The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-08
jim"
The IuscriPtion over n Johnstown srsVe'
and the story that Goes with It.


story OF the flood. which, though 1t has waiteu
full year for the telling, has the freshness
and delcncy OF newly plucked Hover ana
tho always new odor Of heroism lneeparaple
from tale OF noble actions. even though the
hero be but tramp. This is the way the Con-
eral told 1t;
1T was the night after the flood. and l had
arrived on the spot only short time pelore'
after driving sixty miles over the mountains
You know what horrible thing darkness was
in Johnstown. anyhow. and that was the nrst
night, and the worst few OF US were stahu-
inc on tho bank overlooking the plain and the
smoulderlng debris at the bridge, saying noth-
ing and trying not to think. Presently some
one pulled a few pieces Of wreck together and
built A fire. We could SEQ each other then, ana
one OF the toughest looking men ever saw In
my life and 1t took pretty ragged ana dirty
and miserable man to attract attention AT
Johnstown then, hunted around until he touno
n battered old can, and In 1t he made coffee
over the fire and handed it around to US. l
said when he handed me mine:
81 suppose you've lost everything
1--WE always made some remark like that to
a stranger then; 1t seemed about the only nat
ural thing to soy.
mo, said he. didn't lose anything
"'You belong hereT said l.
mop said he
go Got friends herer
Mop
look here said I. who are you anyhow %
We'll he sort Of muttered Pm what thoy
call tramp
"Then he seemed to brighten up and said:
I'm tell We; amt done n stroke o work in
more n four year, but just happened to come
along here an tel you It Just kn0f t6 , ne
an nobody to help ,em. an lust pitched in
lore knew it. ! ain't much good but dono
r s esf Kin a BE- Of hep stay mere
NJ Sort OF took an interest in the follow at
that, and told him who was and that 4 he'd
next morning, and said no didn't mind what he
G s 6s we Ga Mo iS Bs on Of G bio aSS
and told him to go help handle the dead. You
know what awful work that was, but he
kick at the assignment After a day or two we
noticed that he. was one OF the best men we
and as faithful as q woman. He meyer shirked
q task. no matter how hideous. and he never
as 9nT there WORK tT ao aes
| wanted to put him on the payroll. and
asked a him; rorrn,noy
Oh. Just put me down "Jim," he said;
that was the e.; only name we ever knew him BY:
We kept him at work about Headquarters
most OF tn, time. and for forty five Of the
more steady hard WORKING: faithful and
honest man among oil the thousands that
do patiently: intelliGenty, and unc9mplainnG-
ly. and we all got TO think good deal OF him.
lie remained; in appearance a very tough,
Sick and suffering and miserable, good deal
OF his toughness wore of. He got more refined,
somehow. although we didn't think much
One day the last OF tho men were paid Off.
and he drew the first money he had had since
What are you going to do now, JimT
=! Well, in tell You. he said. You know I
amt always been a tramp; used to have a
nice home in Massachusetts and wife and
With WIFE VIII and rFs weRP away H S%Y f
amt been good Tor nothing much since
Now, Jim. look here said |. what you
and SEQ If your wife's alive and look up your
CHILDREN and live Ike a man again
comm to. You SEQ amt been caring much
what became OF me since l got to trampin'
Ground ere =, but seem all these people; 50 misera.
could. It's kind O changed me. somehow. an
want to see ii cant be somebody myself.
an hunt up my folks, an, ] know ] can get
work a, an maybe III get along AL right again
money have you gotr
Sixty eight dollars General
Now. I'll tell you what you, do: we're all
going away in q day or two. you know, and you
go down to the Commissary Department AMI
tell en- to give you q suit OF clothes and fix
YOU with me, and you can stay day or two
with me, aud then go on TO M&SsaGhqSetts.'
What will you do whom you get there"
Oh, III get work again
Well, al right, now You go Off and get a
new suit. and | Il take YOU home with mo when
! CO. said. and Jim hurried off toward the
Commissary Department
" Later in tho day he Came back; You
wouldn't InVa known In
wasn't much but it was neat and clean. mad
he'd got his hair cut aud his beard shaved off.
was n big. stqlwart fellow with Il handsome.
waving mouStache and he lookel really hand
spoiled Jims life.
Jim ] said you've been drinking
through work now; an hadn't tasted a drop
ever since been here. SO thought d Just
aNd-and guess I've drunk pint or SO OF it,
80 Now see here. Jim. said /. this isn't right;
ifyou start In this way. Quit 1t right where
you are, and don't spoil everything Just rs you
He sort Of half promised and went on down
the road, but ! noticed that he met some
friends and that there was a deal Of fitting Of
party Of friends and saw tho elbows 20 up
again, and then Jim went on out OF sight.
Some time nterwari one OF my aides came
to the tent. looking very queer. and said
"' General there's an accident happened to
Jim, and guess you'd bettor come
- hurried of after him; and away up tho
railroad track came to little group of mon, |
and In tho midst OF them poor Jim lying on tho |
ground. He had got in the way OF the freight |
train somehow and both his legs were cut Of |
above tho knee. We picked him up and car.
ried him TO the hospital. We did what we could |
us sat ly his bedside all night. and when day |
broke no died, We picked our the finest cofln |
wo had for jim; We dug his grave in tho pret- |
test spot there was lot in tho cemetery and |
he mad the biggest funeral that hero had been |
In Johnstown Mt AL. And tho DAY we left wo |
took u board and set II up at tho head OF his |
graves all we put on 1t was one word jim.