Evening journal., 1893-09-15
ALL In ONE DREAM.
WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY A MAN IN
A SHORT SPACE OF TIME.

ness with Which the Mind Works When
It Is Supposed to Bc Taking a Rest-How
Long II Took to DO Ten Hours work.
A few evenings since a number Of
newspaper men were in an Office await
ing the arrival of n gentleman who was
to call together n meeting that they had
been directed to report for their respec-
kive papers.
A number Of topics was discussed,
and one Of these was dreams and the
extreme rapidity with which mental
operations are performed. A number Of
experiences were given, but the one that
attracted the most attention was thOt Of
a Call representative, who narrated what
he had done in a dream.
1t was" said he, Gin 1868 that after
q hard days work reached home and
lost no time in retiring. Glaneing at
the clock as 1 turned off the gas noticed
that it was just 10 minutes after mid
night.
"Shall / tell you at this point how long
was dreaming or tell first what did
in my dream? That you all may better
appreciate what was done, will defer
the matter until the end. Bear in mind
that what is to sbe told was all in the
dream Seated in the old ofiioaon Com
mercial street, above Montgomery, 1 was
endeavoring TO put into presentable
shape the facts Of trial that had taken
place in the district court, when in came
+. A. Rockwell, wko was the chief ed
itorial writer, and calling me by name
said: You had better get ready and 90
| taSan Leandro. There's been a terri
BILE railroad accident. There's 90 or 60
people killed, and I don't know how
many injured George E. 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, TO go to San Lean
dro or wherever the accident was.
Rushing down to the ferry landing
at the corner of Pacific and Davis streets,
/ reached there in time to find that the
steamer for the other side Of the bay had
just pulled out, and that l would have
to wait half an hour for the next boat.
The delay was vexatious, and then when
the ferryboat did move eastwardit seem
ed az if she would never make her land
ing, she seemed to be going so slowly.
When the slip on the other side was
reached, there was some accident TO the
local train, and there was not any pro.
spect of starting FOR an hour or more,
There was not team Of any kind at the
landing, 50 had to walk to Oakland
"a desire to make up for the time lost
urged me on, and think the time made
from the landing to Broadway and
Washington street has never been beaten
by man. Near the corner went into q
livery stable and ordered pair of horse:
hitched up. There was delay there
FOR the proprietor had his doubts about
the ability Of tho team making the triI
out and back. Finally 1 startsd, anC
the way those horses few over the road
was a caution. When the scene Of tn,
disaster, some distance beyond San lie
andre, about IA miles from Oakland
was reached, 1 proceeded at once L
gather the facts.
Down ON the notebook were pencilet
the names Of 80 odd men, women anC
children who had either been killed out
right or burned to death in some Of th,
cars which had caught fire. Then fol
lowed the names Of about 40 who haS
been injured, description of their in
juries and the opinions of the physician
: who were in attendance as to the posi-
bic outcome in each case. Now, any o
D you who have had experience in gather
ing information Of that kind can full,
appreciate that it was not child's play
for the Injured were in different places
! and it required time TO get around t,
them all.
/ "Then there was the obtaining of dat
/ about the dead. Anumber of them wer
] well known residents of this city, other
$ were from San Jose, so it became neces
: fary to obtain enough to give each a de
cent obituary notice. In addition to thi
it became part of my duty to get tn
statements of passengers, 80 as to de
: scribe their feelings whfR the train dc
rallied and went over on its side down
little gully and be able to write up tn
. I LdAAOM VI AAANunaAJ EcldIc VI Null
a Then there were railroad officials to In
j. terview, and, as you all know, they ar
the hardest kind of people to obtain fact
from.
\ "Well, it took nearly three hours t
get all the matter that was needed for
sensational article that was to appea
l. under a half column scare head. The
G there was the ride back TO Oakland SCI
, tlement with the livery stable man, VIII
y swore that he would never rent teal
to newspaper man again, a rush in
hack to the ferry landing and the trip
this city. Without waiting to get an,
thing TO eat made my way to the offiC
m and at once commenced to write up, tel
ing every one who came to ask for d
tails to let me alone. / did not write
is copper plate style, and far that matter
l., never did, but wrote and kept on wri
IN ing until had enough to fill what woul
O. make about four full columns Of The Ca
of the present day and wrote that b
J. scare head. AS / handed the last lin
y to the foreman to set up heaved a sis
u snnI....1-