The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-10-07
ALL IN ONE DREAM.
A story Showing the Remarkable
Swiftness With Which the Mind
Works When IL is Supposed to
be Taking a Rest.

A few evenings since a number of
newspaper men were in an office await
ing the arrival OF q gentleman who was
to call together meeting that they had
been directed to report for their respec-
tive papers.
A number OF topics was discussed, and
one of these was dreams aud the extreme
rapidity with which mental operations
are performed. A number OF cxperien ces
were given. but the one that attracted
the most attention was that of Call
representative, who narrated what he had
done in dream.
lit was" said he. 4" in 1868 that after
hard days work l reached home and
lost no time in retiring. Glancing at
the clock as turned OIL the gas noticed
that 1t was just l6 minutes after mid
night.
"Shall tell you at this point how
long was dreaming or tell first what
did in my dreamf That you all may
better appreciate what was done, will
defer the matter until the end. Bear in
mind that what is to be told was all in
the dream. Seated in the old office on
Commercial street, above Montgomery,
was endeavoring TO put into presentable
shape the facts of trial that had taken
place in the district court, when in came
+. A. Rockwell, who was the chief edi-
torial writer, and calling me by name
said: You had better get ready and 90
to San Leandro. There has been ter
rible railroad accident. There's so or 90
people killed, and l don't know how
many injured George Il. Barnes, at
that time one OF the proprietors and
managing editors, had overheard Rock.
well, and in that quiet way of his sug-
gested that no time be lost In reaching
Oakland, and there procuring a buggy
and pair of horses. go to San Leandro
or wherever the accident was.
BRUSHING down to the ferry landing
at the corner Of Pacific and Davis streets,
l reached there in time I'D find that the
steamer for the other side of the bay had
just pulled out, and that would have
to wait half an hour for the next boat.
The delay was vexatious, and then when
the ferryboat did move eastward Il
seemed as II she would never make her
landing, she seemed to be going so slow
ly. When the slip on the other side was
the local train, and there was not any
prospect OF starting for an hour or
more. There was not team of any
kind at the landing, 80 | had to walk to
Oakland.
"A desire to make up for the time Iost
urged me on, and think the time made
from the landing TO Broadway and Wash
ington street has never been beaten by
man. Near the corner | went into
livery stable and ordered pair of horses
hitched up. There was a delay there,
for the proprietor had his doubts about
the ability of the team making the trip
out and back. Finally | started, and the
way those horses flew over the road was
a caution. When the scene of the disas.
ter, some distance beyond San Leandro,
about Ia miles from oakland, was reached,
/ proceeded at once to gather the facts.
"Down on the notebook were penciled
the names OF 80 odd men, women and
children who had either been killed out
right or burned to death in some OF the
cars which had caught fire. Then fol-
lowed the names OF about 40 who had
been injured, description of their in
juries and the opinions Of the physicians
who were In attendance as TO the posi-
BILE outcome In each case. Now, any of
you who have had experience in gather
ing information of that kind can fully
appreciate that il WAS not cbild's play,
for the injured were In different places,
and it required time to get around to
them all
Then there was the obtaining Of data
about the dead. A number Of them were
well known residents Of this city, Others
were from San Jose, so il became neces.
sary TO obtain enough TO give ench do.
cent obituary notice. In addition to
this IL became n part OF my duty 10 gc<
the statements of passengers, so as TO
describe their feelings when the train
derailed and went over on its side down
a little gully and be able TO write up
the narrow or fortunate escape of each.
Then there were railroad officials TO in
terview, and, as you all know, they are
the hardest kind OF people to obtain facts
from.
"Well, IL took nearly three hours to
get all the matter that was needed for a
sensational article that was TO appear
under half column scare head. Then
there was the ride back 10 Oakland
settlement with the livery stable man,
who swore that he would never rent a
team> 10 newspaper man again, rush
10 hack TO the ferry landing and the
trip to this city. Without waiting to
get anything 10 eat made my way TO
the Office and at once commenced 10 write
up, telling every one who came to ask
for details TO let me alone. / did not !
write in copper plate style, aud for that /
matter never did, but wrote and kept |
Dn writing until he'd enough TO fill |
what would make about four columns OF /
The Call Of the present day and wrote I
hat big scare head. As handed the |
ast line to the foreman TO set up 1 !
Deaved a sigh of relief and exclaimed, |
Thank goodness, that's doner That is
ny dream.
"At that moment felt hand on my
,houlder, jumped from the bed and
heard my wife ask, What are you dream
ng aboutl liz the gas, looked at the
.Is.nL .uH Htaory.r,1 L.t ..s.a Trl