Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-05-31
"SHE PASSED AWAY"

A Rough Looking Man, with n Big
Heart Tells About "Bridge."
Bridge s dead" said man who stood
against board fence near the water
ing trough at Derren bacher's Corners,
Rondoul, the other day. Amule, with
warts over its eyes and the letters ~
S." branded in its flesh, sucked long
draughts of water between its decayed
teeth. and fixed its hind legs in shape
for spotted dog that lowered near
The mans attire told plainly that he
was q canaller He wore faded blue
flannel shirt and one suspender. His
whole contour was rough. There was
a sad expression in his face and h $
eyes were filled with tears. The old
mule raised its head and looked askance
at his master rs if longing to know
what the trouble was
who's Bridge! Why. l rockoncd
everybody was acquainted W tn Bridge.
She was the prettiest and slckest girl
as ever steerod boat up the canal.
Lord, though how she could swing IL
tow line. But Brldge-sat. mister,
don't laugh cause my eyes is waterin'
she's made her last TRIP, an long
afore this she's been lockcd thro ugh
the golden gates an is making trips
wild wings from one end of heaven TO the
other wild the rest o the angels.
Bridge was a rustIer while she was
down here, an Eli bet my last copper
nOne'll fly faster than her up there. |
thort I'd let on know what sort o girl
she was SO or could scrapc sUmethin'
nice together to put in the paper All
the boys would like to read about
Bridge. She was the queen of the
canal. Afore she died she called her
mother and said: Mother I'm paSsn'
under the last bridge az I'll soon
reach tide-water. see the weigh
master up there, and then she rolled
over an died. Yer see she was ramb-
lin in her head an thort She
was on the canal. Yer ought to
hev seen Bridge steer boat arOun' Il
bend. She beat all the rest of the
canaIlers at that business an when it
came to manners she was the perlitest
woman you ever seed. She was n daisy
singer an would allow no clIss words
in her presence. One day baby fell
off boat INTO the canal. an while the
men were runnin' aroun' after poles to
fish it out Bridge she jumped in an
swum W til t to the bank and landed
it on the tow path safe. Even the
mules Liked Bridge an the most vicious
of them never offered TO kick or bite
her. She was preacher too, an
Sundays would tell Bible stories anG
pray. She could pray faster than emmy
preacher. She could stop a fight III Il
minnit. One time there was a fight in
a saloon in RoSendalc, an some one
would have been killed if Bridge had
not been sent for. WhCn the fighters
saw her they jumped out Of second
story window they was so ashamed.
Bridge was the best musician on the
canal. None could beat her plavin' on
the mouth organ and ACCORDION.
Bridge he'd kind word for everybody,
aud her face wus allus full of smiles
even when she wills asleep in her bunk.
She could cook pot of cabbage and
pork better than any one. All the
boys wus in love with Bridge, but she
would have mono of us. To tell yer
the trooth she wasn't suited to be II
canaller wife. | allus tholt that she
would Ike to hev doubled up with a
minister an become missionary an
distribute tracts along the tow path,
instead of steerin' her fathers boat
along the ditch. But she's dead now
an all the boys is sad. There will be
trouble on the canal this summer with
out Bridge. Yer bet the canallers are
going to give her wreath of flowers
to put on her coffin. an put Grape on
the bow of our boats. Say, just give
her rafting scnd-otf in the paper,
will yor?' -K,ngston Freeman.