Dodge City times., 1890-12-19

After few words Of exhortation thai
impressed me as being the very essence
of heart-born cloquence, the old chap.
lain began Tom Moore's exquisite sa.
cred song: "Come, ye disconsolate.
where'er ye languish." During the sing
ing, in which tho prisoner and his sis
ter joined, went in and sat down be.
side her, and with q broken voice tried.
IS did the stolid guards, to give empha-
sis to the closing line: Earth hath nc
scrrow that Heaven can not heal"
Promising to call again before day
light, the chaplain went our about
twelve O'Clock, and the fury of the storm
seemed to be intensified by the silence;
made an effort .c speak. but realizing
Low Weak words were for my purpose
whispered to Carrie that would &C
down to the telegraph Office and find out
if message had been received from
Washington.
NO word yet, SIR" replied the opera
tor TO my inquiry; ''and," he added. as
nc bent his car over the receiving instru
ment ''1'm afraid we can get no news
from Washington tonight"
''Why not?" asked.
'The storm covers wide nrea," said
the operator. land fear our communi
cation with the North will be shut of
before morning"
''Has this happened befo.e?"
"Yes; several times"
-And how long before repairs were
made?"
1.-THE shortest time was twenty-foul
hours, said tho operator.
Feeling that even the elements were
arrayed against the unfortunate pris.
oner, made my way back to the log
house.
Carrie gave me q quick, searching
look. but she asked no questions; she
knew as we'll as if had told her that
no word of comfort had been received
from Washington.
/ suggested to Frank to lie down, but
he shook his head and said, grimly
1.-The time is too short to spend it in
sleep. When the end has come one can
rest through eternity"
1t seemed as if the sun had gone down
for the last time, SO long was the night
Just before daylight the chaplain re.
turned, and, thankful for the excuse his
presence gave me, 1 again sought the
telegraph Office. There found General
Boyle, and he did not need to tell me
that he had not closed his eyes in SLEEP
during the night.
In answer to my question, the operator
said:
"The direct lines working west from
Washington are down."
"Thcn," I gasped, ''you can not com.
municate with the Capital?"
"Yes, Cincinnati has just said that
they were about to operate over the long
circuit by way of Cleveland, Buffalo
New York and south along the coast
buy as the storm is moving rapidly ir
that direction, should not be surprised
TO find all communication shut OF be
fore ten o'clock" said the operator.
While we stood bending over the in
strument on whose mysterious ticking
SO much depended, the gray dawn of g
stormy morning stole in the room, and
the reveille went ringing through the
camp.
looked at my watch; it was ten min
utes to six. In four hours Frank Bren,
would be standing in the place of exc
cution, from the direction of which
could hear the hammering of the men
making the scaffold ready.
was about to walk out with the Gen
eral when the clicking increased in a fe
verish way, and the operator called out
"Wait, gentlemen, think there i:
something coming soon!''
We turned back and bent over him
reading the words as they came from hi.
pencil:
"WAsHINGroK, D. c., Nov. 10. 1865
General J. Boyle, Commandan,
Camp Dick Robinson, Ky.:-The Pres
ident directs mo to say that after an i'll
terview with Messrs. Speed and Holt he
deems it best for tho interest Of tho
service to"
Then the writing stopped and the
clicking died out while the operator
nervously worked the switchboard key
but without making sound.
:What is up?" asked the General, his
strong face twitching with excitement
"The lines are down to the North; we
are shut off from Washington, and we
must remain SO at least for the day,
said the man.