The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-02-28

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there would be a regular stampede, for
the house vas full and the one exit mar
row, and down a winding stairway. I
have always said that the exit should
be more ample where we speak, but l
cannot seem to get any one to listen to
it.
Women tainted, for the rumors were
that the fire was in the store below. at
the academy and at the depot. The
engine house was across the street, and
the tiremen made considerable noise,
many Of them being in the audience
when the alarm was given.
A panic was well started, and crazed
men stood up IN the seats and yelled,
while the ladies wrung their hands,
but showed more sense than the men.
One stranger arranged his overcoat 50
that it resembled a fainting woman
and politely passed through the crowd
:" t. save the life of one who was dear
to him" When he got out, he put on
his Overcoat and asked to have his
money back.
1t was a terrible scene and one long
to be remembered. The crowd surged
toward the door, and little children
cried as they were trampled and
! crushed.
1t was then that l came upon the
stage, and kicking aside the heliotropes
~tuOerOses with which the stage had
been showered on my former appear
ance and tossing back my hair l burst
forth into song.
1 sang "Oh, Bury Me Not In the
Deep, Deep Sea" till there was breath
less silence, and people came back to
their in wonder and amazement
Even the fire company came back and
listened to it while the fire went out.
It is a wonderful gift to be able thus
to appeal 10 the hearts of humanity
and make people forget other horrors
by calling them to confront a greater
one
Last month we visi ed Kentucky for
a short time. 1t was during the cold
spell which surprised and astonished
one and all. The Kentucky hotels are
not made generally for Siberian weather
and we got very little blubber On the
bill of ARE, but every landlord did the
best he could. Its not possible, though,
to warm a large airy room in such
weather with a little watch pocket
grateful Of coal. You might as we'll
fire a bottle of koumiss into the heart
of a snowman and expect to get up a
healthy glow.
Our entire troop and the business
manager slept in the same room at q
hotel in West Virginia, and at 2:55
a. m. we arose, picked out our differ
ent clothes, put them on and walked
across the Kanawaha river on an ele-
waited iron bridge.
"Oh, how cold it wasl The wind
cut like a knife. How cold the sky
looked "ShaII l perish here a~lone2'
1 asked myself, but could get no reply
only a low moan. The Don came out,
but seemed to retire that it might not
see my suffering.
l was so cold that the vertebra of my
nose cracked when 1 tried to rub it
into life. Frost formed on my spec
tacle5 20 that [ could MT see. Now
and then l could see the light of a
happy home where the husband had
Just returned from his work at that
early hour, staggering, for he was
trying to support a jug instead of those
who loved him. Then frost would OBJ
scure my vision as my breath lit on
my glasses.
My ~patienceI" l exclaimed with an
agonizing shrek, must l freeze here
in the south and be found here by
straAgers7"
The train was an hour late.
Eight colored men, who were fully
the equals of the white man in
~intellect-if you will let me pick
the white man-were ~slumberlng
in the waiting Don One Of them
slumbered like a croupy elephant. Ills
shirt was open and 1 could see his dark
! throat where it fastened on his massive
trunk. l could also see his trunk.
He had a home near by, but he
would not go to it. He had been told
many times to go there, but he still
Ioafed and slept in the waiting room.
Now and then the agent would go out
AMI get a coal scoopfull of now and
put in the cOIored mans trunk. 1t did
not crack the snow. When he woke
up he would get on his feet, let the
snow fall out at the lower end of his
trousers legs, and then he would seek
much needed rest. 4 healthy colored
man IL NOT pasiIv irritated. The agent