New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-15
FR)M DEATH TO LIFE.
A Story as He Told it Himself.

He was tall, one-eyed man, wearing
broad-briumed hat and red flannel shirt
lie sat on he railing of the bridge, Within.
and talking to three or four others. stand
ing near b.
Yes. sir said he). was dead once. /
was the srangest thing you ever saw /,
your lite.
You don't believe it. la!
Well. toa't wonder much. l don't sup
pose any nan ever went through such an
awful sieR, and I can't expect ANYBODY r.
look at it IS l do. You see it happened like
this: 1t vaa that winter We numbered On
Whitcomt Creek. six or eight years ago. l,
was war tines then, and wages were good
was getting forty dollars month, and
worked like beaver till this little affair
came OF We went at work about mile
from the saanty-Jim Robinson and me
and Lad saaiel into the pine like all pos
sessed. -he boys were hauling pretty
lively, foi t was early in January and
big tree about twenty rods from where
| Was.
Pretty Son after he yelled to me, his tree
! toppled over and fell. II was as handsome
q piece OF pEe timber as You ever saw, and
| watched il as it fell. Crash it went, right
into the branches Of an old grub oak, and
hung fast there. never saw fellow mad
der than jim was. He tried every possible
way t. loosen the pine, but couldn't get it
of. Finally we made up our minds to 90
| tor the oak rec, and in about ten minutes
We had it CT through 80 it trembled like a
leaf with eery stroke of the ak, he cutting
| on one side and I On the other When it
was almost through, as was the biggest
and best chopper. says Ito Jim:
"Let me faish her. ~. Get out of the
way, and 1vill Lave her through in half
minute
I had ben chopping a minute or two.
have made Injuns blood run cold. l Just
had time tolook up and see that pine tree
tunbling down. when dropped my AK and
run. l couldn't have got far when some
thing seemed to hit my eyes, and then every
thing was dark.
l supposed was dead.
Maybe you don't believe me, BOYS. but
that's all can make out Of it. All at
once the light the looks Of the snow on the
ground, everything was shut out from my
sight Thee was kind Of uncertain,
dreamy k;nl Of feeling. just as a fellow
has when .e's asleep. knew something
awful had happened. but couldn't stir
myself Liant or foot. 1t seemed as though
it was nigh. and that was covered up BY
something that pressed heavy upon me-
Still there wasn't any particular pain. and
and for q lug time couldn't think where
l was: How long I stayed there / can't
tell. suppose It wasn't long; when felt
somebody ,ull my arm, and heard Jim
Robinson sly: 20 Lord Poor fellow
l knew h, was there and could feel him
touch me, and yet couldn't speak or open
my eyes. lie thought was dead. Then |
wondered all dead folks could know and |
think thing as l did. l tried to move NV
hands: trnd to breathe; tried to scream !
Bat l couldn't do anything Jim left me:
and the n0t thing l remember Of l was |
pulled out rom under the tree and hauled |
to the shalty on one of the s,eds. You |
may bet thCe was considerable excitement
among the boys when l was taken into
camp. could feel that l was dead. NV
heart didu'tbeat. couldn't move. But /
could hear, and had a kind of a misty no.
ton about everything tina: was going on
about NE.
Some Of he boys, after feeling Of my
forred. wai,ed to send for doctor.
Its no use. boys" said the boss. 1.-THE
poor fellows gone. His neck was broke
The most We can do for him is to take him
home to hi folks.
Well, they laid me out on one Of the
sleighs, AMI after fixing me up in as decent
a way as corpse could be in lumber
camp, oneof the Transfers started with me
for Oshkosh.
At first didn't realize just how bad the
situation vas. When it begun to leak into
NY head nat was really dead, and was
gong to be buried in the ground, and shut ,
yut forever from the light of the sun. it
frightened me. The long ride to Oshkosh
passed like those things that happen in a
iream. We got here and was taken to
ny brothers house. He felt terrible bad
when was brought home I hadn't any
iea that lie thought as much Of me as he
lid, poor t.low. could hear him CRY and
ak, and sill hadn't the power to move
muscle. Twas put in coffin and finally it
anne out tat was to be taken to Water
own to lt buried. My old mother lived
here you tnow. o, boys, hope none of
'ou may e-er feel the horrors that felt,
vhen l KEW that l was boxed I'D in a ,,
offin and would soon he buried. Seven !
ears kav' gone by since then, but never
hink of itwithout chill.
l could feel them putting On the lid of Z
be coffin. md then knew l was fastened :
p.
From that time until the cover of the \
otin wa raised again, haven't any I
ec0llectiol OF what happened, only that
7as continually in motion. Though l '
ouldn't olen my eyes, sorter felt that it
as dark, md was going somewhere. AL S
suddea l felt that some one was turn
lS the ScE"s "a the conn 10, anu atter q |
lille the cover was taken of.
Ny poormother screamed as though her
cart was broke. couldn't stir, and yet l
ould feel :he warm drops from her eyes :
pom my face.
would .ather die thousand times over r
ian go through the horrible suffering of I
lat affair again. There l was, dead and i
ping to be buried, and yet so near alive Il
lat knew what was going on BOYS. -
ID may talk. but there is nobody in this !;
orld that thinks as much Of you as your 4
other. Iou can imagine my feelings-no, n
u can't lave the least notion of how felt h
hen she vas taking on so over me. n
After while could feel that my mother f
ID stopped crying. Then l thought she 81
ust have tainted. l never was much in n,
e praying line, but if ever any one made r.
strong try to call on God for assistance, =,
4 then. could feel my mothers soft hand n
my head =
George" said she to nv brother. Ibis -
REQ don't feel very cold. How strange it
Then Georges hand was put ON nv for NJ
|, and could feel him place his hand on in
: breast. p
They seemed to think 1 might not be til
3D. to
Pretty soon neighbor came in, and there tv
> d SOOU Aooa VI tdAA4uS tUdt l COuAUu | III
Then was lifted out of the W
in and placed in bed. l was rubbed en-
over with coarse towel. be
till couldn't stir or open my eyes. pc
They gave up all hopes aud left me. 10
Then my mother came to s.ive me one last in
K. I could feel her near me just as she nc
ID to be when was boy, and her hand m
V0thea my hair IN the old way, that 1e