Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-10-19
JOURNEY THAT FAILED.

A young Detroit autnOr VINO rs
making quite deal of literary repu-
aation BY the local color he infuses
into his writings about places he never
saw, was doing some talking the other
evening to few friends.
IL once read" he said, "that Kip
ling travelled 1000 miles to get the
impression of a man who went down
in a ship at sea and was lucky enough
40 come up again 1t struck me at
once that this was the secret of Kip
ling's success. The faithfulness of
detail. and above all. the truth of it
vas what scored
became enthused with the idea
uhat this was the key to the situation,
and resolved to put the same into prac-
1ice and reap the benefit myself. 1t
was only IA short time before an ex-
cellent chance offered.
II was writing a story in which the
hero while ascending the Matterhorn
slides down the glacier, and when
just at the verge of an awful precipice
catches twig protruding from the
snow, which is gradually uprooted.
At the last moment he is saved by
the heroine, who throws to him rope
she has formed by tying together her
leather belt, wealth Of sunny hair,
strips of clothing, and imported Ro-
man stripe sheer silk four-ip-hand tie.
lone day. while the twig had been
slowly uprooting itself for more than
three hours, and | was pulling my
brain to imagine what the hero ought
to be thinking Of and doing besides
catching cold, | threw aside my pen
and picked up newspaper to give my
Brain a rest
% The first item that caught my eye
was the following:
Columbus, O., July 15.-Martir
Gallagher, a workman employed in
repairing the tower Of the city hall
had a narrow escape to-day from a hOr
rible death. He lost his footing anC
fell sliding down the steep roof of tho
building with terrific CELEBRITY. A nail
accidentally protruding, caught il
his garments and held him at the edge
suspended above the stone pavement
100 feet below. 1t was fully l ) min
utes before his companions could rig
a tackle and rescue him from his fear
8nl predicament'
%'Here was my chance to Guido Kip
Hing. | would 90 to Columbus, in
terview Gallagher, record his impress
-sions. which must have been exactly
similar to those Of my hero, and by
their thrilling realism create a SEN
sation throughout the literary world.
Il packed my yalise, bought a ticket
for Columbus, and, leaving my hero
on ice, started out, determined to pro-
cure for him some realistic and blood
curdIing reflections Of the best Ohio
brand.
when arrived ! took out my note
Book and pencil and hunted up the
city hall. Gallagher was still Lold-
ing his job, and | found him seated
-Ou step, eating his dinner. lie was
a solemn-looking man, as beftted one
who had experienced such a narrow
escape
Mr. Gallagher ! began, 4 am
a celebr-an author-whO writes sto-
ries and things. ! read about your
remarkable escape, and | want you
10 tell me about it, I then talked
some more. and explained that
wanted to know how he felt, and what
thoughts we're in his mind while he
was hung up on the nail.
"'0i don't mind tellin' yez,' he
said, 'av Yell write it up like OF
tell yez, 1t was all along Of that
mhurderin' scutt av a Dempsy Shee-
han. Says Dempsy: cts the growl-
er Oil be afther rushin'," says he,
-'av Yell all chip in"
'''"Tt's a long ways" says Oh, "fol
a man wild as dhry ait'roat as Demp-
sy's got to bring beer widout it.
shrinkin' quart or so on TAe way
but we'll thry him wan time"
"They was six ay us, and We
Clipped in a doime apiece, and dowr
wint Dempsy wild the can. Win 0
fought he'd had tonne to raich th,
corner on the way back Oh leaned
out the windy av the bilfry and M
fut slipped, and whoosh! Oh win
hilltoshplit down the ruff
"What thoughts were in YOU
mind when you first fell, Mr., Gale
gher3 | asked, eagerly, getting my
pencil ready
"'Diyil fought, said Gallagher
'Oi lift me t'onghts in the tower
Win Oh shtrucl1 the nail wild the
safe az me trous'is Oh fought ay the
soime whin Oh fust landed in New