Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-12-23
PRESENCE or MIND.
Hew . stan who Had u Pronted by the
scheme of Ono who Hadn't II.

Presence Of mind and bravery In the
face OF peril was being discussed In the
Office of w. r. Busenbark. general man.
ager of the Maple Leaf route. The cap
sizing Of n yacht of the lake front the
day before suggested the theme. After
listening to the thrilling experiences
which each of the group present related
and somehow on the occasion Of an
exceptional accident people are prone to
talk thrillingly of what they have passed
through thenselves-Mr. Buscnbark told
. story.
He did not need 10 call our fancy to
his aid 20 give interest TO his tale. He
had been the central figure in the well
remembered burning Of the Ncwhall
hotel, In Milwaukee,. being the only per-
son above the second floor who did not
perish in the terrible fire.
Referring to the manner in which he
escaped, he said he owed his life TO the
fact that man who was burned TO ashes
In the flames the same night told him
how he would try 10 save his life in ease
Of fire.
This Is how 1t was, boys" said Mr..
Busenhark. II got orders from my road
TO meet one OF our agents named Ware,
who was TO be transferred from Detroit
TO Milwaukee,. and introduce him 10 our
patrons in the Cream City. Joined
him here In Chicago. and we went Ia
Milwaukee together. Il was tho day OF
the Newhall hotel fire. On tho trip. by
u strange coincidence. we began talking
about fires. Ware. | think. brought ny
the topic. Yes, it was Ware; and what
started him on the subject was the fact
that he had witnessed big fire in the
Western Union building at Detroit, al
which five lives were lost Isn't 1t curl.
Gus, Busenbark,' said Ware TO me, how
/ common sense will desert a man In the
hour of danger? | saw tho big fire In
Detroit.
"a number of operators could bs
seen standing helplessly and in wild do
spair at the windows Of the Western
Union building. There was n perfect
network Of telegraph wires within
twenty feet Of them, by jumping on
which they might have saved theiI
lives. But they didn't jump and they
perishcd- What is puzxling is that thu
telegraph wires "a means Of escape fol
the poor fellows did not occur 10 IN,
until after all was over
"sNo accounting for these things
Ware said to the Detroit man, an,
then we talked about other matters.
THAT evening, after arriving Mt Mil
waukee, we went to the theater. ~
member II as IL 1t was but yesterday
About II o'clock we reached the New
hall and were given a double beddc
room When | was awakened by th
heat and sitting smoke pulled War
out OF bed, and the poor fellow dashe
from the room and toward the staircass
| never saw him again. alive or dead
for he was burned TO ashes. rushed :
one of the windows Of my room an
stood for fully half minute, dazed an
bewildered. Right under the windo'
was q network Of telegraph wires. Poo
Wares story Of tho Detroit inciden
Eashed across my mind.
81 jumped toward the wires, and n
that remember Is that grabbed then
They told me afterward that | hung o
for about a minute and then fell TO III
, pavement below. was put among II
, dead in the old bank across from Il
. hotel, but | revived, and two montl
later was able 10 walk.
"Ware inspired me with the idea thu
. saved my life. and while he had ii
! same opportunity as | had he did n,
, avail himself of 1t.
at is idle, boys, to talk of what on
would be sure to do under given circun
J stances. There Is no accounting q
, what man will do when he Is lookir
. into the jaws of death"
: All the boys looked thoughtful al
: agreed that 1t was so.-Chicago Heral