The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-02-08
SAC JONES rELLs Asroay.
The Best OF All Swimmers. and
How He Played a Joke on
a Crowd.

/ From the JohrstoFu Tribune
Al Old Johastoxners remember and hsgs
= very kiad feeling fo- Isaae Jones, ~ho il
hiz time. has startled them BY saIiiEg from
the top Of the Company Store building L
the cellar. and surprised tkeui ~ nos sns-
tanning any more serious injuries than the
occasion seemed . require: who has won
their gratitude b. repeatedly diving for ,as
bodies Of drowned persons and a. saws fad
ing them, snd who no matter how you
take hi1, IS Que Of the best and most help
foil Of men,
That's Isaac Jones. Mr. Jones parted
with Johnsiewn a nnmber Of years ag3 znd
has since lived in Somerset, taking an &C.
easional tumble from a building. just to
keep his hAndin. Yesterday he was back At
the old home. but il Is no part OF our inten-
ton in this narrative to say that the object
Of bis visit was 70 bag acradle for the new
baby Which yesterday morning came to
cheer him in bis old age
We started out TO speak Of Mr.. Jones
proves as a swimmer. for as such he exesls,
and Il Was il 4 conversation about the old
days thar We drew from him the substance
for what appears below.
Mr.. Jones Was born With aiiking for water
ard is stiIl a strong lsmpsrancs man At an
early age be went 10 sea, and for several
yeArs vas sailor. BE il not the man Eao
jumped overheard from szilt steamer, in
the middle Of ne ocean unknown TO the
crew, sad, after playing around for an hour
or two, caught up with the ship before it
reached port; bet when bis vessel was at
anchor he often .'tJok heldef'' aud dived
into the b,us aud briny deep a hundred feet
or 50, aud then, coming up for ozone, dis
ported among the fshes far as long as two
hears al tine swimming miles, firth aad
back, before returning 70 the ship
Alr Jones reputation as 4 swimmer and
diver was 30 well known, and he had given
such frequent exhibitions Of his skill afeer
coming % liye here, that impossible stories
were told about what he could do in tha;
line, and he once engaged in bit OF harm
less deception which many who saw or
heard Of bis wonderful isat may not to
this day know vas only one Of his tricks"
Mr.. Jones was enc ola crowd who were
enjoying = bath in the stonycreek, above
the Rocks, One evening after dusk, and
had done some remarkable divieg which
made the kids Of that day open their eyes
and mouths in wonder. de was asked how
long be could stay under water and said
s Eve minutes, easily, and then the mouths
and eyes opened wider
Some one said that was physical impos-
si5ility, and then Mr.. Jones quietly took
one of the older swimmers into his conf
dence. posted him in the middle OF the
creek in Ester up to his waist, took big
stone il his hands. Is he explained 10 keep
him down, aad diTed head fist, into TIE
deep hole As be cut the water there
was = little splash. and al was sill The
minutes passed, and the boys began TO wish
they hadn't urged him 70 the test. Three,
four minutes BY somsbody's waica, and still
the famous diver was hogging the bottom Of
the creek, hanging on to his ballast The
suspense wss painful TIE crowd felt sure
ne vas drowned, and several suggested div
ing for his body. Dat no hero stepped for
ward 10 perform the act
&r. Jones did not have bis watch along.
bur from the shelter OF his friends body out
there in the creek, 70 which he had swan
under the water with swift aud silent strokes
he cs1l3 tell by the actions Of the crowd
when the tine vas up, and then, swimming
back uzder the water &c rear where be had
dropped the stone, he came up, ike a sec
oad old Neptune, before the sst0nished eyes
Of the waiting crowd, and. With big gasp
TO complete the deception. convinced them
that be had really stayed under water Eve
minutes and more
Mr.. Jones IS now getting 10 be an old man.
bat he Is still vigorous, and be told as yes
tesd4y tha. he would not be afraid 10 under
take &c swim the Mississippi River with his
hands and feet tied acd We believed hin