The evening times., 1899-10-26
BRYAN LOST IN A PRAIRIE.
A Temporary Wanderer I'm n wilder
ness During a storm.

Temporary waaderer I'm a Wilder
ness During u Storm.
NEW YORK. Oct. 26.-The World" this
morning prints the following, dated Lin
coin, Neb., October 25:
William J. Bryan left Schuyler. where he
spoke last night, early this morning. and
came to Lincoln, his schedule permitting
two hours stop here before he resumed
his trip. Mr.. Bryan's speech last night
illustrated both his extraordinary courage
and perseverance and the great affection
in which he is held by the people OF Ne
braska. He and his party started in car
compelled to travel in this way in order
TO reach Schuyler, eighteen miles away, at
p. m, the time set for the meeting.
The day had been dark. cold, and rainy.
and as evening approached it grew much
worse. At 6 O'Clock a pitchy black night
only at intervals by flashes of lightning.
The road, where it was not a sheet of
water a foot deep, was sticky black Me-
braska mud, in which the horses sank TO
their ankles. The light OF but single
house was seen after David City was left
behind, and when that was passed the
prairies were apparently as desoiate and as
lonely as they were when Fremont crossed
them.
Mr.. Bryan's carriage was the last In the
procession, and il wandered from the road
and was not missed until some time after
ward. Mr.. Bryan's companion In the car
riage was DR.. Lemhoffer. Of David City,
al whose house he had dined, and the doc
tor endeavored to pilot the carriage back to
the road. but failed, and presently they
found themselves among the dwarf trees
and bushes which line the banks OF the
Platte River
Their situation was not without danger.
The wind had risen. the cold rain was driv-
en- into their faces. Somewhere before them
they knew was the river half a mile
away. flowing over a bed of shifting and
treacherous sand.
They got out of the carriage. and Mr..
Bryan scratched a match on the leg OF his
trousers, and, shading it with his hand.
tried TO find a way by its Pickering light
The wind blew out all his matches but one,
and then by much rummaging he found
an old piece of candle in the carriage, and
this he lighted.
Shading il with his hand and acting as
guide. while Mr.. Lemhoffer drove, he pick
ed a way through the brush, and in half
an HOur came 10 lone larm mousse
Here the two shouted long time, but
could arouse nothing but two huge mas
tiffs which threatened TO bound over the
wire fence and attack them.
Giving the effort up as a bad job. they
drove on. and after much wandering in
the rain and darkness reached the long
bridge over the Platte River, and from its
entrance saw the electric lights OF Schuy
Ter on the other side.
Meanwhile the Opera House in Schuyler
(no Nebraska town is too small for an
opera house,. had been filled as early as
O'Clock with crowd eager TO see and hear
Bryan, and outside more were shouting
for admittance. Some of these people had
come thirty or forty miles in the storm.
Mr. Bryan did not arrive until 10 o'clock,
but not a single person had left the Opera
House, all waiting in the utmost patience
and good humor for beloved leader. who
they were confident would never disappoint
them.
When he came at last he went at once
from his carriage 10 the stage, and was
received with applause that lasted five min
utes. He did not show the slightest trace
OF anxiety or fatigue