The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-30

few OF us were standing on the bank over
looking thu plain and the smouldering debris
at the bridge, saying nothing and trying not
to think. Presently some one pulled few
pieces of wreck together and built a fire.
We could see each other then, and one of the
toughest looking men | ever saw in my life,
and it took pretty ragged and dirty and
miserable man to attract attention at Johns
town then, hunted around until he found a
battered old can. and in it he made coffee
over the fire and handed it around to US.
l said, when he handed me mine:
~ suppose you've lost everything
1--WE always made some remark like that
to stranger then; 1t seemed about the only
natural thing to say.
Ono said he didn't lose anything
"'You belong here? said l.
mop said be.
"'Got friends hereP
Chop
"'Look here said I. who are you. any
howe
"Well, he sort of muttered, Pm what
they call q tramp
'''Then he seemed to brighten up and
said
I'm tell ye; amt done stroke O. work
in more'n four year, but just happened to
come along here, AN tell yo1, it just knocked
me out. l seen all these people with moth
in left an nobody to help 'em, an | just
pitched in fore could, an I'm goin' to stay
here now as long as / kin be of any help.
II sort of took an interest in the fellow at
that and told him who | was, and that if
he'd come around to headquarters next day
I'd give him some work to do. He was on
hand early next morning, and said he didn't
mind what he did, so we tied white piece
of cotton ABOUT his nat, marked 'Morgue' on
it in big letters, and told him to go help
handle the dead. You know what awful
work that was, but he looked like ghoul
anyhow, and he didn't kick at the assign
ment. After day or two we noticed that
he was one of the best men we had. He
was patient, industrious, and kindly, and.as
faithful as O woman. He never shirked
task, no matter how hideous. and he never
stopped as long as there was work to do, day
or night. When we organized regular
force wanted to put him on the payroll,
and asked him:
"'What's your namem
"'Oh, just put me down 'Jim," he said
'that'l do
$50 as Jim he went down on the roll, and
that was the only name we ever knew him
by, Wekept him at work about headquart-
ers most Of the time, and for forty-five of
the forty-seven days l was in Johstown
had no more steady, Woodworking, faithful,
and honest man among ali the thousands
were there. He did everything he was tina
set to do patiently, intelligently, andiuncom-
plainingly, and we all got to think a good
deal of him. He remained, in appearance,
a very tough-looking citizen, but as he
worked amoung the sick and suffering and
miserable, good deal of his toughness wore
off. He got more refined, somewhow, al
though we didn't the much about it till after
wards.
Zone day the last of the men were paid
off, and he drew the first money he had had
since he began to work.
"'What are you going to do now, Jim? l
asked him.
"'Well, I'll tell you,' he said You know
amt always been a tramp; used to have
a nice home in Massachusetts and wife and
Children, but five years ago l had some
trouble With my wife, and | went away, and
well. amt been good for nothing much
since
Nov, Jim, look here, said |, what you
want to do is to go right back to Massachu-
sosts and see if your wife's alive, and LOOK
up your Children and live like a man
again.
General he said. that's just what was
comm to. You see, | amt been caring
much what became If me since got to tram
pin around, but seein', you know, an 'helpin'
EN- what could, its kin O. changed me some
how, an want to see if | can't be some
body myself So I've got some money now,
an I'll go back an hunt I'D my folks, an
| know can get work, an maybe Ill get
along al right again
Jim, you're Just right l said. How
much money have YOU got'
"'Sixty-eight dollars, general
"'Now, I'll tell you what to do; we're all
going away in a day or two, you know, and
you go down to the Commissary Depart
ment and tell 'em to give you a suit Of clothes
and fix yourself up soLe, and when | go
home pll take you with me, and you can
stay day or two with me. and then go on
to Massachusetts,
HE seemed very grateful. / asked him.
"'What will you do when you get there's!
"Oh. I'll get work again
"'Well, all right; now you go off and get
a new suit, and I'll take you home with me
when l CO. | said, and Jim hurried off to
ward the commissary department
'Later in the day he came back. You
wouldn't have known him. OF course the
suit wasn't much, but it was neat and clean,
and he'd he had got his hair cut and his beard
shaved off, and ne had on boiled salrt and
necktie. He was a big, stalwart fellow,
with handsome, waving moustache. and
he looked rally handsome But there was
something the matter with him, and in a
minute knew what had spoiled Jim's life.
s'Jim,' said you'Ae been drinking
"tWell, General, he said, you know Pm
through work now, EN- hadn't tasted drop
ever since been here, 50 thought I'd just
get quart of wbiskey while / was down
there, and-and guess I've drunk pint or
SO of it, but l amt drunk
"'Now see here, Jim, said 1, this fsin't
right; you'll never get back to your wife and
Children if you start in this way. Quit il
right where you are, and don't spoil every
thing Just as you are about to begin over
again
.He sort of half promised and went on
down the road, but l noticed that he met
some friends and that there was deal of
fitting Of elbows watched him until he
met another party Of friends and saw the
bows go up again, and then Jim went on
out of sight.
"Some time afterward one OF my aides
came to the tent, looking very queer, and
said;