The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-06-28
Wit, Humor and Pathos.
ODD LITTLE STORIES FROM THE RUINS OF
JoHNsTowN-THE FOURTEENTH
REGIMENTS NEW
COOR

Out of the great flood the fourteen
th regiment has gathered mascot in
the person of Shsd Lewis Jones, q
colored man. The fellow lived former
ly on Ciuder street, in Johnstown,
where he lost his wife and one child
"Shad," which is the nickname the
soldiers have conferred upon him, is a
character from the soles of his large
feet to the top Of his cocoanut shaped
head
When he talks about the flood and
tells how he lost his wife, his voice be-
comes tremulous with pathos and sim
cere emotion.
"Ah, gentlemen he will say, 81
loved my wife dearly, and l stayed
with her on the roof as long as there
was room for us both. But when the
water came so near and so high that
saw we wouldn't be able to hold on
both, jumped off to save myself"
"But why did you not stay with
your wife and drown with her sooner
than let her perish by herself''
"Well, now, look here, sir; those
were trying time," he answered, "and
self preservation is the first law of
nature"
And that is the only excuse he will
offer. But after the waters began to
recede he went anxiously looking
about, and he never rested until his
wife was found and buried. 1t was
then DIR. Foster, of the Fourteenth re-
giment found him, and he got him at
once installed as cook. In that capa-
city Shad has not only been the man
who furnished the table with all the
1elicacies the camp would produce,
but he has also been the main source
of amusement and entertainment to all
the soldiers.
An incident took place one
morning in the gorge of debris above
the Pennsylvania railroad bridge,
where gang Of Italians have been
employed in clearing out the wreckage
and hunting for dead hodies They
suddenly struck an object, which look
ed very much like the corpse of child
about 4 years of age. Gently and
carefully, in order to keep the baby un-
harmed, the man cleared the rubbish,
dirt and lumber away to lay the body
bare. 1t was hard task, because the
logs had surrounded the body as in a
double wedge and its extrication was
at last accomplished under very con-
siderable difficulties.
When the Italian had succeeded,
however, he was afraid to touch the
body, so he called some of his friends,
but all were afraid to touch it. Then
word was sent to the Millville morgue,
and in few minutes half a dozen
men arrived with a stretcher for the
transportation of the corpse to the
morgue.
But when one of the undertakers ex-
amined the body all the Italians ran
away with Mortified astonishment
when the man said: $50 get me an
ak. l will chop this body up and
bury the pieces"
The Italians were disgusted at the
brutality of the undertaker's express
sion and nothing would induce them
to come near him, and even while
everybody was laughing at their fright
they stayed away. The fact of the
matter was that the supposed corpse
OF little baby was nothing but very
handsome baby doll, about two and a.
half feet long.
The relic hunter, who has been a
great nuisance in Johnstown to the
civil aud military authorities, can at
last get all the relics he wants if he
chooses to pay for them. One of the
latest acquisitions has been relic
seller, and the fellow, who comes from
Harrisburg, is doing quite a business
already. He only arrived yesterday,
but he has got very fine stock of
things on hand, but how long it will
last is hard to tell. Old coins, pieces
of ivory from pianos and organs, table
spoons, forks, small ornaments and ar
ticles of every kind are sold from 5
cents up to 50 cents and dollar.