Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-01-31
CLARENCE sHANK,s ADVENTURE.
By 8. p. PRICHARD.

By s. p. PRICHARD.
,"Come, Clarie. it is almost dinner-time,
and want you to run to the depot aid
get me timetable of the Erie Railroad !"
said Mrs. Abram Shank TO her son Clar-
ence, on the fifth day of January, 1879.
''Ive my old clothes on, mother" said
Clarence, who had been working in coal
that morning.
''Never mind, Clarie put your over
coat on, and run along"
Clarence obeyed, and went out froE
his fathers house, on his way to the rail.
road station, in the city of Binghamton
Dinner time came, but Clarence had not
returned.
Il don't see where the boy can be,
said his father, as he arose from the din
ner-table.
20, he'll be here before I get the table
cleared off, ;" said his mother, anxious sc
shield her boy. ~ dare say the ticket
master was busy, or something has kept
him." 9-7-S.ss ss-1 = =
Mr.. Shank went away to his work
Mrs. Shank left Clarence's dinner upon
the table, but it had grown cold, and he
was not come. Two o'clock, and still
the loving face of Clarence was not seen
in his home. AS the mother worked and
waited, the fear that some accident had
come to her son, grew until it become q
horror. He might have been injured by
passing train.
A messenger was hastily sent to the
railroad station. He soon returned, say
ing that no accident had happened there,
and that Clarence had not asked the
ticket master for timetable. He could
find no person who had seen the lad about
the place.
"What can it meanp Clarence would
not go away anywhere, for he had old
clothes on" said his mother, "and he had
no dinner either. I'm sure he would not
run off"
Then the father and the older brothers
were sent for, and family council was
held. One said "he might have been car
ried off on some train" This suggestion
seemed very plausible.
Then we must send the telegraph after
him, said Mr.. Shank; and he went up to
the office, and messages were sent east,
west, north, and south over the railroads
that center at Binghamton. The answers
came speeding back over the lonely miles
Of wire, and each one said, mo boy car
ried off on my train"
When every conductor had been heard
from, the father went home. Friends
were at his house trying to suggest some
new possibility. The coal. pits were
searched. Cellars were examined. All
night men went up and down a mill.race.
They carried lights and thrust their long
poles into the dark water, but no one of
them stirred the body of Clarence Shank.
Saturday morning came, but not ray
of hope came with it, to tell where the
lost one might be.
No child in all the beautiful city of
Binghamton was loved so much that day
as was the lost Clarence Shank. Of all
the mothers boys in all the world, there
neUer was one like her lost darling, thought
the tearladen heart of Clarence's mother;
but neither searching, nor lamentstion
nor tears availed to bring the faintest
thread of news.
Saturday night came. Then il was
that somebody said, Don't you remem-
Der, the Gypsies passed through Bing-
hamton on Friday Can 1t be that they
carried Clarence off with them ?"
The very romance of the thought lent
its charm to the new direction of
search, and men eagerly offered to start
with the dawn of Sunday The Gypsy
band was encamped twenty miles away.
They might offer stout resistance there
fore, as Saturday night was intensely
cold, all the plans were made with refer
ence to daylight.
CLARENcE's STORY.
Clarence was hungry when he started
for the railroad station Friday noon, but
that was of little moment. He would
come back he thought in few minutes,
and dinner was all ready, waiting for his
father and brothers to return from their
labor. AS he looked into the passenger
room, the ticket-agent was busy selling
tickets for an outgoing train, so Clar-
ence went upon the platform to wait un-
til he could get chance to ask for atime-
Anhl A Nk.Aw ~A
standing upon track near by. One of
them had been used to carry corn, and it's
floor was strewn with the long, thin ker-
nels that had grown in the far fertile
West.
"What waste that isl" thought Clar.
ence, having in mind the horses at home,
and remembering how much they would
like to taste the corn. at won't take me
but minute to fill my pockets, (" he said
to himself; and, with dexterogs leap, he
was inside the freight car. In farther
corner of it he stopped down to draw the
corn into little pile, and was filling his
pockets, when he suddenly found himself
In total darkness. The car was shut, and
the fastening-pin was in, and, in spite OF
cries and kHpcks that no one heard, Clar.
ence Shanklwasa a prisoner in an empty
grain gT.iacsr q Asls&es bound for the Great
In vain he shouted, in vain he thrust
his stout boots against the doors. The
. old locomotive engine, pdfflng away in
front, may have felt the thrill in it's steam.
chest but NO, ones ksart was touched to
open the doors and letsClarence out. Sc
the wheels began to roll, and they rolled
faster and faster, and the journey began.
The boy did not know whether he was
going east or west. All that he could tell
was, that the road was rough and the car
jolted terribly. He stood up and chung
fast 10 its sides to keep from being thrown
about. e. s4...-. .tt.s
''What will mother think at homer
gasped Clarence, trying In vain 10 find 4
"'crevioe out of which he could peep al
the surrounding country. His country
was blackness and darkness Just then.
The time seemed days, the way endless
and then the thudding rumble grew less
anda less; The, ear was standing
still. he renewed his knocks
and Ash shouts and kicks, but nc
one came, and after a few moments the
old'motion begun again. He held fast
until his hands were sore from the ffic.
ton. The tears came and rolled dowI
his cheeks, for he could not let 20 to wipe
them from his eyes. After another houl
the train stODDed again. and ha falt IN.