The Washington weekly post., 1900-05-08
THE POOREST OF
THE "POO-FOLkS.'
BY LAFAYETTE NLAWA

1t was as brave deed as ever a fellOv
did. and it makes my flesh tingle ever
now whenever think OF Jack Saunders
We began our college life on the sans
day al the University of Georgia, and al
though / remember distinctly seeing hin
when he first entered the class room. u
! was weeks. OF perhaps months. before
/ even learned his name.
In those days Franklin College. or ths
| University of Georgia. as IL is now known
/ was divided into two Departments. Tht
agricultural. IA which tuition vas free
as X vas supported by the State, and tht
( uriyt rsity in which there was tuition
I charged. The boys who attended the uni.
/ yersiiy were dubbed rich mems Sons,
| while the men in the State department
! were called poo folks" Jack Saunders
: l soon came 10 know, was the poorest OF
1 all the "poOfolks-' He could not afford
I TO i've even in the cheap dOrmitOries OF
1 the agricultural college. but hired 4 room
! on the outskirts of Athens and was his
I Own cook and washerwOTl2n. But he vas
not 4 bit ashamed of his poverty nor OF
! doing any work by which he could earn
I an honest dollar.
I A. first, I must admit, there were fel-
/ lows who were mean enough to try 10
| snub him. II their scorn hurt he did not
show IL. He was a hard working, inde-
pendent fellow who respecting himself
/ forced the respect Of all with whom ne
( came In contact,
! That summer when ! went with a lot
| of other university men 10 Tybee Island
/ for q dip In the surf and a few days OF
I sea air, whom should We discover on our
( first evening but Jack Saunders acting IS
superintendent of the dining-rOom-a sort
7 of head waIter-in the hotel where We
were stopping. II was the height of the
| Tybee season and the hotel and cottages
were packed 10 overflOwing with the most
fashionable and aristocratic people in the
South. / was young and with my fuil
share of cOnceit, and | must say that II
was somewhat of a shock when | recog-
nized Jack and realized his position. But
l am thankful TO say | had sufficient
manhood 70 act the gentleman when one
OF my companions brought me 10 my
senses by exciaiming;
i say, if ycnder amt tnat pauper, Jack
Saunders acting as head waiter! l sup
pose he'll expect us to take him up be
cause We were fools enough to elect him
captain of the crew. Well, I'll swear /
won't"
Hello, Jack, old fellow" / said. walk
ing across the dining-room and shaking
hands with him. II hope you are going
10 find time to come out after dinner for
a moonlight swim with me. They say the
tide will be in in about two hours"
Yes" he said, gripping my hand cor.
daily. IT'S right Tor the tide, but / am
afraid there viii be no bathing this even
ing. The clouds are piling up over there"
mOtiCning toward the sea. And | fear
We are in for a squall.'
He was quite correct, a few minutes
later there was fash Of lightning, dash
of spray against the window, followed by
a furious cannonadng of thunder, and a
deiUge of rain.
The next morning l was awakened by a
commotion IN the botel. and going 10 my
door heard:
A steamer ashore! They are going to
man the lifcboat"
Jack Saunders was the first man saw
OF the beach. He WAS stripped to the
waist and was stepping into the life5oat,
taking the place of one of the govern
ment crew who had met with an acci-
dent. The boat was pushed into the wa
ter, only to be swung around by an in
coming wave, and dashed beamways upon
the beach. It was righted, and a second
effort made 10 launch IT, greater care be-
ing taken TO push out between the waves.
For an instant il seemed that they had
been successful. The boat rode the waves
and the vigorous strokes of their oars
forced il beyond the curling crest. Then
an oar snapped. a man fell forward, and
the lifebOat was hurled on the shore hope
lessly crushed. Almost wall of despair
ran through the crowd on the beach,
which now included every inmate of the
hotel and cottages. 1t was the end. SO
lar as they could see, for even the most
caring had to admit that nothing could |
live in a sea that had swamped a life |
beat. There seemed nothing to do but To |
stand there in the gray OF the morning /
mist and watch for the bodies to be |
brought into Us by the pitiless waters. |
They soon began to come In. Two emil |
dreH and a wOman-all dead when drawn |
out upon the beach. They had evidently, |
when aroused by the shock. rushed out |
on deck and been washed overheard /,
These were the first, but we knew that
others must follow, for We could see that
the steamer was settling upon the rocks .
and would soon be broken 10 pieces by 4
the angry waves.
Won't somebody pray?" a woman's .
voice walled. If We cannot help them.
surely God will"
I'VE will ask his mercy" IL was the
voice Of DR.. Lane, the venerable pastor
Of the Presbyterian Church in Athens,
who had come to Tybee with his invalid
wife. With the people kneeling about
aim and his white hair barred TO the
storm, he prayed for mercy for all on
BOARD the steamer. As the prayer closed
Jack Saunders went up to him and asked
Please send the ladies away, doctor"
For what purpose, Sanders"
Il must 80 out 70 the steamer"
1T Is impOsisblel II will be certain |
leath, He can never reach it, they all
Exclaimed, and even the Hfesaving crew
brave men, all OF them, and / feel sure
hey would have volunteered had they
hought there was the smallest chance OF
him not 10 try il.
1T may be impossible" was Saunders
eply. but / am going to try"
/ went up 10 him as he was tying a
trong cord around his waist, intending
o demonstrate, but he did not give me
IN opportunity to speak. II want you,
Dick" he said, TO play out this line for
ne. Remember 10 be careful. old man,
or the slightest unnecessary pulling may
ost the lives Of those persons out there"
And your own life, Jack" 7 question
d. "is II not worth cOnsidering?'
II will do my best, Dick but / must try
or those people"
He stood Tor moment watching the
sd. Then following d retreating wave,
lunged headfOremOst into the wall OF
yater There was a moments suspense.
hen we saw his body lifted I'D and
rOught back on the top Of the next
saye There was a sign Of relief from
he crowd as We realized he was unhu-t !
,ut he was undaunted After recovering
Is breath, he plunged IN again and dis
ppeared IN the bank Of incoming water
he people held their breath IN suspense.
he wave rolled In and broke. but there
ias no sign Of the diver.
He Is done for" sad one Of the life |
aving crew. No man could live ia this
"a"
There he H." some one farther down
ae beach shouted. as Jacks head ap-
earsd above the surface 0i the Incoming