The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-07-15

Behold the-cuss'
Several present were led to indulge in
laughter, and that of an immoderate
character, because of Ruben's speech,
though the greater number, out of re-
gard, l think, for Peterson, refrained
from any exhibition of hilarity. But
the father apparently unmindful of the
unkindly pleasantly on the part of the
speaker, as also the merriment it had
occasioned, went to his boy and taking
him by the hand as if he had cen the
very paragon of sons, led him gently
past the crowd of onlookers to his home,
there to kindly car for the one whom
God had sent to him to care for and
love.
Summer glided into autumn, and au-
tumn died in the embrace of winter.
In the foundry at Lowerton, Glenn
Peterson continued to toll as he had
done, though he was not the same man
even that he had. been. His hair had
grown very gray, his form was bowed,
his movements were less sprightly,
while in his heart there brooded o
and more deeply the sorrow which, like
q slow yet certain poison, was wearing
his life away. But Tommy was the
same personality as formerly, only in
physical stature he had grown until he
was taller than most youths of his
years. No special incident had oc-
Cured in his history since the adventure
narrated, save as this had been several
times repeated in his case, and on M
occasion, in late summer, when a circus
had visited Lowerton, he had allowed
himself to be too familiar with the ele-
plant, the result being he was suddenly
and ungracefully lifted several feet into
the air, and, descending to terra J,7na,
he had been severely reprimanded by
the keeper for his daring i~mpudence.
More than once Ruben had taken it
upon himself to remind Burns of the
prediction he had made concerning
Tommy, and the answer he would inva-
riably receive from his friend would be
that there was s.Plinty of time-plinty
of timei" followed by the sentiment
somewhat varied in the mouth of the
speaker-"Them as the gods love, they
don't always die early!"
At length winter relaxed her rigorous
hold upon the year. The air grew mild
er, the snow began to melt, the ice
bound streams to burst from their long
imprisonment, while Spring, in all the
plenitude of her joyance and beauty,
stood waiting in the distance the glad
proclamation of earth-"Return!' %
Upon the high hills skirting the valley
of the Huron the dissolving SHOWS de-
scended the steep slopes, and the little
river, which in summertime and early
autumn was as peaceful and fairy-like
as a poets dream, commenced to over
flow its banks and enlarge its borders
until it was as a sea. For more than
fifty miles back from its mouth, at the
head of Lake Erie, like a demon IN
fettered and free, the Huron rolled and
plunged on hour after hour, sweeping
in its mad career every thing in its path.
At no point in its purse did its waters
rise to such height and spend their
fury with SO much strength as Lower
ton, where, in the brief space OF forty
eight hours, property accessible to their
influence and aggregating thousands of
dollars in value was destroyed, families
rendered homeless and poor, and human
lives swept ~ruthlessly into eternity.
On the evening preceding the first day
of the food the people of the village re-
tired to their homes at an early hour,
little realizing the terrible events of the
morrow. 1t was no unusual thing for
the Huron to overflow its banks at this
season of the year, but to do more than
this was so rare an event it had not hap
pened in over twenty years. Early the
next morning, al in groups the excited
inhabitants fastened to the scene of
~desolation and danger, and gazing up
and down the valley beheld home after
home surrounded by the merciless e.e-
ments, and the occupants thereof worse
than prisoners, it needed but a glance,
as it were, on the part of those who were
safe beyond all harm, to understand
that steps must be taken Immediately
for the relief of the sufferers. In less
than half an hour more than a dozen
boats, manned by skillful men, put out
in various directions to the rescue of
those who, with hearts full of anxiety
and fear, were watching and waiting for
d~eliverance. Among those who that
hour stood gazing u upon the awful
scene was the poor demented youth,
Tommy Peterson, Standing with arms
akimbo, his head stretched forward, his
eyes staring wildly about, and the
wind playing with his long, I'M
kempt yellow hair, ne presented
a picture which savored indeed
more Of the ludicrous than the serious.
| Did he really understand the signifi-
canoe of all that was taking place, OF
was he prompted to lend his presence to
the occasion because there was some
thing going onp
By ten O'clock that forenoon fifteen
families-with the exception of six
Misunderstanding in humble yet COM
Portable homes in the valley, homes OF
-1LsoI %hor haI hoao o1,,o,eoJ
through the hard, slender earnings OF
years, these had been removed to the
village and cared for under hospitable
roofs. They had been saved frotn the
frenzy of the flood, but the rest, consist
ing of property, either had been or ives
soon to be borne away a wreck upon the
deep and mighty current. Six mer
who, at early daybreak, had attempted
to ford the stream to the village in
search of help had lost their lives in the
effort, and their bodies were not re
covered until the subsiding of the waters
on the seventh day.
Among the number who had perish
ed was Mike Burns, one of the mos
faithful and respected of those employ
ed at the foundry. 1 have stated that
with the above eXception-ffteen fami.
lies had been rescued from the frenzy o
the food-no, not all rescued, either
for at early moor that same day it wal
soon discovered that Ruben's youngesr
child, hardly more than an infant, wa!
missing! Up to that hear in the fear
full excitement attending the rescue o
the unfortunate p eople Of the valley
strange as it may appear, neither Rubel
nor his wife, nor, indeed, any one. ha.
noticed that this little boy, who hat
been left sleeping in his cradle. was o
among the number saved. No TIM
must be lost. The child must be foun,
at once, since with each passing mo
ment the waters were rising higher ant
higher, and soon, very soon, indeed, i
would be 100 late! The next momen