The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1871-10-21
From Death to Life

mel shirt. He sat on the railing of the
bridge, whiting and talking to three
or four others, standing near by.
Yes, sir, {said hey, | was dead once.
1t was the strangest thing you ever
saw in your life.
You don't believe it, ha?
Well, l don't wonder much. don't
suppose any man ever went through
such an awful siege, and can't expect
anybody to look at it as do. 1t was
that winter we numbered on the Whit
comb Creek, six OF eight years ago.
It was war dimes then, and wages was
good. | was getting forty dollars a
month, and worked like beaver till
this little affair came off. We went
at work about mile from the shanty
Jim Robinson and me--and had
slashed into the pine like all pos
sessed The boys had been hauling
pretty lively, fer it was early in Jan
nary, and sleighing was good. Jim
was at work ON "a big tree about
twenty rods from where was.
Pretty soon after he yelled TO me,
nis tree topped over and fell. 1t was
is handsome q piece of timber rs
! ever you saw. and I watched it as
n it fell Crash it went, right into the
j branches of an old grub oak, and
hung fast there. | never saw fellow
madden than Jim was. He tried
every possible way to loosen the pine,
but couldn't get it off. Finally, We
made up our minds to go for the oak
tree, and in about ten minutes we had
it cut through so it trembled like
"a leaf with every stroke of the axe, he
cutting on one side and | on the other.
When it was almost through, I was
the biggest and best chopper, says l
to jim.
Let ms finish her, jim. Get out
of the way, and ! will have her
through IN half minutesn
/ had been chopping d minute or
Ewos when Jim let loose a scream that
would have made a Iniun's blood run
cold. just had time to look up and
see that pine tree trfmbling down,
when | dropped my axe and run. I
couldn't have got far when something
seemed to hit my eyes, and then
everything was dark.
/ suppose I was dead
Maybe you don't believe me, boys,
but that's all l can make out of it..
All at once the light, the looks of the
ground, and everything was shut
from my sight. There was a kind of
a uncertain, dreamy kind of feeling,
Just as fellow has when he's asleep.
l knew something awful had hap
pened, but couldn't stir myself, hahd
Of foot. 1t seemed as though it was
night, and that / was covered up by
something that pressed heavy upon
me. Still there wasn't any particular
pain, and for long time couldn't
think where was. How long
can't tell. | suppose it wasn't long
when | felt somebody pull my arm,
and heard Jim Robinson say, 40.
Lord 7 Poor fellow!'
| knew he was there, and I could
feel him touch me, and yet I couldn't
speak or open my eyes, He thought
was dead. Then / wondered if all
dead folks could know and think as
did. | tried to move my hands;
tried to breathe tried to scream
But / couldn't do anything. jim left
me; and the next thing [ remembel
of, | was pulled out from under the
tree and hauled to the shanty on one
of the sleds. You may bet there was
considerable excitement among the
boys, when | was taken into camp
| could feel that / was dead. Ny
neart didn't beat. | couldn't move
But 20 i'd hear, and had kind of q
misty notion about everything thai
was going on about me.
Some of the boys after feeling OF
my forred, wanted to send for doe.
.OFo
I" It's no use, boys" said the boss
~ the poor fellows gone. His neck i.
broke The most we can do for hin
is to take him home to his folks
Well, they laid me out on one of the
sleighs, and after fixing me up in a.
decent way as a corpse could be il
q lumber camp, one of the teanster;
started with me for Oshkosh.
At first | didn't just realize how bad
the situation was. When it begun tt
leak into my head that | was really
dead, and was going to be buried il
the ground and shut out forever from
the light of the sun, it frightened me
The long ride to Oshkosh passed like
those things which happen in dream
We got there and / was taken to my
brothers house. He felt terribly bad
when | was brought home. / didn't
have any idea that he thought as much
of me as he did, poor fellow. | could
hear him cry aud talk, and still
hadn't the power to move muscle
| was put in a coffin and finally il
came out that | was to be taken to
Watertown to be buried. My old
mother lived there, you know. O.
boys | hope none of you may ever feel
the HORRORS that | felt, when | knew