaming mass of waves, dashto
against the Jagged rocks, tn fall back IL
clouds of foam. The spectacle was .
once beautiful and terribles The citizen'
had hastened down to- witness the sight
crowds lined the bank; and all eyes wer
directed TO Mayo's Badge, against Which
the waves were beating With e~ver1ncreas
ing fIrce-when suddenly intelligence rai
through the crowd that a boy, lwh0 haf
been swimming, was caught on a mass OF
rock in ~mid7cuTrent, in the falls above 49,
With the rest L hurried to the point OF
interest, and reached the banks opposite
the rock upon which the hey ehsd taken
refuge. 1t rose ab0ut fifty yardslft om thu
shore. and was already envirgned by IT,
raging current which boiled around H.
throwing up clouds OF foam. FTheboy waS
about sixteen. slender, entirely naked, fos,
his clothes had been washed aways anC
we could see that he wa white with tn,
anticipation, of swiftly-coming destruction
He chung to alsmali mass of shrubs grow
Ing out of the rock, and his eyes were al
ternately turned upon the furious torren,'
around him and upon the crowd on short,
Many hundred persons hadSqaickly as
sembled, and eachaone hurfiedly suggested
some means of rescue. No e seemed pos
sible. No boat could live for a moment i
such a torrent-the waves would thaWs
dashed il to pieces against the rocks STht
only possible means of savingE the boyit
life seemed to be for. some one to swim to
him with aerope:S but to attempt hat ap
peared TO be going to7a certain death; and
intense as the pity and sympathy of thu
crowd. had become, no one seemed willing
to essay the desperate fenterprisesTA Mean
while the water steadily rose higher, and
grew ever, more 1thr satening.f Rocks! in
the scurrent1one large one especiAlly0,
which a moment before had been visible
just beneath the surface, now entirely dis
appeared ;fsthe r0ari9g waters steadily
crawledup the sides Of the massJuPonA
which the boy stood and at last the angry
waves washed his very feet, as he chung
despairingly to the swayinS5 shHtbsS IA
few moments now, all saw plainly, would
end the tragedy. The unhappy lad wound
quickly be washed away suh4iefged.
In either event he would besswept to the
.iaG~rd | dres below andohis frail form
dashedto pieces
Inc e4eiusm Mt of the crowd had now,
become in ehse. Every one held his breafh
parBlyzed bytnis spectacle ora human be
at once, however. a loud shout arose. Ev-
cry ore fastened to The spot where a man
wa throwing Oft his Clothes, A brave
spirit had resQlvedLto attempt the rescue
of the boy and1 hurried withthe- rest to
look at him As l reached him heEhad
stripPedn naked for tley despsrate swrestle.
He was a tall, powerfully-formed young
emplove, it was said, IN one oftbegreatman
ufactoIies on the riv r, aud his clear, brave
eyes gave no sim Eof fear. [Withoutsa
word lie addressed hinseifeto his perilohs
work GoingFup- the riyeE.bank u o.
.tEoSbundredy hfds above he tied the enn
of a ball of twine to his body. mounted
up n . ledge, apadesa EigePqirfiyeaio
reach the open current, and A4slnH strtsck
out FigorouslyF amid the huge waves.
The crowd shouted, ard them hehls their:
breath, gazing at the figure Of the swim
mer, who, seemed a mere Leaf upon, the
fuEiohs tofrent I He NaSSVept alDngliH
lightning, dash d over the, huge hidded
rock ThGye mentionedS and theSgreat mass
of foam which markedit; amoment after
ward anothershout assembled, like a rear,
from the crowd-the svimmerh had reach
ed the rick whtreon the boy stood, and
had olU ched a banging shrub Which. en-
abled him to draw himself up out Of che
ealdron.
We could then follow6llAis muvementsg
They were rapid, decisi9e and self-possess-
ed Indeed, not an instant was 20 be lost.
The water boiled nlfeadyl over the summit
Of the mass of rock, above which only the
bending shrubs YepenoWeeen. Theyoung
man hastily drew toNaudF him the ttwinc,
TO which those on shore bad attacheda rope
of the size of a gafdeneline. .oThe repeat
last reached him he cfutched It almost
tiereely, kied Il afou DE bo3s wHfststh then
IN the same nlanne secured it arOu-d his
own persnh4he in advance-and then, just
as til shelF Of waters foamed dp Afou4d
him. surging waist-ligh, he threw himself
into the current, dBawing the b0yuaftefh him
toward the shore, where1a hundred hands
We're dragging atlthe r0pelb ina sqgass -
Thatfew zmoments struggle mWithasth
fury of the flood was one OF aha most exc
citing incidents which i have ever witness
ed The spectacle, was indeed fearful The
lives of linen and boy hung upon a thread
A thrill nan through all h arts; a loud *
clamation followed. The boy had disap-
peared beneath the waves@the rope pull
ing him under@md- then y huge, thunder
ing, temorseleSs wall &c foam rfshef oFer
the head o the Young man, TOO; he saHb
the torrent swept over him, andnot a trace
OF either manor boy WIS Eisibleto the an
oniZed ewes of the lookers-on.
Asmament ahsrward What seemed two
eorpses were dragged to shsre out of the
current. A dozen hands caught them, and
a feeble mOvemeht Of The Y3apg man's
hand indicated that he was not dead. He
( 1t for the rope around his body All
eyes were turned in That direction. The
rome had buried itself neariNs enttiuyinto
his flesh; he was suffocatingF
Thesnope8 was severed INSTANTLY, EandF q
long BREATH from the violet lips, indicated
the immense RELIEF. An instant aferward
the young man rose to his feet, and as, he
did so, the boy, who had been assiduously
cared for, also opened his eyes, uttered .
deep sigh, and then smiled. He was
snatched from the very jaws of death and
the courage of an unknown friend had