The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-01-15
AN AWFUL EXPERIENCE,

was in Hyde Park one afternoon
recently, comfortably ensconced in
shady nook, from which 1 could watch
the stream of gaily-appointed equipages
constantly passing.
The sun shone brightly, a soft,
languorous breeze sighed through the
trees, and altogether it was picture of
such purity, peace, and joy that even a
misanthrope would have felt glad to
have looked upon it.
was thinking thus when a man to
whose outstretched hands two little
children-a boy and a girl were cling
ing passed me, and finding an unoc-
cupied shelter under the trees, threw
himself at full length upon the ground,
and encouraged the little ones to gam
Dol OH the soft grass.
AS he reclined there his face was
turned toward me, and Twas so struck by
its singularity that the peaceful scene
around me was forgotten, and even the
noise was unheard.
He was, Judging from his bright eyes
and fresh pink-and-white complexion,
about thirty-two or thirty-three years
of age. A heavy mustache covered his
lip, and his hair-he had thrown off his
hat-was thick and wavy.
1t and the mustache were snow
white, and it was speculation as to the
cause of this phenomena that so dis
tracted my attention from the scene
around me.
could not take my eyes away from
him, and / was so absorbed that l did
not hear the approach of my friend
Barton who had spied me out, and
come over to have a smoke and chat.
Barton, is newspaper writer, and
knows everybody, consequently I was
not surprised when he nodded familiar
ly to the man who had so attracted my
attention, and called out to him in his
CHEEKY way
"Hullo, Derry! Taking day outP''
The man bowed in reply, and [ seized
Barton by the arm, pulled him down
on the seat beside me, lowered my
voice and propounded this inquiry with
an eagerness which betrayed my intense
curiosity
'That-man-Derry-how did his
hair become white?"
Turned in a few minutes from
fright" answered Barton coolly. 'Not
an uncommon thing. Derry, though
had a remarkable experience. Ii he
wasn't such a modest fellow, I'd write
it up for our paper. You could do it,
though, for it's right in your line. Dis.
guise the names and places-eh, old
fellow? Wait till light my cigar, and
I'll tell you all about it.
And forthwith he did, and l havt
written it out as near as | can remem
ber it, preserving a strict tpc0gnit0 us Il
names and places.
1t was during great railroad
squabble in France some years ago tina
Lionel Derry met with the adventure
which turned his brown hair white
won him.a bride, and made his fortune
at the same time.
Derry was minor clerk in the mail
Office of the great Wilson's Compan..
but sharp, shrewd, attentive to hi
duties, and well thought of by hi
superiors.
When the Parray Company began t.
build a rival road, and attempted t
cross the Seine on property belongin:
to the Wilson's people, Derry, was sen
up, with others, to hold the fort, un
til the matter could be settled by tn
courts.
The station near where the Wissou
road crossed the Seine was rOmanticall
situated, and already an enterprisin
speculator had erected a large hote
there and advertised it far and wide a
pleasant summer resort.
The employees of both the rival raj
roads were quartered in this hostelry
and you can depend upon it the
watched each other like hawks.
The Wilson's Company's bridge ws
only temporary affair of trestle worl
but plans had been prepared for sui
) stantial cantilever, and it would be pr
in place as soon as the trouble abor
the right of way was settled.
!. 1t was necessary to keep a force Z
; hands constantly employed, strengthen
ing and repairing the frail trestl
bridge, and the engineer in charge
= this work became Lionel Derry's fir
: friend.
He was an elderly, sedate man name
Pierre Lamoureux, intensely devoted
his profession, and great inventor.
!, Among the labor-saving machin
that he had devised was an improve
pile-driver, which utilised the water
=, the river as motor power, and cou
be managed by one man.
r By shifting lever, such as is in u
in locomotives, power could be apple
e to the lift, and the ponderous hamm
was arranged to fall automatically.
= At the instant it descended it W
seized by the ''tongs," and again raise
and so rapid were its movements tn
the work of two ordinary machin
could be done by it in a day, and tn
there was no consumption of coal.
Lamoureux explained his invent
to Derry, and taught him how to N
nipulate it.
One day it was moved up close
side the bridge to do some piling, a