The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-12-27
Tale Of a Turnkey.

.'To look at my gray hair" said jolly
Jake Graf, the big-hearted head turn
key at the county Jail to a Commercial
reporter, "you wouldn't think that l
was only forty-five years of age, would
you?" The reporter admitted that he
looked much older, and that almost
anybody would take him to be at least
three score and ten.
swell, I'll tell you the cause of these
gray hairs" continued the good-natured
turnkey, as he handed whole plug of
tobacco through the bars to o prisoner
who had timidly asked him for chew.
s'It happened just seventeen years ago
tomorrow, when / was machinist.
/ was sent down to Mississippi County,
Arkansas, by Ainslie, Cochran & Co. to
put up some machinery. Between the
river and where 1 was stopping was q
distance of about twenty miles, and it
was pretty much swamp land all the
way. One time went over to the river
to take boat bound for Memphis, but
when 1 got to the landing found that
the boat had already passed. 1t was
late at night, and as no other boat would
be along until the next day, I concluded
to walk back about three miles and put
up until daylight at a farmhouse. The
night was pitch dark. and on the way
back got off the road, and the first
thing knew 1 was in swamp up to
my waist. I got turned completely
around, and the more waded around
the worse off got. While I was wading
around I suddenly heard something
splashing around in the water about zoo
feet from me, and it seemed to be draw
ing nearer to me all the time. listened,
and sure enough, there was something
approaching, and 1 could not imagine
what it was. 1 called '.Who comes
therep" but there was no answer, and
then began to get scared, for / knew
there were lots of bears in that part oi
the country. had my pistols out, one
| in each hand, and a bowie-knife be
tween my teeth. When the thing go'
within thirty feet of me it stopped
| f1oundering around in the water awhile
and then it went back a few feet, but
only for few minutes, for it came
| toward me again, coming just about Al
close as it did at first. l then saw that
| it was great big black bear, and thai
it was trying to get at me, but it was
| afraid it might strike deep water. L
| sat right down on its launches sL(
| there it stayed. was afraid to shoe
at it for fear of only wounding it, which
would have made it so mad that j
would have taken the chances of drown
ing to get at me-. So there stood il
that one spot, in water up to my waist
for three hours and half, until some
people living about mile off came t.
my rescue. / tell you I was glad to ge
out alive, but the next day when
looked in the glass found that m.
black hair was streaked with gray" :
That's a pretty tough story, Jacob,
remarked the reporter.
Eyes, you can bet it's true,. ever.
word of il" replied the fat turnkey.
cit may be; but if the night was 81
frightfully dark how could you distin
guish bear at so great a distanceP"
"Why, I happened to have som
matches and piece of candle with me
and when the bear came back the sec
ond time and sat down in the water,
Lit the candle. And it was the candl
that saved my life, for it burned lon,
enough to attract the attention of tn
people spoke of, and it was just abou
to flicker out when they came up an,
shot the bear. ."-Lo1isUtile Commercial