The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-06-27
Far up in the mountains, old hunters would
say,
Wind and rain seemed to murmur, Some
day some day"

Through cloudy mist the sun looked down
On smoking furnace and thriving town,
River rushing meath massy bridges,
Emerald fields 'twixt rocky ridges,
Iron wires, stretching like endless ropes,
Iron steeds, flying with breath of fire,
Loudly neighing their fierce desire,
Whirling along with rattle and din,
Car after car, and of all therein.
Hundreds of young and wise and old,
Gay and pensive, dmid and bold,
None but felt that in such vale
HHE e peace a ta n S the fan
Majestic, rearing their heads in air
From roins sumner rain and winter snow
There hung in rayine huge ana grim,
At head of the valleys upper rim,
'GaiBst fragile wall by man erected
To serve as dyke that God neglected.
A lafe, SO deep, 50 wide, SO vast,
Might hide Gunken ships tail mast:
Might hold the navies of mid-Ocean,
Might dash in rage of wild commotion,
Might crush 81 ifs sp r riId Msi on cray
Might burst with it's enormous weight
And falling like Rn avalanche
Scarce to be tracked by keenest glance,
Engulf the valley without warning
Flood field and farm, o'erwhelm the town,
snare SENIOR are. SPARE wife nor child,
Heed prayer nor grOan nor frenzy wild.
In cne short hour work devastation,
Hurt ruin, death and desolation
No land e'er knew-oh, fate portentous,
Ever-impending ruin tremendous
All that modern syndicate
Could boast as part of its vast estate,
a
1t had no compeer in the land
Sadden the age, enshroud the nation
To protect the pool of syndicatton.
How did the people, old and young,
As if suspended in air midway
From earth to Sky? Did any say
That there was danger, the wall was weak,
Night sudden break, too late to seek
Escape from the perilous rush of waterI
Such doubts met only jeers and laughter.
1.-THE wall was massive. it long had stood;
NVaa cod nv
Twas built as firm as the mountain range,
Hadnever failed, would never change'
ltslad held the lake before city
Of OH foods to come me- was Old and gray :.
The walfwouId stand til the Judgment Day
And the wall stood firm amid storm and rain.
And the doubter turned TO his forge again.
In Cambrfa alI was clang and roar,
Bright giafed eacft open furnace door,
Round swung the giant metal cranes,
Red glowed the kissing iron veins;
Thousands of braWny arms worked bare.
with the winter arms that in cottage near
Spread the family board for the evening
The fruits of weIl-earned moiety,
And An d., shield the hearth from aeversity;
Rude chauted labOr's symphony.
Happy Johnstoxn pride Of the valley
Mid whir of its wheels and ring of its ham
To inspect ancient walls or list to old ciamors
Revived every time the river o'erfiows;
THE bridges viii stand, the flood comes and
Ever. year more or Iess,'--and thus through
with its streets fun of life ana church towers
On store. shop snd forge and railway depot.
on homes of eententment ana smiles OF good
Busy hands, busy heads, too busy to hear
Or TO heed the dull moan of the turbulent
.' Twas the tread of the steam horse made the
Twas the 3oiting Of drays as they passed up
Twas the jar Of trip-hammers. on anvils they
Twas Ire coming and going of trains on the
Twas the rumble of thunder. presaging s
'Two1id early grow night, push business the
And snnsly' at home. what fear of disaster9s
While farm the mountains the sky grew for
And the wan sroaned In travail with biiiow
and storm. ssf
Hal See Sse horseznai deshinR down
what race is he running7 why rides he 30
"And bark to his shouting-it rings like q
is dsas 70 desyssve ehiareD r ana SS1 Wi Vssf
''whe Is itz'' Don't know him. 'Eever saw
'.The horse comes like mad" 'TIs no race
Like riding for life. He means what he cries
run, run to the hiils-fy, Hy for our lives
"HoE wildly they look, the man and the
And people are runnlng-hs's scared them. OF
/ course"
did you hear what he said? to run for our
ssYes, mp to the hills, with your children and
'EIai hal hal pretty good. for JohnssOwn to
So easy as that--but Great God. what is therei
Hear g Eos,E:-.seei it dssh-it's the lake coming
at comes lIke the ooean-it has burs.ed the
See the gs s'',ls caught in it-wreeked houses
.'oh S s,ss, what siEhti II is mountain wavs
No chance 70 escaps-toO late now 70 MI"
..It is hers 4. i on MAJ; .Ohmy wiser .oh
-GoaIslE asF csrist save nss. Help oh
Rneh o. waters eNegE pzs swept over snd