Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-01-27
/" JIM" !"
a Touchinr sLittlo Story OF tho
.\- Johnstown Flood.

lowcrafJ Club on Saturday night, and
when "reminiscences worc in order, somo
chance remark brought ont from Gen-
oral ID. Ii. Hastings, who, having boon
the bcnetactor of the newspaper men at
Johnstown, had become their guest in
New York, story OF tho flood, which,
though 1t has waited c full year for tho
totling. has tho freshness and dolicacy
Of q nawly-plucked flower, and the al
ways now odor OF hcroism inSeparablo
from talc OF noblc actions, cvcn
though tho hcro DO but tramp. This
- the way tho General told it:
~ was tho night aftor tho flood, and
had arrived on tho spot only short
timo boforc, after driving sixty miles
over tho mountains. You know what q
horrible thing darkness was in Johns
town anyhow, and that was tho first
night, and tho worst. A fow of us wcro
standlng on tho bank overlooking tho
plain; an tho smoldering debris, at tho
bridge, sayin? nothing and trying not 10
think. Presently somo ono pulled q few
pieces of wroc:c together and built q fire.
Wo could 500 oach other then, and ono
OF tho toughest looking men over saw
II my llfc, and 1t took n pretty ragged
ana dirty and miserable man to attract
attention in Johnstown then, huntod
around until 10 found battered old
c1n, and in it ho mado somo coffcc ovcr
tho flro and handed it around to US. !
6all, when ho handed mo Ilino:
suppose you've lost every thing?'
"We always mado somn remark liko
that to stranger thcn; it seemed about
tho only natural thing to So.
NO said he, 'diln't lcso any thing
You belong hcroY said /.
Mop. sail he.
"'Got friends hcro?'I
Mop
Loo, hcrc,' said I, who arc you,
anyhow
"'Wcll,' no sort OF nuttcrod, I'm what
thcy call q franz
'"rnen NO seemed to brighton up and
said:
"'I'll tell yc: amt dono strol,? o
work il moron foury year. but just hap
pcncd to co,ao along hero. an t Ii YOU
it just llaoclScd mo cut. accn all tloeo
people with nothing loft an nobody to
holp 'cm, an just pitched il 'foro 1
knew 1t. / ant much good. but doao
aFl 1 could, an I'm going to stay hero
now as 'ong us kin DO Of any help
~ sort of took al interest in tho fel.
low at that, and told hi.n who was, and
that if ho'd como round to Headquarters
noxt day I'd givo him so;.io work 20 do.
10 Was on band oarly ncX5 morn n :, and
no said ho didn't mind what he did, SO
wc tiod white pioco Of cotton about his
hat, marked 'Morguo' OH it in liz lot.
tors, ald told hin to go and holp handle
tho do&d. You know what awful work
that was, but mo looked lillo Ghoul any
how. and no didn't kick at tho aa3ign-
mcnt After o day or two wo noticed that
no was ono Of tho best E1cn wo had. IIo
was patient, Industrious and kindly, anl
80 faithful % q woman. He never
Ehirilod e task, no matter. how hidcoug,
end ho mover stopped as lone as thcro
was work to do, day or night When
40 orJaniaod i regular force, wanted
to put him on tho pay roll, end l asked
hir1:
"Whnt'a yo1" namo?"
"'O1, jI It pas no down "Ji:n," ho
said; '.baCll do
80 ~ Ji::l 10 wo1j dowa OF t,l0 roll.
AMI that wa1 tao only nas1o wo cvor
know him by. Wo isIpt hin at work
about headquarters rloj5 OF tho titno,
and OF for1J-l"o o. tho fo"@y.soyo1 days
was III Jolnstow1 had no moro
Gtoady, hard working, faithful and
honest man among nll tho tloEsan1 that
wore thoro. llo dill cvory thinT ll1 was
oct to do 80 patiently, intollirontly and
uncomplaininTl~, that wo all got to
think u cool deal OF him. Io rciaaincd,
IL appearance, very tough-looking
Citison, but as ho worked among tho
sick and huffcring and miserable, good
deal of his tcughncss WOO off. 1Io got
moro refined, momchow, although we
didn't think much about 1t until aftor-
ward.
''Ono day tho last Of tho mon wcro
(Ccmin: cd on age y