Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-09-25
A HEARTRENDING EPISODE.
A sudden stroke of Light, ParaIyzes
n Salt-Iaker.

Governor Murray entertained a group
OF gentlemen at the G.. A. r. Hall last
evening, and in his inimitable style told
the following:
"a gentleman friend Of mine, whose
first name is Colonel, accompanied a
party OF gentlemen from Salt Lake to
Ogden to meet and welcome General
Logan on his recent trip to the West,
and when we arrived in Ogden, we as
certained that the train bearing the Gen
eral was six hours late. We could do
nothing but form a semi-circle in the
freight depot, seated on inverted mack
erel kits and while away the hours with
song and story, and as the occasion was
redolent Of memories of the war, many a
touching tale of suffering and hardships
was launched upon the willing ears of
the party. When the memories born Of
beautiful tale of bivouac and battle
were sweetest, and several eyes in that
circle were dimned with tribute to the
days and the men spoken of when even
the big gaunt St. Bernard watch dog had
through that mysterious something which
men call instinct, crawled near and ex-
tended his head in prolongation of his
paws upon the floor, and seemed to drink
in the "reminiscences of those sacred days,
the friend whom the party called Colonel
for short, spat right in the center of
D-in-a-diamond mark on bale OF hay,
and rising to his feet gave an ominous
clearing to his throat, which caused all
hands to look up in pleased anticipation
of something good. 1t came as follows:
Gentlemen, in those days was in
Washington enroute to the 'front.' and for
a few days our command was held in the
city, and |, with others, took several
strolls through the place. One night,
when returning from the Methodist
Church, where we had gone to tell our
experiences, and take seat on the
anxious BENCH our attention was called
to poor fellow who was triangulating
the sidewalk in front of us, and who, find
ing soft spot, fell down. He fell in the
large open gutter and but for timely as
sistance would have drowned. NY friend
helped to pick him out, and l, thinking
to be of help to those who tread the wide
triangular path hem-ah-Fiddler'
Green, asked him.
T." What is your name. friend, and
where is your abode?'
HSh ho Stailllieleu, -nlC-dck
--ouctch-was Danl-hoc- hic-Mc-
Gonnigle, when-hic I got N Washing
ton, but now-hic-I'm Seward
"The crowd laughed uproariously at
the witty answer OF the ungodly inebri-
ate, but the man whom we called Colonel
for short, never smiled. We were
about to leave the depot when blood
curdling yell followed by the most agon-
izing and infectious laughter struck on
our ears, and we saw the man whom we
called Colonel for short, yelling, dane
ing and shouting in the back part of the
shed, and holding the big Watchdog at
bay with the bung-stave OF whisky-bar-
rel, and we OF course ran to his assist
ance. One of the party knocked the
conceit out of the dog with a pair OF
skids, while the rest of us took the man
whom we called Colonel for short, out
into the light, and by our united efforts,
held him till his strange paroxysm
passed. We raised him gently to his
feet, and tenderly enquired what allied
him. He blew the froth from his lips
and amid peals of the widest laughter,
he said:
Ha-ha-a-aa-ha,I 've-hah-ha
.how-haa-aa- ah-outch-bee tell
ing that tory-he-eeh-ah- twenty
five years, ha-ha-yah-and this is the
first time ever saw the poi-poi-poi-
point Of it. -ha-ha-he-he'
"We chained him up in the baggage
car, and came our fearful way home
ward"