Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1883-11-07

The Buffalo Courier prints remark.
able letter from j. NJ. Brown, of
Boulder, Col, to friend in that city.
Brown was formerly n resident of
Buffalo, and, it was supposed, COM
mitle9 suicide by going over Niagara
Fall. The letter, ina condensed fornf
reads as follows:
BOULDER, Col, Oct. Is, 1881 Dear
Tom: | take the first idle hour 10
write you Il full account of my strange
adventures after left you in the ciiv.
! went to Schlosser's and took a boat
for row around Navy Island. There
was no intended suicide, as you hint
when you refer to my mental depres4
sion. 1t was beautiful day and
nature appeared in her brightest garb.
| drifted lazily with the current, and
thought of the past and its buried
hopes. Some time must have passed,
for | found myself long way down
the river, but not dangerously near the
rapids. | had been much nearer be-
fore. Concluding it was time to start
for the shore, gathered the oars for
steady pull and made a stroke or two,
when one of the rowlocks came off and
dropped into the water. In Selling it
lost one oar, which was quickly out
of reach. For one moment my heart
leaped into my throat and nearly
choked me. | saw that escape was
impossible, but soon became cool and
looked at the situation calmly. The
boat had turned across the stream. |
Strengthened it around and headed it
for smooth place in the rapids.
Whether the presence of swift and su, 0
death brought with it u new revelation,
or the intense excitement OF the mo-
moment lent new facilities to the
mind, ! know not but the impressions
of those few minutes are imprinted in
my memory as If burned into my
brain. Every sense was keenly alert.
noted the little speck of rock had
so often noted from the Sisters, and
the peculiar curls and eddies of the
water around it. | saw the flashes
and colors of light that played
on the CHANGING waters. marked the
forms of shades and coloring of the
shore and clouds, They were all fixed
on my mind as cut in adamant, | had
| time for all this and moro while DASH
ing swiftly on, till | came TO the anglo
| of the horse. shoe farthest up stream,
where the deep green water pours slow
so far without "A break, drew in a
long breath, and looked up with the
thought: "This Is the last of EARTH"
The boat did not obey gravity so
quickly as the falling water, but shot
out far over. For n moment | was en-
veoped by ascending misis, then by
the wild war of contcnding elements
aud the stunning roar of thunder, fol-
lowed by Il calm more sweet and rest
! full than | had ever thought possible
for the soul to feel. and which no NOR.
tai power could disturb, sank into
forgetfulncss, for how long | know
not, but found myself lying partly
in the water on the Canada shore above
the old ferry landing.
The writer then goes on to state that
with difficulty lie pulled himself up
the steep bank, wondering how it was
that he was spared. He provided him
self with dry garments, and then took
II trim for Buffalo. He heard the
passengers discussing rumor that a
man had gone ever the falls. Still
deeply depressed, he made hasiy prep
aralions aud starred for the far West,
whence comes this strange letter.