The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-17
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

dangerous Things involving only phys
ical results. Men who will risk their own
lives to save hat Of a stranger are not un-
common, hut men who. in sore distress
can resist the temptation to do an moon
sistent act, purely for the influence it may
possibly have on some n else are moi
found on every corner. Under most trying
circumstances, recently, MIR. Francis
Murphy bravely vindicated his teachings
of twenty-one years, and to the lustre of
his great name added proof of the depth of
his sincerity in the work Of his life. If by
tasting liquor he should cause one of these,
his brethren, to drink, he would not do it,
though it save his own life. Mr.. Murphy
and wife were in the Northern Pacific
sleeper that was unoeremonioualy dumped
into the raging Yellowstone near Rosebud,
in the darkness of the night and the storm
not many days since. Tho story of
that thrilling accident has been told
in part. But it ia not generally
understood that water rose in that ill-fated
car to the ohins Of the passengers, and sew
eral of them had resigned themselves to
God. and with prayer on their lips were
waiting the growing of the waters over
their heads. The work of rescue was slow
and the fortitude of the prisoners in the
car was remarkable. Mr.. Murphy was one
the last to leave the prison and suffered
more physical injury than any one else.
His nose was broken, blood was streaming
from his mouth, and an injury on the right
knee-cap caused him great pain. Drenched
with the waters of the stream and the
floods from the sky, chilled with the sweep
ing winds Of the storm and tortured with
uncertainty rs to his wifa's condition, Mr..
Murphy was in a sad plight indeed. No
shelter was nigh and the prospect of dry
clothing or a mouthful of anything nourish-
ing was remote several miles. All the other
passengers were eargerly slipping brandy,
whisky, and such other stimulants AZ travel
lers are wont to carry when expecting to be
thrown into a river at midnight. Christian
men and women we're there, whom Mr..
Murphy had met on this trip. They urged
upon him the stimulants, i'll friendly spirit,
and sincerely believing a swallow or two
necessary to prevent sickness that might be
mortal. Cautiously but resolutely Mr..
Murphy declined. No ostentatious procla-
nation Of his work was made; no evidence
of i am holier than thou The conviction
came to him that one swallow would dis
credit him in the eyes of the world, and
though the world might never know it his
conscience would tell him day by day and
night by night that he has discredited him
self. He would die, if need be, but die as
he had lived for years, free from the knowl-
edge of liquor.
Happily Mr.. Murphy is now rapidly re-
covering from the injuries of the accident.
The thousands Upon thousands who have
signed and kept the pledge of total absti-
nence upon Mr.. Murphy's loving invitation
will learn of his triumph over temptation
with gladness, and be strengthened to like
wise resist. His effectiveness will be in
for the future, and the lesson of his
will be told and read of all men
with profit.
Bravo, Francis Murphy!
~
A kitten can throw a herd Of elephants
commissions of fright. A mouse or a
rat can do the same thing. As long as
Hugh Coyle has been in the business he
never learned this fact until a sholt time
ago. He is one of the numerous press
agents in advance of the big Forepaugh
show. and is full of good stories. When
go to the circus leave your kitten at
home for no opportunity will be given to
the correctness of Mr.. Coyle's state
nent abont frightening the p~achyderms.
Men are stationed at the entrance to keep
out cats. If a kitten should by any means
escape the vigilance of the men and run
the menagerie pandemonium would
reign for a time. In describing an incident
of this kind Mr.. Coyle tells how the big
mountains of flesh turned up their trunks
screamed with fright. Some of the
herd who were not fastened with leg chains
tore down ropes and stakes in a mad rush,
and burst through the canvas, scattering
everything in their flight. They were
chased over the country for miles, leaving
i'm their wake broken fences and destruc-
ton to everything in their line of progress.
required several hour before the silly
elephants could be secured and driven back.
arriving at the scene of their fright
they were all trembling. and gave vent to
grunts of protest, and only copious
doses of peanuts and candy, sandwiched
with oats and hay, restored the big fellows
to their proper state of content, which they
manifest by swaying from side to side and
goodies from the small boy. An
Otner SUGGESTION, OrlBlIlal Win AftomuS
Ward, remember it takes three grown per-
sons to take a child to the circus.
~
Mr.. Coyle has been in the shog business
more years than some voters have been on
earth and he knows all the leading lights
of the arena. He was we'll acquainted with
Hanlon, of the Hanlon-Volters
who met such a violent death Mon
day at Lyons, Iowa. BY the breaking of a
trapeze bar MIR. Hanlon was precipitated to
the ground and his neck broken, death en-
instantly. Mr.. Coyle says he was a
man among a Thousand, generous, kind and
At all times Mr.. Hanlon was a
gentleman and his death takes from the
the foremost Hrialist of the world.
~
He is q newspaper man himself, is Mr..
of long standing experience. After
several years of successful work in Wash
he was induced by a syndicate to 90
to Iiimira, being and situate in tho state of
New York. MIR. Coyle was set up by said
syndicate aforesaid for tho particular pur-
pose of wrecking the political aspirations
and combinations Of David Bennett Hill,
governor and senator, and future pres
1-l NJ