Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-07-18
MAN In THE RESERVOIR.
BY CHARLES FENNo HOFFMAN.

Thirty years ago you might have seen
some of the best society of New York on
the top of the distributing reservoir at
Forty7second street any fine October
morning. There were two or three car
riages in waiting, and half dozen SEN
atorial-looking mothers with young chill
dren pacing the par,lret, as we our
selves, one day in the past generation,
basked there in the sunshine-now
watching the p'ckerel that gided a 'ong
the lucid edges of the black pool within,
and now look 'ng off upon the scene of
rich and wondrous variety that spreads
along the two broad and beautiful rivers
on each side.
"They may talk of Alpheus and Are
thusa," murmured an idling sophomore,
who had found his way thither during
recitation hours, "but the Croton, in
passing over an arm of the sea Mt Spuy-
ten Duyvil, and bursting to sight again
in this truncated pyramid, beats it all
hollow. By George, too, the bay yon-
der looks as blue as ever the Fgeau Sea
to Byron's eye gazing from the Acropo.
lis Did you see that pike break, sir!"
"I did not.
"His silver fin flashed upon the b 'ack
Acheron, like a restless soul that hoped
yet to mount from the pool"
"The place seems suggestive of
fancies to youI" we observed in reply to
the rattlepate.
"It is, indeed; for 1 have done up a
good deal of anxious thinking within n
circle of few yards where that fish
broke just now. Shall j toll you about
ita"
"Pray do"
"Well, you have seen the notice for
bidding any one to fish in the reservoir.
Now, when l read that warning, the
spirit of the thing struck me at once as
inferring nothing more than that one
should not sully the Temperance pota-
tions of our citizens by stepping bait in
it of any kind but you probably know
the common way of taking pike with q
slipnoose of delicate wire. I was de
termined to have q touch at the fellows
with this tackle.
81 chose moonlight night and an
hour before tine edifice was closed to
visitors secreted myself within the
walls, determined to rass the night on
the top. All went as 1 could wish it.
The night proved cloudy, but it was
only variable drift of broken clouds
which obscured the moon. 1 had n
walking cane rod with me which would
rench to the margin of the water md
several feet beyond if necessary. To
this was attached the wire, about fifteen
inches in length.
81 prowlod along the rarapet for
considerable time, but not single fish
could / see. The clouds made q flicker
ing light and shade that wholly foiled
my steadfast gaze. / was convinced
that should they come up thicker my
whole nights adventure would be thrown
away. Why should L not descend the
sloping wall and get nearer on level
with the fish, for thus alone can l hope
to see one!' The question had harily
shared Itself in my mind before l had
one leg over the iron railing.
eff you look around you will see now
that there are some half dozen weeds
growing here and there amid the fissures
OF the solid masonry. In one of these
assures from whence these spring /
planted q foot and began my descent.
The reservoir was fuller than it is now,
and few strides would have carried me
to the margin of the water. Holding
on to the cleft above, felt around with
one foot for place to plant it below
me.
"In that moment the flap Of pound
pike made me look round, and the roots
of the weed upon which partially de-
pended gave way Ms l was in the act of
turning. Sir, ones senses are sharp.
ened in deadly peril as l live now, l
distinctly heard the bells of Trinity
Ginning midnight as / rose to the sur
face the next instant, immersed i'll the
stone caldron, where l must swim for
my life, heaven only could tell how
long
II am capital swimmer, and this nat
urally gave me degree of self-posses-
sion. Failing rs had, of course
had pitched out some distance from the
sloping parapet. A few strokes brought
me to the edge. 1 really was not yet
certain but that could Chamber up the
face of the wall anywhere. Ihoped that
could.
81 tried the nearest spot The inclin-
alton of the wall was so vertical that it
did not even rest me to lean against it.
l felt with my hands and with my feet.
Surely, thought, there must be some
fissure like those in which that i'll
omened weed had fonnd place for its
root.
"There was none. Ny fingers became
sore in busying themselves with the
harsh and inhospitable stones My feet
slipped from the smooth and Shiny mas
onry beneath the water, and several
times my face came in rude contact with
-.the WALL when my foothold gave way
on the instant that 1 seemed to baye
found some dim'i utive rocky cleat upon
which could stay myself.
"Sir, did you ever see n rat drowned
in half-flled hogshead he swims
round, and round, and round, and after
vainly trying the sides again and again
with his paws, fixes his eyes upon the
upper rim as if he would look himself
out of his watery prison9
sI thought of the miserable vermin,
thought of him as had often watched
thus his dying agonies, when cruel
urchin of eight or ten. Boys are horrid-
ly cruel, sir; boys, women and savages.
All childlike things are cruel-cruel
from want of thought, from perverse in
genuity.
"I thought then, I say, of the rat
drowning III half-filled cask of water,
and lifting his gaze out of the vessel MS
he grew desperate, and l flung myself
on my back, and, fioating thus, fixed my
eyes upon the moon.