The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-04-21
A MELANCHOLY JOURNEY.
Extraordinary Narrative of Passenger
On an Eric Train.

Extraordinary Narrative of Passenger
On an Erie Train.
Among the passengers an an Erie
railway express train from the West
was middle-aged man who had in his
charge little golden-haired girl, three
or four years old, whose piquant ways
and bright sayings made her 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 a
travelling companion as his.
yes" 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. had not
seen her for over fifteen years, and, in
fact, we had both neglected our CORES
pondence with each other, and | had
not heard from her in over year. In
the meantime l 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 l
made up my mind to take advantage of
the trip and make my sister visit and
also visit another relative in Tioga
County, whom l had not seen in many
years. Sunday week ago I stopped
off at Meadville and drove to the little
farming village where Mrs. Cole lived,
and was directed to the house, but no.
ticed that the man looked at me in a
very strange manner. l drove up to
the house, and my knock was answered
by my brother-in-law. He knew me
and grasped my hand, but said not a
word, being overcome by some great
emotion. At last he said:
How did you hear of it?'
"'Of what, Jolrn?' I said. Il have
heard nothing. How is Emma?
" Emma is dead! he replied.
Emma was my sister. She had died
on the Friday previous. and had been
buried but an hour or two when | ar
rived at her house. This little one
here was the only living child my sister
had. My brother-in-law has large in
terests in Illinois, and, as his presence
in that State is necessary at frequent
intervals, he accepted my proposition
to take his child into my own family.
Fortunately she took liking to me,
and brought her with me.
ION our way East we got off at FL
mira, as intended to make the visit to
my Tioga County relative, although not
with the feelings l had when l first
looked forward to the visit. This was
Sunday evening. There was no train
to my destination until the next day.
In the reading room of the hotel near
the depot where stopped l picked up
a local newspaper In looking over its
pages saw an item headed An En-
tire Family Killed. l read it. II
seems, according to the item, that on
Friday of week before last farmer
near Athens, Pa, was amazed to see
a team of runaway horses, which had
evidently broken away from wagon
to which they had been hitched, dash.
| ing down the road toward his house,
where they turned from the road
and entered the farmers yard. They
were caught, and the farmer went
back in the direction from which the
runaways had come, to see what had
happened to the person or persons to
whom the team belonged. He had not
gone far before he saw in the road the
wreck of a spring wagon, which had
| been crushed. by an immense hemlock
tree which had fallen upon it as it was
passing that spot. Beneath the trunk
of the tree lay the dead bodies of man.
a woman apparently his wife, and one
child. Held down by a branch Of the
tree were two other children, not dead,
but unconscious. The former summoned
| help and the tree was removed and the
three dead bodies and the unconscious
children were taken to the farm house.
The two children died a little later.
The mans name, the paper said, was
George Blackwell, of Tioga County,
who, with his family, was visiting near
Athens, and to which place he wa:
driving when the hemlock tree. which
was partly decayed, was blown dowr
just as he was driving past. George
Blackwell was the relative l was ever
then on my way to visit, and on in
quiry l found that he and this George
Blackwell, who had, with his entire
family, been crushed out of existence
in an instant, were one and the same
So you may well see," concluded the
passenger. "that it has not been posi-
BILE for even this little ones sunshine t.
brighten this melancholy journey o
mine. IN Y. Sun.