The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-09-27
What is death?
ALL IN ONE DREAM.
WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY A MAN IN
A SHORT SPACE OF TIME.

A story Showing the Remarkable Swift
ness with which the Mind Works When
IT Is supposed to Re Taking a Rest-How
Long 1t Took to DO Ten Hours Work.
A few evenings since a number of
newspaper men were in an office await
hg the arrival of a gentleman who was
tocaIl together a 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 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 that of
aCal representative, who narrated what
be had done in a dream
1T was, said he, ''in 1868 that after
ahard days work | reached home and
lost no time in retiring. CHANGING at
the clock as l turned off the gas noticed
that it was just is 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 be told was all in the
dream Seated in the old Office on Com
mercial 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
E. A. Rockwell, who was the chief ed
itOrial writer, and calling me by name
said: You had better get ready and go
to San Leandro. There's been terri
bic railroad accident. There's so or 60
people killed, and | don't know how
many injured George E. Barnes, at
that time one of the proprietors and
managing editors. had overheard Rock
we'll, 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,
Preached there in time to 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 eastwardit SEEM
ed as 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, so | 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
Dy man. Near the corner | went into
livery stable and ordered pair Of horses
htched up. There was a delay there,
Tor 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 caution. When the scene of the
disaster, some distance beyond San Lee
andre, about ii miles from Oakland,
was reached, proceeded at once to
gather the facts.
Down on the notebook were penciled
Tue names of 30 odd men, women and
children who had either been killed out
right or burned to death in some OF the
ears which had caught fire. Then fol-
oWed the names Of about 40 who had
Deen injured. description of their in
Jufles and the opinions of the physicians
VINO We're in attendance as to the posi-
Ue outcome in each case. Now, any OF
you who have had experience in gather
mS information of that kind can fully
appreciate that it was not child's play
'Or The injured were in different places,
them all
=, Then there was the obtaining of data
aO0ut the dead. A number of them We're
wen known residents of this city, others
, "eFe from San Jose, SO it became neces-
o a1y to obtain enough to give each a-de-
cut obituary notice. In addition to this
~. became part of my duty to get the
,o a.elnents of passengers. so as TO de-
~ 'Oe their feelings when the train de-
r .led and went over on its side down a
SA7 gully and be able TO write up the
s. INV or terminate escaes Of each-