The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-05-09
HOW JOHN BECAME A HERO.
NEWSPAPER EXPERIENCE.
BY Robert l.. A dOInsOn,

by Robert l.. AdomsOn.
I was seated at my desk dashing off
accHnt of the big fire of that day, in which
two persons had pershed and from which
dozen had barely escaped, for the mOrroWs
paper. A half-dozen penciled pages, contain
ing the opening paragraphs OF the story or the
horrible occurrence lay before me. l wanted
to paint as vivid and realistic IL picture OF
the terrible as the character of the
matter demanded and stopping 1ur Il moment
l read through the Introductory sentences TO
my story.
Some one touched me gently on the shoulder
and L looked around sharply shy-looklng
Young with blonde lace and hair stood
nesitatingly my eipOw gazing inquirnsly
first at tue copy Oh my desk and tuen alvlv-
.etically ut His dress aud Appearance
mat OF mechanic. lie
slight OF Duilu ana stoop snOuidered. ms
small blue eyes shifted ABOUT uncertainty, and
the unevenIy featured face Was crossed anu
| lnickly intersecteu with lines uenoting weaK-
hess of character. When his eye caught mine
! lie shifted nerVOuSly upon MS 1eet ana Seeule1
! To be medItatlng precipitate hight. Rather i'm
patiently 1 ASKED Eim what l could do Tor
II just wanted to give you a-you air the
| one that's a-writlng 1t up, amt you! lie
sueaking very fast, and when 1 answered him
| with affirmative, he went on even more
| rapidly than before.
We'll did you git my namcdid they tell
| YOU IL was that run the ladder up and
saved the people III that other building? None
| of them tremen would do it; they afraid,
but done it, and everybody said was a fool
Looked like that wall going to fall every
minute The tiremen said so. and said there
wasn't chance for them people in the top
of the next building. They were just as
good as killed you might say, and when all
the rest of them was afraid TO go under that
was at. You didn't get my name?-I'm John
Griggs: Guess you know how to spell 1t
John Griegs. Lots of people know me:
OF all The fifteen men or Whereabouts who
had claimed the credit for running up that
ladder, John Griggs was the most interesting
despite his intense seriousness, did not stop
70 compliment him for his beroism, or to tell
him about the other fifteen pretcnders to the
"o "AI right, Griggs, all right" said anxious
to get back to my story, 1T was very brave
His sallow face flushed with pleasure, and
for a minute re was too nearly overcome by
his smiles and bushes b to c"mn1 ,ha+ wav?
he asked eagerly, his eyes Sparkling Just
say everybody can see 1t 'hm n 'o ond
hn's \ brave man. Say he's Drawer than any
of them ircmen. viii you put it in that
::SYcs." ! said evaslvcly; II will give you
all the credit you deserve: ,...
And Won won't forget" he cried eXnitantl!.
"yo MIl but but it in that way. It's John Griggs
vnn,Il remember the name? Here 1t Is. he
produced from his vest pocke, SIP o, lnaad
ON W" in rude misshapen letters. took it,
..hl right" said. ana turned to my work. mo
brave man The doctors sid was was h hmrt
bad but laughed at them I M,g'i' forget
Other ,x peop'e ont ' ncertainly listened to his
hating footsteps as he walked ON, anu hei iif
Mr'I', cord make them I told Of the fear1ni
Occurrences which was lnGcfl fo nn III" d,d not
like an tn ugly are ' rnii all poss6ity of saving
it was past Al they could n1e 80 a w"S thev S ala
u. =" rh' The flames started from bciow.
ing XIV 1nnsc volumes Of smoke poured up me
stairways and shut OF, c Storcs The SITUATION
rme 'apnalng dozen people on ,e sue one oa
the bning next to the f fast o SIRS"1 means Of
seemed vo doot through Windows. which were re
immelately beneath the , ",t'r" r. their aid
the burning nu nn than folly The mighty wall
would ne 1--WE Wog any moment 1t might give way
and fn as time of tcrribe sTsnen nn,oo ans
ernmc wa" shook their heads d1e onrH cried
wrune their han15 be 4 the agony agony of suspense
out fran} ;ts hHeicht Young man pushed ms
was tn al the crowd sras9ra SPED Of ' 4he rs
eeardinGJ II to the windows Tst thino the ne
s,ntic neople we're II was me- fe, Exactly
DO and no one VINO no1 m." Following the mad
h how IT % of the young haif IN n" nscap
neoplr rushed in to aSslS1 lawn (rT in moment.
ing Ine ON the ground hurried from nemfnsh
a ahe Wall All the while it h %aS saved but
In q mom ,Id I nj wall swayed and came
s4 hn ground with de9fsninG ctpsf the wreck.
Two people We're In mt the wild disorder that
e MmiInT was totally unable 70 co brayelv
who Who the young man +N WAS otherwise doomed
dted fne was given less than ors t H'At he
1nmcs of people who We're the aI hero who did
published [" m inv this class I assigned John
G the @ee and vent on with my story tge oce
'" irIn next day as | was goins 10 ,no oA0
m
get pretty g9 911oR RG named Grsss that was
ofhcer. 40 Are lives around there ana ne
h hldTn q they hey say Didn't think he was nur'
m4cH foI a, IN the place easily enough and John
rrirsss father met me ana a1t ard it hncame
nv GRAND took me to one size anu oe0""le
eon 9as he said, TREMENDOUSLY Johns a-dy'
ing lie would have it that ne warn H. 1 nnne
have for thp t h9d t ''t sGs p%y and
some newspaper, ZIG sen ntnsns e,t i w ''e
he amt S SnT q been Johns sweetheart learn
Cd by making discreet inquiries ana a. TOT rrtod .
long NM had Worked very hard and had about
conn comnleted arrangements for, the nuptials,
whgn rp4t new p on'f?s S haf J9hns
| mnnry Ferrington a member of the hre de-
parment and WITH his s, UNIFORM he soon G dstanced
| fohn in the race for Dollie Jones's hand
She became less gentle to John and IA less Esfo %
er.arh she now roundly scolded him for
o ond John bore It ali meeky To Dolle he. her
fireman lover was the embodiment OF All th ha
| was gallant and brave, and the contrast De-
| tween he and John was such as to show her
old lover Of in very pnp enp;t tbd l'she
ebe declared to John one day, why, Henry
T Fer is worth dozen Of Won Yours r,
afraid of your shadow and | am ashamed OF
! Won II was not long after that until the
final separation, which merged poor John
! into black despair.
| fold me chem words Of Dolle's about him
having no spirit 'peared to be always running
in his mind, and he never stopped talking
1t was not the John Griggs who had left