The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-28

PEELED to give up his studies. He was
compelled to give up the Christian min
lstry, for which he was preparing. To-
day he is the wreck of a man. living
among the hills Of southern California,
far away from a railroad line, struggling
on fruit ranch for a livelihood. The
price paid for that days work was the
health and strength of lifetime, but he
saved seventeen human lives. Between
his Journeys into the waves he stood before
a blazing fire, was covered with blankets,
and drank strong stimuants in order to
keep his limbs from cramping. But each
time an unfortunate one came near the
breakers, if he was able to go, he threw
on his encumbrances and plunged again
into the water.
AT first he wore the rope upon his arm,
but coming to piece of debris to which
a drowning person was clinging, the
wreckage struck him in the face and he
commenced to bleed profusely. The crowd
on shore, alarmed for his safety, COM
menced pulling in the line prematurely
before he had hold of the drowning per-
son. de threw off the rope clutched the
man, and brought him safely ashore with
out the help of the rope
Walking up on the beach he saw gen.
tleman sitting in an elegant carriage who
had evidently come to the lake with the
coachman from his suburban home He
said to this gentleman: These people
have almost killed me, and another acct
dent may take my life without my having
done my work. VIII you consent to man
age my rope for me, not allowing the
people to pull until give the signal} If
you do this you shall have half the credit
Tor anything | may be able to do.n The
gentleman consented, and for five hours
managed the rope. He was thus largely
instrumental in the work my roommate
did.
The last person saved that day was a
man who was coming ashore in a difficult
part of the surf, where the bank was high
and precipitous. Anyone reaching the
shore there would be pounded TO death on
the steep bank. Those who came to this
part OF the surf were absolutely lost, as
IL seemed more than a mans life was
worth to save them. My roommate saw
this man with one arm clinging to a piece
OF wreck, while he held in the other a
bundle, supposed to contain silverplate or
some other precious thing wrapped up in
bit of clothing. A sudden lift of the
waves brought the man and the raft into
full view, and there streamed out from
the bundle tress of hair eighteen inches
long. Then my friend knew that the man
was trying to save his wife, and said to
those about him: Cost what il may,
will save that man or die in the attempt"
He ran down the breach, following the
retreating wave, knelt down as closely as
possible to the sand. and let the return
wave pound him. When next seen he was
far into the water He swan to the
piece of raft TO which the two were cling
ing. When within six or eight feet OF
them the man cried out: "Save my wife,
Save my wifel" The brave swimmer
said: Eyes. I'll save your wife and you,
too" Fastening his hands in their cloth
ing at the back of their necks, he said:
81 can sustain you in the water, but you
must swim for your lives and mine. We
must push up northward and get beyond
this dangerous surf if we are to be saved
at all" To the joy of the Unlocking
spectators he came safely TO shore with
both unfortuuates, for whom he had so
bravely imperiled his life
The daily papers were full of praises.
The illustrated papers of New York and
London contained his picture, but when
we were alone in our room it was pitiful
to see him. His face would turn ashen
pale and he would turn his great hungry
eyes on me and say: Tell me the truth.
Will, everybody praises me. Tell me the
truth. Did fail to do my bestl" He
did not ask: "Did / do as well as some
one else}' They went without asking
He did not ask: did do as well as
any man on Cod footstool2" l think he
might have answered that question in
the Affirmative The question that ran
through him like a poisoned dagger as he
remembered the 300 and more who lost
their lives in sight, and most of them in
hearing of land-the one supreme ques-
ton was: did do my best("