Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-04-25

food. marveled still more when learned
from the steward that the man had eaten four
meals per diem ever since the ship left the Jer-
sey City pier.
Subsequently | learned from the tall, fine
looking, placid eyed gentleman himself that
his name was Ezra Tomlinson and that he
lived at Wheeling, W. Va. He was en- route
to Paris to do the close of the exposition, and
gathered from desultory remarks that he
was a man of abundant wealth and one large
ly interested in railroad securities Much to
my amazement he told me that this was the
first voyage he ever had made; the ease and
the dignity with which he resisted seasickness
had led me to suppose that he was veteran
seaman. He confessed to me that he had ex-
pected to be most seriously afflicted with NAL
de mer. for he had heard all his life of the
horrors of ocean travel. However, he add
ed, eheerfully, "Ihave so far done SO well that
l have hope of reaching Liverpool without
even SO much as a suggestion of nausea.
The sixth and seventh days Of the voyage
were exceedingly tempestuous; the ship rolled
frightfully; out of fifty-Swo cabin passengers
fifty-one remained in bed all that hideous
time. In order to save myself from total dis
solution had the surgeon and purser nail me
to my berth Heaven be praisedw l cried,
even in my torment; "heaven be praised that
at last we have squat that will settle that
man from WheelingW
ooh, no; not at all sir, said DR.. McSwinny,
'he's been walking the deck all day and won
dering whether we shall have continuation
of fair weather tomorrow"
Then the purser told me that Tomlnson
had eaten bacon and eggs for breakfast and
had expressed desire for boiled dinner at
8 o'clockl Oh, how | learned to hate that
man Tomlinson from Wheeling!
During the whole voyage he was as clipper
and hearty as you please; his appetite was so
orutally vigorous as to shock all the rest of
US. We were heartily glad when we parted
company with him at Liverpool "If ever
again" we said disregardful of the lrishism,
''if ever again we make voyage with a
Wheeling man Wen stay at home" ...
But six weeks later, on board a wretched
transport from Calais to Dover, who should
turn up but that self same Ezra Tomlinson,
of Wheeling, w. Va. He had done the ex-
position and was going home; he was as calm,
as placid, as self possessed as ever. The chan
mel was unusually rough that night; all the
officers and crew were sick, and even the
donkey engine turned pale with emotion; as
for the passengers, they were all so very
wretched that they prayed for death to re-
lieve them--all but Tomlinson, and he seemed
to wonder at it, as if he could not by any
means understand why everybody else took
on so. The ship fioundered like a porpoise,
standing first on one end and then on the
other, sometimes lurching heavily to the right
and then swinging with mighty groan the
other way-oh, it was simply awful
Five hours of this indescribable misery, and
we were landed at Dover. When Tomlinson
sauntered leisurely into the custom house he
found me stretched upon baggage truck.
"Sir,n said |, feebly, twill you kindly grant
the last request of one who feels that he is in
articulo mortis3 Is it possible-tell me truly
lis it possible that you are wholly insensible
to the tortures of ocean travel? You seem to
have borne without the slightest qualm the
storms of the Atlantic and the tempests of the
channel do not understand it--before l &c
to my eternal reward elucidate this mystery
] beg"
"Indeed, sir" he answered. sit is quite as
mysterious to me to hear you speak of storms
and tempests, and | have wondered to see sc
many of my fellow passengers succumt
around me. AS for myself, | have never be
| fore enjoyed quieter travel than that which
you call tempestuous.
"Sir," shrieked, in frenzy of exaspera
ton, "who are youth what necromantc Oh
diaboical art are you skilled that you thus
calmly defy the malignant boisterousness Of
wind and wave"
"Since you require me to be explicit" an
swered Mr.. Tomlinson, quietly, 81 will tel
you that | am and for twelve years have beer
director in an American railroad. "--Eugen'
! Fields letter in Chicago News