The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-06

windfall. The suits were filed against
the Western Union and Postal Tele-
graph companies for not complying with
the new rate law. The first named has
52S against it and the other So.
Justice Wright was in an office on this
side of the river and heard that the dis
trict court had issued an order for him
not to proceed further in the justice
business against the telegraph COM
panies He saw the officers waiting for
him but he made his way home through
the back alleys and the suits were duly
doeketed which means that he will re-
ceive $1.25 a suit or $770- If the suits
go to trial he may receive several times
that amount.
ST saw an item in your paper the 9TH
er day about a girl who fell into well
20 feet deep without being much hurt,
said the Old Settler today as he set
tied himself in a chair in way that
indicated a. story was coming
Il know of circumstance that hap
pened back in the early COS much more
remarkable than that. L was living IN
Indianola then, a little town that used
to stand out on Soldier Creek, west OF
the reform school, where the military
road crossed.
1.-The building which stood at the ex-
IRENE western end of the town was oc-
cupied as grocery store. 1t had a rack
erected near it where customers hitched
their horses and just in front of the
hitching place was a well % feet deep,
with house built over it. right on the
edge of the road. The road at this point
extended east and west about a half
mile in a straight line and was the IA
vorite place for running horse races.
cone Sunday afternoon there was
race over this track-thiS being favor
tie Sunday pastime in those days. A
crowd of 80 or 40 men had assembled
to witness it. There were only two en-
tries and the distance was a quarter
This made the finish come a short dis
tance past and beyond the well L told
you Of.
The word was given and away they
flew The horses were about neck and
neck until they were nearly opposite the
well and then something happened that
sent a, chill to the hearts of the Specta-
tors. The horse on the side next the
well flew the track and made for the
rack where he had so often been tied.
He almost struck the well house as he
flew past it. There was crash of
breaking boards and the rider shot out
of sight with the quickness of a flash of
lightning.
THE onIookers seemed dazed for
minute and then big Welshman, who
had been a sailor, it was said. grabbed
the well rope with his hands and shot
out of sight as quickly as the boy who
had preceded him.
''Anxiously the crowd waited for
word from below. AT last it came.
Haul away said the man at the bot
tom and eager hands pulled at the ropes.
Soon the senseless form of the race
rider appeared, dangling at the end of
the well rope and was quickly followed
by his rescuer, who clambered up the
stone wall.
Hurt? Not much, just bruised some
about the head.
THE Welshman had found him stand
ing head downward in three feet of
water, but evidently he had not breath
ed while in that position, for there was
no water in his lungs. He was all right
a week or two later. The doctor who
patched him up is practicing medicine
in North Topeka now and doubtless re-
members the circumstance"