Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-04-20
ELI PERKINS RIDE.
HOW AND WHEN HE LOST HIS REP
uTATlON FOR VERAClTY.

Thrilling Experience on One of tie Cold
est Nights of a Cold Winter In Iowa-A
Telegram That Was Inspired by the AMI
bition of a Candidate For Congress.
have Travelled over the Alps when
we started on wheels in Italy, wero put
OH runners at the mOnasteries of st. Ber-
nard and the next day came tumbling
down into the wheatfiolds of Switzer-
land and the Rhone. Then l have jim
rikishad through Japan and wheelbar,
rowed in China. But the most exciting
trip of my life was taken in our own
country, out in Iowa. 1t was one of the
coldest night of cold winter. l lectured
for the college at Usage City, northeast
from Cedar Rapids one night, and the
next night | was to be at Grinnell col
lege, near Des Moines. l had to ride
down through the central part of Iowa,
on the old Iowa Central road. To do
this was compelled to drive 30 miles
across the prairie, from Usage City to
Mason City, in order to strike 5 o'clock
morning train for Grinnell.
thirty miles over the prairie in
northwest storm, with the thermometer
15 degrees below zero, was test of
strength, nerve and bodily caloric. But
we made the trip. Once our sleigh tip
ped over, and our blankets and robes
blew away. 1t was a hurricane, and
even our hot soapstone took to the wind.
Once we got to circling around on that
30 mile prairie, and the driver threw up
his frozen hands and screamed:
"We's lost!"
But the stars came out, and we
whirled around toward the north star
and struggled on.
In the gray of the morning with what
joy we saw the struggling lights of the
little station of Mason City, now place
of s, 900 people! l remember well how
rolled out of the sleigh and tottered up
to the station door. 1t was all dark
within. knew the morning train hadn't
gone We had won, but, oh, with what
cost!
Knocking on the door, then pounding
louder, the agent finally opened it.
'Has the 5 o'clock train gone south
to Grinnell?' I asked, with tremulous
voice.
"What?'
elias the train gone south?"
He looked at me in amazement and
said:
"Gone, man! Gone? Why, she went
last September. She is summer train.
But" and he looked kindly at me, sho
will go again in June. If you must go
on her, you can sit around here in the
depot and wait. -
What did do?
Why, Iwent right over to log hotel
and went to bed, and sleep smothered
my sorrows.
Sleep! Sleep!
At 10 o'clock l crawled over to the
depot and opened the wires on Presi-
dent J. B. Grinnell of the Iowa Central.
This, by the way, was the original man
whom Greeley told to Ego west" Grin
nell went west, and it was he who
founded the city of Grinnell, where l
was to lecture. He built the college
there. The railroad, the town, the col
lege and the lecture course were all his.
And l threw myself into his arms with
this telegram:
"Please give me an engine. Get me
to Grinnell tonightP
"Any engines needing repairs at Ma
son City? If so, send Perkins down."
came over the wire from Grinnell.
mo. wants new firebox," went
the answer.
80. X. Send with Perkins. Get
him here or kill him, replied Grinnell.
In 80 minutes we were off. We went
bounding over tho old iron rails between
Ackley and Marshalltown, and how we
flew! Villages became splotches of ma
room paint. Telegraph poles blurred like
wagon spokes in the sun.
We blew the whistle, but the train
beat the sound into Marshalltown, and
the agent came out and looked the
wrong way. We had passed the town.
and the whistle was still behind.
Well, we got to Grinnell and struck
the audience ON the stroke of 8. Presi-
dent Grinnell hadn't told them about
the ride. The audience thought l came
on regular train or drove over from
the next station. When | tried to tell
them about my trip, they only laughed.
They didn't believe me- Alasl that was
the day, that was the night, that l lost
my reputation for veracity, and all these
years l have struggled to get it back. L
am vestryman now and member OF
the Young Mems Christian association,
but nothing will get back my lost ve-
racity, except perhaps this open con-
fession, now for the first time made.
When | asked the venerable President
Grinnell years afterward how he came
to telegraph, "Get Perkins to Grinnell
or kill him." he said:
"Well, my son, you see l was run
ming for congress then, and | didn't
have any record to run on. All had
done was to condemn land for right of
way and kill immigrants on our trains.
Twas dying for a record to run on-one
that would bring me the sympathy of
tho people, and it occurred-mind me, !"
he said it slowly, lit simply occurred
to me as business mani beg pardon
for saying it, and the tears came to
his eyes-"but it occurred to me if you
could be killed OH our train then, and
the people should find it out, why, I
would be nominated and unanimously
elected"
Then he added, with long sigh,
"Your coming and the lecture you de-
livered settled me with the people--1
was def e-d!"-Eli Perkins in
Magazine of Travel.
Portland, Or. is sald TO nave lzv