Richland beacon., 1881-04-09
CH1RIOTIE CESEN.lN'S
PRAIRIE. EIDE.

While Ell route to the White mount
aims last summer, we made short stav
in Boston. Among the various objects
of interest visited WAS Mount Auburn.
the famous burial place of that city and
the Oldest garden cemetery in the United
States.
As we were slowly riding through one
Of the beautiful avenues of this grand
metropolis we came upon the grave Of
Charlotte Cushman, who in her day was
one OF the greatest Of living actresses.
She was a pure, noble woman, distn-
guished alike for her intellectual great
ness and goodness of heart.
At the time of our visit to Mount An
burn no monument had been placed in
the Cushman lot. The last resting
place OF this queen of tragedy was SIM
ply covered with long, dark. shining
sprays of myrtle. But there is soon to
he erected over her grave an obelisk Of
Hallowell granite, an exact representa-
tion Of Cleopatra's Needle, as ii stood at
Heliopolis.
One Of our party was the Superintend-
ent of Western railroad, who. before
his promotion to that responsible Office.
had been a locomotive engineer. II.
was greatly interested in visiting Char
lotte Cushman's grave; and, after We
had returned to our hotel in the city.
he gave us the following personal rem
inisccnce Of this remarkable woman:
"When / was running locomotive
on the Chicago and Great Eastern rail
road, l received an order one dav to
have my engine, the Hercules read,
10 take special train of two cars. coz
tanning Charlotte Cushman, her lugcaps
and attendants, from Logansport to
Chicago.
"The great tragedienne had lost
connection, and was very anxious to go
in the shortest possible time by special
train. 1t was a cold, rough afternoon, a
bad day for railroading on the prairles
in any event, but particularly SO for a
special that had to make time with
the fierce winds beating and bowling
over them, as / believe they never do
anywhere else where railroad tracks are
laid, except off Lake Michigan. But I
had my imperative orders TO put the
train through with this oul fastest en-
CINE. SO that Miss Cushman might be in
season to fill her engagement that night
in Chicago.
"The train had arrived at Logansport
ten minutes behind time, and we started
ont with the least delay possible. ! had
carefully inspected my engine, and for
nv fireman I selected the very best man
10 make steam that could be found in
the railroad corps at that city. But. in
spite of these precautions, about 4 O'Clock
in the gray November afternoon we came
70 a deal halt out on the open prairie. !
iunped down from my cab. with oil-can
in hand. hut the mighty gusts OF WIND
that swept against me made me giad 20
crawl back into the shelter OF my can.
Presently one of the brakemen. with
his cap tied on his head with stout
scarf came forward to tell me that Miss
Cushman desired to see the engineer In
the passenger car. I sent back word
.,o, T conld not leave nv ergiDe-that
would do the best I could with our
train. and that nothing could be said or
suggested, even by the distinguished
passenger, which would make the least
caiu in our headway.
The brakeman took himself Oh, and
was not at all ples..d- I naust confess.
H. I,Le my fireman, who was at The
'nnment looking out Of the cab window,