Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-05
A Flood Sufferer.
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
"DO you attend to out Of town matters. -
asked tall, carelessly dressed individual,
walking into the city editors room and assum-
ing stained glass; attitude against one of the
tapestry hung walls. 'Now and then" said the
city editor. what is your trouble?"
'Well you see Ijust arrived from the south, -
said the visitor, helping himself to an Eastlake
chair, and stretching his feet out comfortably
on one OF the Turkish rigs ! own.that is
used to OWn-a plantation not far from New
Orleans. Now, own a lake.
''Then you come from the flooded districts?''
said the editor, growing interested.
Fright from the very middle of EN-" said the
visitor. curling one long, thin limb over the
other, and proceeding to shave off a chew of to-
bacco from very black looking piece of plug
81 tell you, sir it's dreadful down there, and
the thing came on us SO sudden like. Why,
woke up one morning and found ducks sailing
around my bed and our pet hog perched on the
mantelpiece putting like steamboat on a mud
bank. How that hog ever got up there lays 'em
out. Well, the water was rising and rising,
and afOre long we had to take to the roof and
there we stayed for fifteen days.
Fifteen days!" said the editor in surprise
Eyes, sir; fifteen days. and we couldn't get
anything to eat for the last five, except the moss
that sprOuted up atween the shingles. Well,
my wife got awful thin like and so did the
children, and kinder fell away myself"
'Wel, l should remark" said the editor
grimly.
"Why didn't you swim out?" asked the edi-
tor.
''There was the trouble" said the visitor
''YOu see there amt no plantation nigh onto
ten mile from ours, and / calculated that
would be too much of pull for me. / reckon
I'm good swimmer, but didn't care to tackle
that ten mile. Well, we'dgOt down to our last
shingle, and there wasn't q smitch o. moss on
that roof big 'nou9h to wad a shotgun with.
Our youngest had been given the last bit and he
sat there on the chimney chewing it up and
lOOkin' like hand organ monkey down in his
luck, when l see little cloud way across the
water. l didn't say nOthin' for moment, but
knew pretty well what that cloud meant, and l
watched it like niger would q coon. Well,
she grew larger. and made sure it were a
steamboat Then kinder whispered it quiet
like to the old woman Well. she took one look
and then Topped over in dead faint, and afore
could grab her she rolled down the roof into
the water. Well, that was the last of her."
You don't mean to say you let her drOTh?''
said the editor.
"Well, you see, boss" said the visitor, 81 was
so weak knew it was death for both on US for
me to go after her, and to make matters worse
she pulled in our yOungster along with her.
tell you we're having tough times down our
way. At last somebody on that steamboat saw
thing. not to say nothin' about part of my
family. Well they took us up to New Orleans
and scraped up cash enough to come north.
and here l am"
but what did you come north for2" asked
the editor.
swell you see they put me on q relief COM
mtttee. and I'm on here to raise funds for the
sufferers"
''Oh, you are," said the editor edging his
chair back and looking sharply at his visitor.
yes see you newspaper fellows was a
THROWN out lots of sympathy for Us; and /
just thought I'D tackle the press first, and then
work down through the other professions"
Very thoughtful in you, said the editor.
eyes, after I've got yonr contributions I'll
Just see whether the churches are good for any
thing" said the visitor -
wait q moment" said the editor, walking
over to the telephone, and then he called the
instrument Connect Eagle with police head
quarters, but the relief committee didn't wait
for the reply.
The RUSSIAN BEAR. .'Margery Deaae, writing
to the Boston IrQnscsipB, from Newport, says
II thank heaven we are to he shared the In