The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-29
GAMBLERS STORY.
Death Only a Step Away and
What Saved Him.
He CONTEMPLATED SUICIDE
and Got on q FerFyboat to Garry out
his ResOlutiOn-Then Something
Happened That DFogo al Thoughts
Ofselr-destructiOpl eat Ofhis Mind.
Attitude ofPeOpletn Face of Death.

AGtlguue QAESOpAePllAig 9C9O OF Oetstns
New York Sun: @onea in a while it
comes to every man. Ierrton." said the
cross-eyed gambler. f6ohagure up how
he would face death asst came right
down to cases. Taking It all in all.
there amt any Of uSleHer called on to
do any figuring Of that7sort. Either a
man gets passed out by some sort Of
accident so quiet that no time is given
for calculating his owe, feelings, or else
he dies Of an illness that saps his vital
ity gradually, so that when the end
comes he simply drops away without a
struggle. It's a mighty few chance of
man going up against the Anal with
pair OF heldslasses t6ahls eyes, so to
speak, and a FIRST chop view OF the
whole field. I've always thought that
II was in a crowd, that was on the
edge, I'd want to keep tabs on their
actions, only I'd probably be too ratified
myself to think Of anything but keep
ing steady Jaw. Well, I've had a
chance of my life at that, under condi-
ti6ns when didn't have to get ratified
for myself, and can hereby notify you
that once Is enough Interesting?
Well, 1t Just sweated intefest, that per-
formance did, and l didn't miss much
that was going either. Besides, I've
got my own life to look after nova
days. Then didn't have.
mo. I wasn't dead one. Just get
ting ready to be. That's all. What the
preachers call a Benign Providence had
handed me a couple of uppercuts that
Just about got meready for permanent
nap. Never mind WHAT It was Just
all kinds Of trouble, and when board
ed the ferryboat in Brooklyn had cal
culated to leave my last quarter on the
deck for some luckler bettor and Just
modestly slip over the rail into oblivion.
on the whole, 1 couldn't discover that
made very great hit by living. Once
over the rail 1t would be a clnch, for
couldn't swim a stroke and figured
that my luck wasn't OF the kind that
would make me jump on a boat into
the arms OF a life preserYer. No mat
ter how far down you are. though.
there's always a little natural hesita-
ton when 1t comes to dropping the flag.
stood on the rear deck, because 1
didn't want to be chawed up by the
paddle wheels. which is a rough deal
even for a suicide. Well. stood there
trying to pick out patch Of river that
looked little less cold and wet than
the average, and wishing I'd blown in
the quarter for drink to brace me up a
little, when found out that something
was happening out in front. There was
a great old racket and footing and
shouting. then we hit something like
running into an express train head on,
and 1t was only by a champion clutch
that saved myself from going over the
rail before my time. That Jared all the
suicide out OF me. started forward
and found first-elass riot going on In
the cabin, 80 I went through to the car
riageway, and pretty guy time had
of 1t, all the horses in the place were
doing quicksteps.
Getting trampled to death by
horses wasn't any part Of my pro-
gramme, and I performed some grand
lodging before I reached open air on
the other side. Then there was another
big bump and 1 dyed into a post with
my head and just about put myself out.
When l got to my feet again things
stopped whlSllng around like a roller
coaster I thought was In an asylum.
sure. There is a streak Of Insanity in
all of US. and 1t takes sudden danger
to bring II out. Tha: whole ferryboat
load OF people were actin: like a side
show to Bloomingdala, yelling and
bowling and dancing and making faces
at each other.