Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1888-06-16
4 MELANCHOLY JouRNEY.


a MELANCHOLY JOURNEY.
extraordinary Narrative ~ . Passenger |
On an Erie Train.
Among the passengers on m Eric
railway express train from the West
was middle-aged man who had IN his
charge little golden-haircd girl. three
or four years old, whose piquant ways
and bright sayings made her n general
favorite. A gentleman sitting in the
next seat in front Of the passenger with
the child remarked to her guardian
that the longest and most tedious jour-
ney would be made CHEEKY by such
travelling companion as his.
EYES," replied the passenger. "but
notwithstanding the sunshine Of her
presence, she is constant reminder to
me of one Of the most melancholy jour
neys l ever undertook. Her mother
was my only sister, who lived in Craw-
ford County, Pennsylvania. lha I'D not
seen her for over fifteen gears, al nd, in
fact, we had both neglected our CORES
pondence with each other, and had
not heard from her in over year. In
the meantime had changed my adj
dress in New York, where live, and
she Of course did not know it. Last
week l had business in Erie, and ]
made up my mind to take advantage Of
the trip and make my sister visit. and
also visit another relative in Tiogs
County, whom had not seen in many
years. Sunday a week ago stopped
of at Meadville and drove to the littl.
farming village where Mrs. Cole lived,
and was directed to the house, but no,
ticed that the man looked at ME in u
very strange manner. / drove up L
the house. and my knock was ans were,
by my brother-in-law. He knew IN
and grasped my hand but said not 9
word, being overcome by some grea'
emotion. At last he said:
How did you hear Of itP'
".Of what, Jol,nP said. 4 have
heard nothing How is Ernmap
. Emma is dead! he replied.
Emma was my sister. She had died
on the Friday previous. and had beer
buried but an hour or two when ar.
rived at her house. This little one
here was the only living child my sistcl
had. My brother-in-lsw has large in
terests in Illinois, and, as his prescnct
in that State is necessary at frequen
intervals, he accepted my proposition
to take his child into my own family
Fortunately she took q liking to me
and brought her with me.
ION our way East we got off at FL
mira, as ! intended to make the visit t
my Tioga County relative. altho1 gh no
with the feelings l had when l frs
looked forward to the visit. This wa
Sunday evening. There was no trail
to my destination until the next day
In the reading room of the hotel nea
the depot where l stopped pick ed W
local newspaper. In looking yer it
pages saw an item headed An En-
tire Family Killed l read it. l
seems, according to the item, t hat OF
Friday of week before last n farme
near Athens, Pa, was amazed TO sc,
team of runaway horses, which ha.
evidently broken away from Wagon
to which they had been hitched, dash
ing down the road toward his house
where they turned from tho roa,
and entered the farmers yard. The,
were caught, and the farmer wen
back in the direction from which tn
runaways had come, to see VIII at hal
happened to the person or pers ons +
whom the team belonged. He had no
gone far before he saw in the r Dad til
wreck of Il spring wagon. which ha
been crushed by an immense hemloc
tree whch-had fallen upon it as it wa
passing that spot. Beneath thu trun
of the tree lay the dead bodies OF mar
a woman apparently his wife. and on
child. Held down by branch of tn
tree were two other children, not deat
but unconscious. The former summone
help and the tree was removed and til
three dead bodies and the uncdnsciou
children were taken to the farm hous,
The two children died little late
The man name. the paper said. WI
George Blackwell, Of Tioga Count,
who. with his family, was visiting nc,
Athens, and to which place he W;
driving when tho hemlock tree, whie
was partly decayed, was blown dow
just as he was driving past. Geore
Blackwell was the relative l vi as eve
then on my way to visit, and on il
.. quiry found that he and this Georl
Blackwell, who had. with his enti
. family, been crushed out Of ekisten,
in an instant, were ono and the sam
, So you may we'll see." concluded II
. passenger, that it has not been poss
BILE for even this little one 5 sun shine
brighten this melancholy journey
mine."-N Y. Sun.