The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1877-08-30


made him a worthless and reckless
vagabond, but 1 never paused to re-
fleet upon my responsibility.
No man can follow This road TO
ruin without becoming a false gnidep
to others.
| One black November night T was
returning with four dissolute compan.
ions, my clasumate among them, from
the county seat where we had been
holding o wild carousal, to the town
where lived. We had taken the
midnight train, and were ali in d,
State Of partial intoxication. just
before arriving at our station, the
train crossed a high bridge that span.
ned dark rushing river. Owing
to slight accident to the engine, the
car in which we were seated stopped
in the center of the bridge: Suppos~
ing that we had arrived at our desti-
nation, and being too much under
tho influence Of liquor to thoroughly
understand our situation, we stopped
from the train to the parapet of tho
bridge mistaking it for the platform
of tho station; thon after moment of
confusion and wildly clutching at
each other, wo stepped off into the
darkness and plunged downward into
tho abyss beneath.
Wo struck the water almost stimuli.
taneously.
"Tbe sudden shock almost Instantly
soberod me. BY violent effort T
succeeded in disengaging myself from
my companions. The icy water CUR
slea ""d eurge1 aDout me. I heard
their drowning criea. At last I
clutched the jutting point of an over
hanging rock that projected few
feet above the water, and formed q
miniature island in the eentre of the
river. managed to draw myself
out Of the water, and seating myself
astrlde of the cold, slippery stone,
shouted loudly for assistance.
Nobody seemed to hear me. The
whistle of the locomotive shrieked
wildly, and after few moments of
delay the train rolled on and passed
out OF hearing. I exerted myself to
the utmost to keep from freezing,
but my feet and hands soon become
numb and helpless, aud I began to
faef that waa dying '
con not express to you the horror
Of death that l felt at that moment.
They who talk lightly of death whom
ont of danger, find life inexpressibly
dear when presented face to face with
'the grim monster I felt how little
prepared I was to die. Every mean
action had ever committed was pre-.
sented to me. Not only the excesses
had committed upon myself but the
evils I had done tQ others.
The terrible experience of that
night completely changed my whole
character. My hair, that had been as
dark as the plumage OF a raven, SOON
became as white as snow. renoun-
ced my former dissolute habits and
companions, and from that night r
havo triod to be n respectable and
useful man."
:But how did you escape from
your frightful situation9" g..
81 was discovered by the station
master at an early hour on the fol-
lowing morning, and though my feet
and hands wore badly frozen, / soon
was about again. My companions
we're all lost and their bodies were
not recovered until several moutbe
atterward. Now do you wonder that
l refused to drink with you9 Do you
wonder that N grieved to see you
slowly drifting into the same channel
that carried me 80 nearly to destruc.
tion' I implore you to put away
from you the cup that intoxicates.-
Come now, give lne your hand, and
| DrOniao mo to drink from fhat No