The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-04-09
WITHIN AN INCH
OF ETERNITY.

The windows OF the restaurant were
] open, and the cool, fragrant air Of the
spring night was struggling with the
smoke-laden atmosphere Of the room.
A glance out Of doors showed the
azure sky and the brilliant full moon,
whose glimmering blush rays shone
through the young LEAKAGE of the bios
somlng trees, which sWayed gently to
and fro before the windows in the
light breeze. But nothing was more
remote from the minds Of our circle,
which met every evening at certain
table for social intercourse, than poet
ical ideas. The club, of which I was
one, consisted principally of worthy
citizens, who had a far greater liking
for bright gaslight than for dim moon
light, and who appreciated the charms
of a good supper much more than the
spell Of the loveliest spring night. The
topic Of our conversation was prosaic
town gossip, which, as usual, gradu-
ally merged into foolish talk about
politics OF discussions concerning the
government, the theater, high taxes
and similar subjects. BY connection
of ideas which do not now recall, the
question had arisen whether it was
credible that persons hair could sud
denly turn gray from violent mental
excitement. Part Of the company re-
ceived the anecdote current about such
cases with slight doubts, while others
most pitilessly derided persons who
were simple enough to believe such
nursery tales.
Just as the conversation became
most animated, a man of unusual
height and herculean frame, whom we
had not previously noticed, rose from
a side table and approached us. His
Intelligent features, which bore the
stamp Of resolution, seemed spiritual
lied by the large. kindly blue eyes,
But the most striking popularity in
his appearance was the snow-white
hair and the gray beard framing his
face which, at the utmost, indicated
an age Of only thirty-five years.
Pardon me if I enter into your con-
versation," he said, bowling courte-
= ously"You are speaking of subject
which greatly interests me. I myself
am a living proof that terrible mental
agitation really does exert the physi-
cal influence which you all Doubt
His words awakened the utmost in
terest. We made room for him at our
table, and, after he had taken his seat
unanimously urged him to tell us what
had caused the whitenesS Of his hair.
The stranger feigned no undue mod
esty, but yielded to our entreaties and
related the following story:
eff you have ever paid any attention
to American affairs, the name of Au-
burn cannot be unfamiliar; it has
about the same significance in the
United States as Spielberg has in AUS
tria. You must not imagine Auburn
as an immense gloomy prison, a single
large building. but rather whole col
ony of criminals, metropolis of the
miserable outcasts of society. Enclosed
by enormous walls, which rise men
acingly to a, considerable height above
the plain, are a great number Of sin
gle structures. houses which contain
the cells Of the prisoners. the resi-
dences of the wardens, barracks. hos
pitfalls and workshops, all desolate and
dreary, with here and there a bit of
turf, a row of trees, a bed of flowers.
like an innocent memory of childhood
among the evil thoughts of a criminal.
circumstances which I will not
weary you with recounting had led me.
after completing my education in my
native city, Hamburg to America, and
after a brief time in New York I found
myself prison surgeon in Auburn.
which, as perhaps you know, is in the
State Of New York.
II had charge of a part Of the prison
which contained the worst criminals,
b. men, or rather human hyenaS. to
whom blood had ceased to be a very
special liquid, as Mephistopheles terms
& it. Two, who were condemned to life
long Imprisonment in the institution
and were distinguished among the 9TH
ers by great bodily strength. craftiness
land intelligence, had in consequence
of repeated bold and cunning attempts
Ito escape, been placed under more
rigid oversight than the rest. l had
incurred their special hate because I
had once caused the discovery of sew
,eral iron tools, which-heaven knows
how obtained-they had concealed un-
der their clothing, and on another oc-
casion discovered that they were
shamming when, on the plea of illness,
they desired to be placed in the hos
pital, probably because they hoped to
! find the conditions there more favora-
bic for their plans Of escape. The
scoundrels were separated and heavily
chained, but nevertheless one morning
one and a few days later the other
vanished, chains an all, without leav-
ing a trace. About a fortnight after
ward l went to Cayuga Bridge on some
private business.
ct was noon when I reached the
z end of my ride. and gazed with de-
light at the sunlit landscape before my
eyes. Cayuga lake, one of those which
form the network of the inland lakes
in New Iork. lay before me in it's pc
culiar loneliness. Between rugged,
rocky shores, confronting each other
like sullen foes, the long, narrow sheet
of silver extended its clear surface as
if striving to reconcile the two enc
= mics who had stared defiantly at each
other for centuries. Across the lake.
which is about forty miles long, and,
4 at this point, a mile wide, the railway
trains ran on an immense wooden
bridge, a marvel of American enter
prise, which has q station at Cayuga
Bridge, an insignificant village.
My business was soon completed,