Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-03-02
DEAD AND ALIVE.

"Boys, | never swear now. Haynt used an
oath since was dead y
He was a tall, one-eyed man, wearing broad
brimmed hat and red flannel shirt. He sat on
the railing Of the bridge, whiting and talking
to three or four others standing near by.
Yes, sir, said he, 1 was dead once. It was the
strangest thing you ever saw in your life.
You don't believe II, ha
Well, don't wonder much l don't suppose
any man wentl through such and awful seige,
and can't expect anybody to look at it as do.
You see, il happened like this 1T was winter
we numbered on Whitcomb Creek six or eight
years ago II was war times 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 shanty-Jim Robinson and me--and had
slashed into the pine like all possessed. The
boys were hauling pretty lively, for ii was early
IN January, and sleighing was good Jim was at
work on big treo about twenty rods from where
l was. Pretty soon, after he yelled TO me- his
tree toppled over and fell II was as hand
some a piece of pine timber as ever
you saw, and watched it as it fell. Crash it
went right into the branches Of an old oak, and
hung just there. never saw fellow madder
than Jim was-we did some tall cursing about
them pines. He tried every possible way TO
loosen the pine, but couldn't get it of. Finally
we made up our minds to go for the oak tree,
and in about ten minutes we had cut through 30
that it trembled like leaf with every stroke OF
the axe, he cutting on one side, and l on the
other. When it was almost through. as l was
the biggest and best chopper, says / to Jim (and
then 1 ripped out big oath), Let me finish her,
Jim. Get out Of the way, and l will have her
through in half minute"
had been chopping minute or two when Jim
let loose a scream that would have made an In
jun's blood run cold. ! had just time to look up
and see that pine tree tumbling down, when
dropped my axe and run. 1 couldn't have got far
when something seemed to hit myeyes, and then
everything was dark.
/ suppose 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 snow on the ground, everything
was shut out from my sight. There was an un-
certain kind OF feeling, just as a fellow has
when he's asleep. l knew something awful had
happened, but could not stir hand or foot. It
seemed as though it was night and that was
| covered up by something that pressed heavily on
me. Still there wasn't any pain, and for a long
time l staid there; / can't tell. 1 suppose it
/ wasn't long, when felt somebody pull my arm,
and heard Jim Robinson say
20, Lord! Poor fellow"
knew he was there, and l could feel him
touch me, and yet couldn't speak or open my
| eyes. He thought was dead. Then wonder.
ed il all dead folks could hear and think things
| as did. tried to move my hAnds-I tried to
| breathe-l tried to scream. But l couldn't dc
anything. Jim left me, and the next remem.
ber of, was hauled to the shanty on one side
of the sleds. You may bet there was considera
BILE excitement among the boys when | was ia.
ken into camp / could feel that l was dead
My heart didn't beat l couldn't move. But
could hear, and had kind Of misty notion abou
everything that was going on about me.
| Some of the boys, feeling of my forehead
wanted to send for the doctor.
Its no use, boys" SAID the boss, "the poo
, fellows gone. His neck was broke. The mos
we can do for him s to take him to his folks
Well, they laid me out on one of the sleighs
and after fixing me up in as decent way as
r corpse could be in lumber camp, one of th
teamsters started with me for Oshkosh.
first didn't realize just how bad the situatio
was. When it began to leak into my head tina
was really dead, and was going to be buried i
D | the ground and shut out forever from the lipb
:. of the sun, it frightened me. The long ride /
Oshkosh passed like those things that happe
| IN dream. We got there, and was taken (
my brothers house. He felt terribly bad whe
!. | was brought home. 1 hadn't any idea h
thought so much Of me as he did. could hea
him cry and talk, and still hadn't the power
i move muscle. was put in a coffin, and it
- nally came out that was to be taken to Waite
+ town to be buried. My old mother lived thei
G you know. Oh, boys, hope none of you wi
;. ever be made to feel the horrors that felt whe
found was boxed up IN a coffin and won
soon be buried Seven years have gone |
since then, but never think Of it without shu,
dor. l could hear them putting on the lid
= the coffin and then l knew was fastened III
again haven't had any recollection Of what ha
: pened, only that was constantly in motio
- INC tnv sorv"s Ur rne comm M, and after A viii
70 the cover was taken off, wa
It would rather die a thousand times ov.r ths
q go through the horrible suffering Of that .aTs
q again. There was dead and going To he bnr;s
aud yet 80 near alive that l knew what was COIN
on Boys, you may talk, but there Il nobodv
Inls world that thinks as much OF YOU as vor
/ mother. You can imagine NV feeli1gs 5oe
t. can't have the least notion of how felt ,y5o
she was taking on 30 over me.
. After awhile could feel that nv motb,
Q stopped crying. Then thought she might hay
tainted never was much in the nravi1e, I;,,,
but II any one made a strong try TO cali On i1h nO
. Tor assistance, l did then. could feeI NJ
mothers hand on my head. -eS' III
George' said she to my brother nbis bes
0 don't feel very cold. How strange il ia - -''
Then Georges hand was put on NV forebosd
and could feel him place his hand on nv bress,
dead. Nen' not
Pretty soon neighbor came in, and tbera w,
a Boou deal OF talking that l couldn't nnda,
stand. Then was lifted ont of ths coe;,, at
placed on bed. was rubbed ali over wifi
course towel. ''0i "i'h
Still couldn't stir or open nv eyes
theh my mother come to give me one las
look. could feel her near me inst AZ sha "ao .ee
TO do when was boy, and her hand snn,oti.
ny nalr IN the old way, that seemed to take m,
now. sO D@a as an
tried with all the force I could to sneak
made one strong effort to arouse myseIf ana
hnMSiy AL broke the spell and looked up "N'
my mother tainted but help soon nama and
after taking some medicine and doctor a,,, ana
was as abIe it, to think freely and breathe again
In little while was we'll again. with tho
exception of an ugly scar on ne baek q, me ,ne
Inc doctors said had narrow escana No
bpp bIpanai cofu, they said, had been struck bv the
III Tramch i OF the tree, and was as good as dead
40, They had good deal to say about nv pSr.
cnstaS, iiy nervous , Gus system and stopping my cir
auu all that, but, at any rate, got we'll
queer Mis'nkes Through Close Resemblance.
Drlei letter from Dorchester, Mass, to the
Boston Advertiser, tells the following:
-, Ihere are in this town two twin brotbers