Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-06-13
KILLED BY A METEOR.
Peculiar Accident to a Young Man
on His Wedding Day.
He Had Been Forewarned of His Fate
in Dream Year Bef0re-A
Fact That Reads Like
Fable.

Intelligent persons have ceased to
believe in dreams and visions. In
fact, one might say that this moribund
century has been the golden age for
doubling Thomases who have success
fully attacked every thing that was
dear to our grandmothers and calcu-
lated to make the hair of the timid
stand on end. Witches have been rel
egated to dismal obscurity; ghosts
have been compelled to seek pastures
green in the antipodes or in the delta
of the Niger. and the scions of the
worthy publishers of Egyptian dream
books are subsisting on the interest of
the dollars paid to their fathers in
years gone by by credulous old women
and sillier old men. Yes, it is safe to
say that even Ichabod Crane, were
that worthy alive to-day. would not
run away from the headless specter of
the Mohawk Valley. Reason, we hear
on every side, has triumphed over SUI
perstition, and cold materialism has
taken possession of every thing and
every body.
And yet, if we look around us. with
eyes and ears wide open, we can see
and hear things every day which
reason prompts us to doubt, but which
reason can not explain. Such an &C.
currence the writer is about to relate
for the benefit of those who believe
that the Bard of Avon spoke the truth
when he said to his friend:
"There are more things in Heaven and earth,
Horat;o,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy
Erasmus johnson, the hero of the
strange story about to be related, was
one of the brightest and most promis-
ing students of Western college,
whose professors and tutors were noted
for their orthodoxy and opposition to
spiritualism and materialistic doc
trines. Erasmus was, moreover, a son
of Presbyterian elder, and had re-
ceived home training which. while
narrow and unprogressive, kept his
mind in healthy condition. He en-
tered college with clear head and
knowledge as possible. His intel
lectual pursuits did. however, not in
terfere with physical recreation. and
no student displayed more energy and
abandon in a game of football or a
rowing match than he. Combining
with his mental and physical superior
ity a truly altruistic disposition. he
soon became favorite with every one
No party in the pretty little college
town was considered a success unless
Erasmus johnson contributed his
presence to the occasion. and every
church society was anxious to have
him take part in the various enter
tainments given under its auspices
He sang for the Methodlsts, handled
the Indian clubs for the Presbyterians,
recited poems for the Congregational
lists and read essays for the Unitarians
whenever requested to do so. He
took long walks with his pedantic in
structor in botany; talked philosophy
with the cranky individual who taught
that science in the college, and dis
cussed German and French poetry and
prose with the long-haired Teuton
who presided over the destinies of
modern languages and literature He
pulled an oar with his associates.
acted as pitcher for the college ball
nine, and was the recognized hero of
the gymnasium
That such q man should have had
any faith in supernatural visions is
out of the question. Aud yet two
weeks before the day set for the COM
mencement exercises. Erasmus john
SON, whose face had always been q
mirror of smiles and joy. appeared
before his class in an almost indie
ecribable condition. His fac, looked