Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-11-20
The Doomed Building.

Inc other day Tall, douOle-Oreasteu
Individual, with a white chOker and a
Quaker hat on, stepped into the Halifax
Custom House and beckoned Mr.. Morris
over to the corner of the room. Mr..
Morris responded promptly, and the
''double-breasted" man addressed him
as follows:
"Were you aware, sir, that this bull
ding will be one mass of ruins in twen-
ty minutes timer"
"what are you giving me?" said Mr..
Morris.
81 am giving you the straight tip,
and If you take warning in time you
will live to thank me for my timely
hint"
At this point Mr.. Morris began to
look serious.
"Do you remember" continued the
"double- breaster," "about seven years
ago, a building In Boston, known as
'Scollays,' tumbled into dust, twenty
five minutes after the inmates were
warned 2"
"Come to think Of It," said Mr.. Nor
ris, - do remember leetle something
about that"
swell, sir, was the man who warn
ed the inmates OF that building. By so
doing l saved fOrty-seven lives. Every
seven years, l save forty-seven lives,
and il had time to-day would explain
to you the different places l saved that
number of human beings an, for the
last fifty-six years. But your time IL
short. You have just fifteen minute
left to warn your fellow co-laborers.
And, mark me. 1 depend upon you TO
warn every soul in this building. How
many men are employed Ill this magnif-
icent structure?"
"Forty-seveu in all l believe"
"Strangs, very strange" muttered
'whire choker," in a melancholy tone.
Then turning to Mr.. Morris, imploring-
", 81 beg OF you, my dear sir, TO hasten
and warn the inmates in time: Sd good
bye, sir. If you take my advice, in
twelve minutes time you will be show
ering blessings upon me-"
Mr.. Morris gazed on the stranger as
he departed, anu proceeded TO tell the
rest of the clerks all about his interview
with this mysterious prophet.
All hands listened intently till Mr..
Morris got through, when Mr.. Cronan
spoke up and said he remembered all
about the Scollays building affair, as he
was in Boston at the time it happened
Some laughed, while others said 1t was
most lunch-time, and they slipped out
! 20 lunch.
1t is very strange thing to record,
but it is nevertheless true, that in five
minutes after the stranger left there was
not man in that building. All hands
got good positions on the iron railing
opposite, before the general public were
aware of what was about to happen.
The police were the first TO get wind OF
it, and they formed a hollow square
around the building to keep the pedes
trians and teams from being crushed
Crowds soon gathered around the
doomed edifice and remarks like the
following could be heard all over the
lot: ''There she topplesp' "Did you
see the chimney?" "Why don't she
drop?" "Will she ever tumble?" etc.,
etc.
Timer shouted man with a red
nose, as he held a ull's-eye" watch in
hand, suppose he was official time
keeper.
Five, ten, fifteen minutes after time
was called wasted away, and yet the
doomed building never as much as
staggered. One by one the spectators
sneaked of, and quiet was again restor
ed.
1t may not be out Of place just here tc
remark that, while the building was
getting ready to tumble, etc., the cash
box In the long room sneaked off with
1867 in it.