Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-20
LIFEsAvER
A Chicago Pop-pedler who Has saved Th'r-
ty..,x Persons from Drownlns.

U-six Persons from DfoWhsna'
Ichicago Newsl
A medium-eized man, OF compact aud
muscular build, With deep-blue eyes and
thin reddlsb-brown moustache, was found
AT cheap hath-house at the foot OF Illinois
street surrounded by half-clad and
wbolly-nude urchins ranging from ten
10 fifteen wears Of age. As he dis
pensed ham sandwiches and bot
lied pop over a rough, white-wasbed pine
board counter, there was nothing about him
TO indicate heroic impulses or daring deeds.
Yet nearly two-score persons owe their
presept existence TO the sinewy little blue
eyed nan, The kids" who lay down
their nickcls for the enjoyment OF the ac-
commodations offered by his place evil
IDENTIFY looked on him as hero. and took In
every word Of cockpey English that fell
from his lips In random instructions in the
natatorisl art and his stories Of his feats IN
his a6opted element. His name Is Louis A.
Charlton, and he Is thirty-two wears old.
eddie 'Owland, OF 80 Desplaines sta et,
was The thi.ty-sixth person Eve saved"
said he. @E got beyond zig depth, and
was about gone; but brought i'm round
all right. Pve been ere about six years,
and before i came from four TO dozen
persons were drowned out there every
YEAR" As he spoke he pointed TO a pine
board fifty feet out. on which was scrawled
dangerous u 4 Suck-bole." "The frst
person saved was little. KID who'd
fallen into 'Ide Park basin, London,
while PLAYING with o toy boat.
But the most lucky rescue ever
made was that OF Bohemian boy VINO
was caught in an undertow while heavy
D. q rq N m
and said a man was drowning. i slipped
of my clothes and hurried toward the
Mace. ED gone down. j could not see
i'm. found couldn't swim against the
'eayy seas. / diyed and swan with the
undertow. i came up several times and
looked for lin, but could see nothing OF
I'm. About two hundred feet out dived
the last time and struck i'm. threw my
arm about is neck, and turned on one side
10 keep rs 'cad out Of water and foated
ashore with the sea. 1 was about winded
when | got in. Everybody thought 'e was
dead, but ] pulled lin through after 'ard
work.
"The 'eviest 'aul ever made was Frank
Wendell, who lives on Ewing street. II
weighed 200 pounds. and took fit in ten
feet OF water. II was as much as | could
your coat when got lin out.
~ got Stanley 'All a boy twelve or
thirteen years old, who lived on Fullerton
avenue, before ED gone down the third
time. and 'ustled i'm out in furry.
al was painting the Chicago-avenue
bridge when old man Diesing jumped In TO
drown himself. slipped oil my overalls
and sprang in. got to lin and 'eld i'm up
till a tug picked US UP. is son gave me
S5."
'Do you often get money for your trou-
ble!"
"NO, sir; / never got cent except that
time. Neither the rescued nor their parents
ever come near. They often 90 away with
ont even thanking me-"
"Don't you run great risk from the strug-
giles Of drowning persons!"
"No, sir: lad a lesson once in London.
When | was but fifteen 'ad the run OF a
bath Sc on the Thames, kept by the one
legged champion swimmer OF England,
named Moore. Well, one day four drunken
tailors came 10 take bath. and they got IN
at the deep end OF the bath. II was only
seven feet deep, but deep enough for
drunken tailOrs TO drown in. | jumped in
TO 'elp 'em, and they lad just about clawed
me TO pieces when 'clp came. Now, Just
wait wait till they are exhausted before l
take 'old Of 'em. | ave often swum
round man till he's drowned. Then ]
'aul i'm IN. II they've any vitality about
'em, can easily restore EN-"
''ToW do you do it ?"
al get some one to 'old their leads aud
ind legs. aud put 'em across my knee
face down, and empty the water out OF 'em.
They put 'em on their backs and move
their arms up and down. sometimes put
my mouth to theirs and initiate their lungs
by breathing into 'em."