The Portland daily press., 1892-02-17
PRESENCE OF MIND.

How Man Who Had 1t Profted by the
Scheme of One Who Hadn't 1t.
Presence of mind and bravery in the
face of peril was being discussed in the
Office of w. E. Busenbark, general man
ager of the Maple Leaf route. The cap
sizing of yacht off the lake frons the
day before suggested the theme. After
listening to the thrilling experiences
which each Of the group present related
and somehow on the occasion of an
exceptional accident people are prone to
talk thrillingly of what they have passed
through themselves-Mr usenbark told
story.
He did not need to call our fancy to
his aid to give interest to his tale. He
had been the central figure in the well
remembered burning of the Newhall
hotel, in Milwaukee, being the only per-
son above the second floor who did not
perish in the terrible fire.
Referring to the manner in which he
escaped, he said he owed his life to the
fact that man who was burned to ashes
in the flames the same night told him
how he would try to save his life in case
Of fire.
"This is how it was, boys" said Mr..
Busenbark. 81 got orders from my road
to meet one of our agents named Ware,
who was to be transferred from Detroit
to Milwaukee, and introduce him to our
patrons in the Cream City. l joined
him here in Chicago, and we went to
Milwaukee together. It was the day Of
the Newhan hotel fire. On the trip, by
strange coincidence, we began talking
about fires. Ware, think, brought up
the topic Yes, it was Ware; and what
started him on the subject was the fact
that he had witnessed a big fire in the
Western Union building at Detroit, at
which five lives were lost. Isn't it curl
Gus, Busenbark,' said Ware to me, how
common sense will desert man in the
hour of danger? saw the big fire in
Detroit.
SEA number of operators could be
seen standing helplessly and in wild de-
spair at the windows Of the Western
Union building. There was a perfect
network of telegraph wires within
twenty feet of them, by jumping on
which they might have saved their
lives. But they didn't jump and they
persisted. What is puzzling is that the
telegraph wires as means of escape for
the poor fellows did not occur to me
until after all was over
emo accounting for these things,
Ware said ! to the Detroit man, and
then we talked about other matters.
"That evening, after arriving at Mil
waukee, we went to the theater. | re-
member it as if it was but yesterday.
About II o'clock we reached the New
hall and were given double bedded
room. When | was awakened by the
heat and sitting smoke | pulled Ware
out of bed, and the poor fellow dashed
from the room and toward the staircase.
| never saw him again, alive or dead,
for he was burned to ashes. l rushed to
one of the windows Of my room and
stood for fully half a minute, dazed and
bewildered. Right under the window
was network of telegraph wires Poor
Wares story Of the Detroit incident
flashed across my mind.
81 Jumped toward the wires, and all
that remember is that grabbed them.
They told me afterward that hung on
for about minute and then fell to the
pavement below. | was put among the
dead in the old bank across from the
hotel, but ! revived, and two months
later was able to walk.
"Ware inspired me with the idea that
saved my life, and while he had the
same opportunity as l had he did not
avail himself of it.
sit is idle, boys, to talk of what one
would be sure to do under given circum-
stances. There is no accounting for
what a man will do when he is looking
into the jaws of death"
Ali the boys looked thoughtful and
agreed that it was so.-Chicago Herald.
Tho london Globe saws the