Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-24
WHILE PLUMPER WAS DROWNING
Wheat Went Down With a Rush and the
Ticker Tape Turned Into a Snake,

From the st. Louis Globe Democrat
Its all rot about what fellow thinks when
he is drowning" said Plumper as he drew a
bead of red fire on the end of his cigar after a
late dinner at the Laclede. 81 have been there
myself. 1t makes me tired to read those &C.
counts In the newspapers and to hear il
preached from the pulpits about the flash OF
consciousness as they call it. which comes to
a man just as he goes under water for the last
time and gives up the ghost. believe when 9
man sinks he has several moments of con.
seriousness ard his mind simply keeps a-work-
ing IN the same direction it did when he first
went down. I'll tell you how it was with
myself. When in New York a few summers
ago l left my wife at the Hoffman and ran
down to Seabright. on the Jersey coast to
see man. Took a bath, of course, from the
Octagon beach. Not much surf. water warm,
and it was delightful to get out little ways
from shore. cross my arms under my head
and lie there at full length atop OF the waves
know perfectly well what / was thinking
about l had taken a little flyer in Sep
tember wheat the day before. Would sell
whenever it struck 76c. Dead sure thing.
Broker said couldn't possibly lose, but had
better put up 10 per cent margin az a mere
matter Of form. What should do with the
proceeds? That's what occupied me. Buy the
old girl at the Hoffman a diamond ringl Sur
prise her with 1t. How she would smile as
handed her the box. Hello, who's there?' I
yelled as felt pretty heavy stroke on INV
right shoulder. supposed some other swim,
mer was out there with me and had accident
ally given me a kick. Didn't change my posi-
ton at all. Yes, the dear old girl had been
begging me for that ring a long time. How
pleased she will look as she goes up to the
window with it for inspec.ion-turnlne her
hand to the light to get the different sparkles.
I'll tell her it's forty carats fine. She don't
know a carat from cat And chuckled with
the fun of the thing, and took a big breath
to swell my chest above the water line sDamna-
ton, what's thatY Another rap on my right
calf by something underneath me. In an in
slant 1 was pulled below the surface and re-
allzed was being dragged down and out to
sea. l made one desperate effort to keep
up. took in a quart Of water or so instead Of
the necessary cubic inches Of air, felt choking
sensation for a moments gasp or two, and
limbered. I was gone! Dear old mamma.
Yes, wheat was bound to go up stood
by the ticker. Down she started-75K-x-x-
H-%-H-H! Oh the stuff. Close Ii out
The tape had turned into q beautiful snake.
which was slowly wriggling out Of my hands,
while tried to poke its head through a dia-
mond ring. Dear old mamma That was all
was drowned. The next thing knew was
lying on the sand in the hot SUM-. A ring of
men and women stood around me. Two doc
tors were pumping my arms up and down over
my head to restore respiration. Somebody
was chatting my feet to get mp circulation. 1
was gasping, choking struggling. fighting and
the pain Of it was terrible. Drowning wasn't
bad at all; but the coming back TO life was ter
rible. came out of it all right. Taking Il
over with the two bath masters the next morn
ing. they said had been struck by . shark or
some other big hsh, which Jaw me lying mo-
tionless on the surface of the water It had
first given me . nudge on the shoulder to zee
what was and then made . bite It my leg,
caught its teeth in my bathing suit and dragged
me under. They said they saw me 70 down
and made . rush for me. The Ash had broken
loose and l was timber - . rag on the bottom.
start-that fellow makes . very easy drown
OF II, and 20 far from suffering Z revieW a his
past hfe in one iurid moment q conseiousnsss,
Koes "a smoothly and drsanily iaAs ~ Other
world"