St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-12

range of mountains to the east and the
Gallitn river to the west. 1t was one
afternoon in July, and l was on mule
back and goin' north. 1t was as purity
a day as you ever saw. l was feelin'
powerful good that day, and 1 remem-
Der L was singin' religuS song when
that cyclone come along. She star ted
in about thirty miles north of me. and
come along down howlin' for gore"
Couldn't you get shelter anywhere?"
mo. was in the middle of prairie,
twenty miles wide. without even bush
to shelter me. And thar wouldn't hev
bin time, anyhow. She was right at
hand before | suspected what it was.
With scream and roar and wh0op
she embodied me. L had just time to
utter a prayer before l was picked up"
"Well?"
"Wall, was exactly sixteen miles
above Diamond City when met the
cloud. l had looked at my watch, and
at my watch agin, and it was 1920. l
was then in Diamond City. had been
carried sixteen miles in six minutes
and deposited right in front of the best
saloons in town."
''Hurt any?"
Not smile. Igot up and walked
into the saloon and called for three fin
gers of whisky just as calmly as if nuth
in had happened"
Didn't the cyclone strike the town?''
Certainly, and this was the only
building not destroyed. Killed 107 peo-
pie and destroyed 81 buildings in the
city. 1t must hev bin the hand of Prov
idence, fur was very thirsty, and the
saloon man owed me drink on our
last deal. That cyclone killed killed PSI
people, including InjunS, and destroyed
140 buildings along the valley"
did you ever find your mule?' was
asked, after long and painful silence.
THAT was also queer thing" re-
piled the old man. HE was carried
along with me. dropped at the same
time, and after l got my drink l found
him standing at the hItching post in
good order. That must have been the
hand of Providence also, as he was my
only mule, and his loss would have been
a sad affair to me-"
Ibid you go out and mount him?"
II did,
And then ride away?"
II did"
"And tell every body you met just
what had happened?'
Il did"
And they appeared to believe it?''
"Wall, no. l encountered three or
iouI w uO dCtCu lSGtlC SuSpl-
cious of me. They believed the main
part of the story all right, but when it
came down to the saloon and the drink
they kicked on me-"
''Bnt why?''
II told you walked in and called fur
three fingers of whisky
Yes"
THAT'S what they kicked on. Under
the circumstances they thought any
human critter would naturally ask fur
five or six. and buy a quart extra to re-
sumo his journey on"
I'll suppose you have never been asked
for proofsT' Querled our spokesman,
after another silence.
Yes, twice. Both of 'em sleep in
that same valley, and their headstones
cost $40 apiece. They were newcom-
erS, and | buried 'em tenderly! Does
anybody in this car want any affidavits
or sich?''
No one did. He pulled out buck
horn-handled knife and sharpened it on
his bootleg, but it was useless move.
None Of us had the slightest doubt of
his veracity.
"Did you ever jump from your cab
while the train was going full speed?'
the Herald man asked a locomotive
engineer.
Eyes. three or four times" he an
swered.
What's the sensation?"
"That's according to how you land.
One night three years ago the train dis
patcher got two of us headed for each
other on a single track at a gait of forty
miles an hour. The first thing | saw
was the headlight of the other locomo-
tive rounding curve thirty rods away.
L shut 'er off, threw over the lever and
set the air brakes-then mode a imp.
I'd no time to pick for spot, and as |
jumped realized that Pd have a bad
time of it, as [ knew every foot of the
ground. 1t was on level covered with
thistle patch. There was strip of
them forty rods long growing
up like corn stalks. l expect
they broke my fall somewhat, but
don't know that l ever hit the ground
until | fetched up for good. 1t seemed
| to me that just swept through that
| patch about knee-high from the ground,
and when there were no more thistles
| to knock down | landed "kerchugr'
| against an old stump and uprooted it.
| The doctor estimated the number of
thistle points sticking into my body at
| one billion. My wife and have been
| picking 'em out ever since, and feel
| 'em sticking every once in while yet"
Landing i'll mud puddle would be
! soft thing" suggested.
"Tve been there he replied, with
fleeing smile. "While | was running
freight they built sidetrack to a
| gravel pit at certain point In exca-
waiting at the main line they dug a hole
about twenty feet long by ten wide and
| four deep. As a rule, this hole was
| always full of water, and as it was on
my side of the engine and always came
under my eye, got to thinking what
snap I'd have If had to make a jump
| right there"
But you never had to-"
Didn't l? There was little station
| just mile above this hole, and it
was sharp up grades. One day while
we were humping along to- make the
! station dozen cars broke loose from a
| freight side track at that station, and
down they came like SO many roaring
lions after their prey. BY the time L
| had whistled for brakes and reversed my
engine 1t was time to jump, and bless
my soul! if " asn'tjust where wanted
| to be-right at the pond. / waited to
naSS the mile most nd than chut NV ayac