Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-02-28
ELI PERKINS RIDE.
HOW AND WHEN HE LOST HIS REP
UTATloN FOR VERAclTY.

A Thrilling Experience on One of the Csld-
est Nights of Cold Winter In Iowa-A
Telegram That Was Inspired by the Ann
bition of Candidate For Congress-.
have Travelled over the Alps when
we started on wheols in Italy, were put
on runners at the monasteries Of st. Ber-
nard and the next day came tumbling
down into the wheatfields Of Switzer-
land and the Rhone. Then / have jim
rikishad through Japan and wheelbar-
rowed in China. But tho most exciting
trip Of my life was taken in our own
country, out i'll Iowa. 1t was one of the
coldest night of cold winter. Ilectured
for the college at Usage City, northeast
from Cedar Rapids, one night, and the
next night was to be at Grinnell col
iegc, near Des Moines. I had to ride
down through the central part Of Iowa,
on the old Iowa Central road. To do
this was compelled to drive 80 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 a
northwest storm, with the thermometer
l5 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 hurricane, and
even our hot soapstone took to the wind.
Once we got to oircling around on that
80 mile prairie, and the driver threw up
his frozen hands and screamed:
"We's lostr'
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 peoplel remember well how
rolled out of the sleigh and tottered up
to the station door. It was all dark
within. Iknew the morning train hadn't
gone. We had won, but, oh, with what
costl
Knocking on the door, then pounding
louder, the agent finally opened it,
"Has the 5 O'Clock train gone south
to Grinnell?" asked, with tremulous
voico.
WHAT"
@ elias the train gone south?"
He looked at me in amazement and
said:
..Gone, mani Gone? Why, she went
last September. She is a summer train.
But, z and he looked kindly at me, "she
will 20 again in June. If you must sc
on her, you can sit around here in the
depot and wait. "
What did do?
Why, Invent right over to log hotel
and went to bed, and sleep smothered
my sorrows.
Sleepl Sleepi
At 10 o'clock I crawled over to thu
depot and opened the wires on Presi
dent j. B. Grinnell of the Iowa Central
This, by the way, was the original maj
whom Greeley told to '.go west. = Grin
nell went west, and it was he wht
founded the city of Grinnell, where
was to lecture. He built the colleg'
there. The railroad, the town, the col
lege and the lecture course were all his
And threw myself into his arms will
this telegram:
please give me an engine. Get mi
| to Grinnell tonightp"
ANY engines needing repairs at Ma
son City? If so, send Perkins down.
came over the wire from Grinnell.
"No. wants new firebox, wen
the answer.
20. X. Send with Perkins. Ge
him here or kill him. replied Grinnell
In 80 minutes we were off. We wen
bounding over tho old iron rails between
| Ackley and Marshalltown, and how W,
fIewi Villages became splotches of ma
room paint Telegraph poles blurred lik
wagon spokes in the sun.
We blew the whistle, but the trail
beat the sound into Marshalltown, ant
the agent came out and looked tn
wrong way. We had passed the town
and the whistle was still behind.
Well, we got to Grinncll and strucl
the audience on the stroke Of s. Presi
dent Grinnell hadn't told them abou
the ride. The audience thorght cam
on regular train or drove over from
tho next station. When tried to tel
7 A.. = 4.