Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-03-26
"Here | Am, Mother. :"
TN 1884 was in one of the Ohio river
BY THORPE GREENLEAF.

y
mellow. open natures who have popu-
iarity for u birthright, and was soon
favorite in the town and hotel. lie
liked to come into my room and sing.
His voice was n deep bass; my room
mate, Manis, sang part that l was
never musician enough to name; Har-
rvs roommate, Jervis, sang rich
tenor; and L tried to carry the air. We
sang "Suwanee River" "Old Kentucky
Home" and such pieces occasionally,
but the old hymn tunes were best
adapted to our style of quartette, and l
nm obliged to say that we made some
good music on "Old Hundred" "Ses-
sions," Coronation" and like pieces.
On one occasion we sang, "Where Is
My Boy To-night?" and at its conclu-
sion Harry said:
"If you care to hear the story will
tell you where first heard that song"
"Tell it by all MEANS" said the rest
OF us.
81 will have to begin by saying that
until recently 1 was pretty reckless
chap. My father has always been n
railroad prospector and surveyor, and l
have been with him in camp ever since
I was mere kid. He is n good man,
the leader of choir in Evettsburg
where my mother frequently sings
solos. l never hope to hear anything
this side the glory gates that will sat
isfy me as well as my mothers voice In
the First Cumberland church, at
Evettsburg.
"Father was not careful enough
about my companions in camp, and
soon I had drifted long way from the
right. But learned his business, and
when / was about Is years old he put
me to work on one of his jobs. The pay
was not large, but it was nearly all
clear money and was too young to un-
derstand the proper disposal of so
much. got into the habit of spreeing
when went to Evettsburg, or when IA
ther was not in camp.
''Well, when I was about 90, we
reached point in job where we had
been two weeks in the rain and mud,
and got to the end of n section one
Thursday noon. Father said that we
would have to lay off until the next
plOhNldl DGNdlSC HIS IDlhllS lOl
the next section were not matured.
determined then and there toput in the
best part of the next three days at
Tvettsburg, on great old jamboree.
So walked back to the terminus, and
the two o'clock freight bumped and
banged me 40 miles to Evettsburg. Here
/ disappeared in a saloon downtown,
and was soon oblivious to surrounding
events. The saloonkeeper was careful
that my whereabouts should be kept
quiet, and bundled me into his own liv-
ing rooms when became unable to care
for myself.
Father staid at his job preparing the
next weeks work until Saturday after
noon, when he went to Evettsburg to
be present at his choir meeting at
seven in the evening. His train was de-
Iayed, and he went directly from the
depot to the church. BY strange
destiny, it seemed, mother was select
cd to sing, Where Is My Boy Tonight? p
for evening service.
''On the way home father asked for
me, and mother replied that she had
not seen me. They both became very
uneasy, father with an inkling of the
truth, mother with all sorts of name
less breads. AS l did not turn up that
night father started private police
man on search for me next morning
before breakfast. He unearthed me
and got me to hotel, where Il servant
was feed to sober me up. The police
man then went to report, but as my fa-
ther was not at home, the whole miser-
able truth came out to my mother. He
said as he was leaving:
"'Mrs. Gendrin, Iwould advise you not
to go to Harry to-day. He will be all
right tomorrow morning, and you can
see him before he starts back to camp
You would only be needlessly distressed
at what you would see to-day; and you
can do him no good now. If possible, ]
will get him home tonight after sup,
per-
Mother promised that she would not
try to see me until should be sober
and went to the morning service. Fa,
ther came to me early after noon, but
was sleeping heavily and he thought il
best not to disturb me. When awoke
about five o'clock in the afternoon,
was duly sober, but had a raging head
ache. When 1 learned that it was Sun
day knew that my spree was at an end
so 1 called for cup of strong coffee
While drinking it heard from the po
liceman that mother knew everything
81 was terribly cut up about it, and
my mothers sorrow-laden face arose
before me with great distinctness as
sat on the edge of that hotel bed. What
with that face and my conscience, yol
can easily believe that the next few
hours were simply awful. Then tn,
church bell rang, and at the sound
aroused myself and said:
Mason, I'm going to church.
"'Where at, Harry?'
"'At the First Cumberland
"'You are in pretty rough shape 70,
CHURCH.