Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1879-04-10
AN ELABORATE ITEM.
How an Amateur Reporter
Handled a Startling Occur
renee. aa

How an Amateur Reporter
Handled a Startling Occur
renee.
"Now, then," said an amateur re-
porter, as he rushed into our sane
tum yesterday, ''there is an item
as is an item. Shall I read it?" We
nodded and waited expectantly.
''Listen, said the amateur, and
proceeded to read as follows:
"Shortly after seven O'Clock this
morning the most exciting scenes
were seen"
s'Did you say scenes were seen?"
gasped the listener.
II did," replied the amateur.
"Go on" said tue Chronicle man,
and the amateur proceeded:
s'-On Broad street, at Wash
ington. A wagon coming at most
tremendous rate of speed; coming
down Broad street s. freight train was
coming, and was nearing the cross
ing, when the wagon with lightning
speed, came rolling on amid the
shosts of the driver, the putting of
steam and the yelling of the people
made things look exciting, and it
cleared the track in the twinkling of
an eye" ..-... -.-.
"What did?' demanded the
Chronicle man. l>A
"The wagon" said the amateur.
Sand what happened to the wag-
on?''
Nothing happened to that one. !"
With his thumb and finger the
Chronicle man ptucked several hairs
out of his head, and after regarding
them absent-nindedly for some time
placed them in his vest pocket and
told the amateur man to proceed. r
"a few seconds after this"
read the new reporter, "another wag-
on was in sight, which seemed to
come with lightning speed. On it
came. People jumped on. their heads,
and tumbling in the most imaginable
ways until the wagon came in contact
with the hind part Of the freight
train"-
Here the Chronicle man hcaved q
sigh of remorse and kicked an ink
stand off the table, and the amateur
man continued:
''-Ripping and scratching
sounds are heard, the horses neigh
and all is over"
SHOW many were killed." asked
the Chronicle man.
"No. one.'
'How many hurt?'
"Nobody hurt
"Damnation!" and he buried his
face in his hands, while the amateur
man read.
mo one is injured except the
wagon. -
"Oh'hr"
The amateur went on:
"-As these exciting scenes were
transpiring every minute, buggy
drawn by two fiery, untamed steeds
hove in sight Down it came with
the rapidity of cannon ball {; the driver
sticks to his post; he sees his danger; !;
he tries to check the horses; it is
useless. See Good God! they stop
within a few feet of the broken wag
oni .----
CHOW many were mangled this
.:.,,- 30 :.-r.-s.-Sa a 4i-- Thronis.ln man,
sinking into his seat. -. .
"None,' said the amateur.
"Holy Moses! shrieked the Chron-
icle man, as he plucked out some
more of his hair. "What the devil
was the matter with the vehicles, any
how?'
"Hold on" said the man; ''listen
to this
"A street car comes down che
track as fast as the morning light.
There is a wagon on the track with
five men in it and boy. The driver
is down with the brakes
(which driver?" hlssed the Chron-
icle man.
s'The car driver"
"Where were he and the brakes
down at?"
"Shut up, please" said the new
man, s'and let me finish.
"-He is now trying to hold the
horse back, hut on it comes. Get
off the trackv Hay! hayr the
driver of the wagon is struck deaf
and dumb; they don't know what to
make of it; the yells of the crowd
were deafening; a loud report was
heard men were seen flying through
the air, but the boy! oh, where was
the boy?"
"Well,' said the Chronicle man,
as he mopped the perspiration from
his brow, "Where was the bcy?"
The man laid bis copy on the Ia
BILE, got up, placed his hat over one
eye, and start regretfully:
"Blamed if l could find that out,
but it's a rattling item, amt it?"
'sLook here," said the Chronicle
man, kindly but firmly, ''go home
and take something-seltzer would
be good--and I'll put a committee OF
experts on this item and try nd find
out what it MEANS"