Morning journal and courier., 1889-10-29
ROMANCE OF THE FLOOD.
A Brave Girl Saves 8 Mans Life an,
 Then Marrles Him.

A Brave Girl Saves a Mans Life and
 Then Marrles Him.
 From the Bangor News.1
 John Prowley, a young fisherman, whose good natured habits have made him popular for many miles along the Susquehsnna river, walked into the Perry county court house the other day and asked for a marriage license, writes Harrisburg (Pa) correspondent. His face was not so brown that it did not betray his blushes when he announced the name of his prospective bride, but it was not because she had ever been guilty of any wrong doing that he flushed. The girl was Mary Yerger lived within ten miles of each other for years, but it was not until the recent great flood in Pennsylvania that they were brought to an acquaintance.
 John is carpenters son, and he industri ouslY aided his father to provide for a large family by fishing and piloting fishing parties from the big towns along the river. Most of the time was spent along the Susquehanna, near which his parents lived. When the June flood came people from all parts of the country hurried to the river to gee it's sights. Mary Yerger and boy, son of the farmer with whom she lived, 1oitered on the waters edge until dusk of the day when the water had reached it's highest mark. Few persons had tarried so long, but she and the boy for got the time while looking out on the swift waters at boom-log catcher. Be was stand ing in frail skiff, hooking the big booms with long pole and towing them to land on the opposite side of the river. Boom after boom was thus secured, ahd he operated with such vigorous regularity that 1t seemed as if his strength would soon be exhausted. He had just landed one of unusual size, which took all his strength, and Mary thought he would rest awhile before going cut into the troublesome waters again. But he didn't, and, wiping the precipitation from his brow with part of his torn shirt sleeve, he quickly rowed out and was headed to- ward large walnut log. Before he reached the coveted prize his boat had been caught between mass of the booms, which ground it to pieces like thing of glass. He es- capped most miracuiously from instant death by climbing over the logs and reaching the water. He tried to swim for the shore, but it WAS plainly seen that he was too much overcome to get even half the distance The current was swift and he was beginning to go down with 1t.
 Mary Yerger knew that he would drown unless she saved him, for nobody else was in sight. It was perilons attempt, but she did not hesitate. She was not the kind of a
 
 without at least an effort to rescue, and with almost superhuman strength she dragged into the water a rowboas that had been pulled up on elevated ground safe from the rising water. When she reached the man he was so nearly exhausted that he could not | climb into the boat without her assistance. That night, from the same table at which John Provley ate his supper, Mary Yerger's meal was also taken. It was at Johns home, and the two sat around the table long time, telling their experience of the early evening to Johns parents and their other children. Mary was always thereafter welcome guest at the Prowley home, and John spent much of his time in her company.
 It was with proud satisfaction that John related this circumstance while the clerk was filling out his marriage license. John and Mary are married now, and they expect to get pretty good start toward housekeeping when the Lumberman's Exchange of Wil- Transport pays for the logs which John caught