The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-25
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS.

my conscience is clear. so far as I
know. 1 went to bed feeling good, but
L tossed about a great deal and when
I finally fell asleep the most horrible
and absurd dreams came to disturb
me- 1 don't recall the preamble, but 1
have a very distinct recollection of one
of the acts in the nightmare: L seemed
to be lying in bed with some terrible
disease. I think it must have bene
paralysis, for | was unable to move a
hand, although I could speak. 1t seem
ed that I had been there for hours
counting the figures on the wall paper
and wondering why someone did not
come into the room, when suddenly it
appeared that l was not in room at
all, but a house top like those in
Mexico or any warm climate where the
inhabitants use the fiat roof for a
sleeping room Directly over my bed
stretched a telegraph wire and my eyes
instinctively followed the wire, from
post to post, away down a street and
over a hill. Suddenly l noticed a dark
object on the wire a great distance
away and I watched it curiously. 1t
drew nearer and l saw that it was a
small sized elephant walking the
wire It was approaching slowly and
as it drew nearer, l noticed that the
wire bent under it's weight, but not as
much as one would expect it to do.
thought it was very amusing and
laughed, but when I observed that if the
elephant continued to advance he would !
pass directly over my bed, l became
SOBER and tried to move, but 1t was
impossible; was perfectly helpless. The !
elephant came along balancing himself
with his trunk and swaying in a fright |
full manner. l prayed that he might
fall before he got over me, for L was
afraid the wire would break at the crit
ical moment The posts on each side of |
me seemed further apart than any OF
the others and the elephant SWayed |
more and more as he passed the last |
post only a short distance from my !
bed. 1 held my breath as he got over |
me, for he stopped, looked down at me |
and actually spoke. He said he was |
the champion elephant slack wire |
walker of the world and if l didn't be- |
lieve it he would do a few tricks to con- |
vince me. I assured him that L knew |
he was the star performer in that line |
and begged him to go on, but he would |
not until he had turned around on the |
wire while standing on only two feet, |
and had performed several other diff |
cult feats, such as sitting on the wire |
with all feet off, then balancing on one |
leg. 1 broke out in a cold sweat during !
the entertainment and as he started TO |
walk away I drew a breath of relief. |
Just as he passed from over me could |
hear the poles cracking and gave a |
yell and jumped from the bed That |
awakened me and was standing in the |
leaf. The entire dream probably didn't |
last more than ten minutes, but it |
seemed a long time to me-"
'It is astonishing how rapidly the |
mind works in a dream" said a news |
paper man who was one of the party. |
periods of time, but upon awakening |
it is found that only a few minutes |
elapsed between the time of dropping |
to sleep and one of those strange, I'M |
peculiar instance if this kind in my |
own experience: I was working on a |
morning paper at the time and was
doing a lot of extra, work, in fact, had
only a few hours sleep in two days and
was almost played out. 1 went to the |
office about o'clock in the morning to
write up a fire that had broken out |
after midnight and could hardly
keep my eyes open as pulled chair
up to my desk As / sat down 1 went
to slepe and one of those strange, I'M
accountable dreams came to me. In the
dream l had row with the city editor
and quit my job. 1 had but little money
on hand but I was determined to go to
the Pacific coast and try my luck in
Frisco. l succeeded in beating my way
across the country in box cars and on
brakebeams. 1 begged my grub and
had a pretty tough trip but within
thirty days I was in Frisco and had
place with a patent medicine fakir who
intended touring the state. We worked
the entire coast from San Diego to
Portland, the trip occupying almost
year. had saved my salary and with
part of the money purchased ticket
to Japan. [ had some friends in YOko-
hama and they succeeded in getting me
a place there with a shipping company. |
I remained with the company several
years, getting promoted rapidly and at
the same time making love to one of
the prettiest little japanese girls on the
entire island. She was {. perfect beauty
and her people were in the highest class.
A friend of mine who was wealthy and
owned a. yacht, invited a party, includ-
ing the pretty japanese girl, her family
and myself. to go with him on a two
and made a narrow escape from the
Chinese pirates who attacked our boat
and attempted to board us. In the fight
one of the pirates prodded me with a
lance and the pain awakened me- L
had commenced dreaming before L sat
down and that entire dream had passed
through my brain from the time
made the first move to take my seat
until I struck the pin that some one had
placed in the seat of my chair, and
which 1 thought was the PROD from a
Chinese lance"
Did you ever dabble in the fancy
chicken fad'' INQUIRED a travelling man |
of friend as they were sitting in the
lobby of the National. Il did just once
and I came to the conclusion had bet
ter attend to business knew some
thing about l didn't intend to quit my
Job, you understand, and put my whole
time in on chickens, but thought
would raise a few and make some
money on the side My wife attempted
to discourage me- probably because she
thought that she would have to take
care of them as soon as the novelty |
wore off, but persisted and she finally
agreed 1t was all caused by attending
q poultry show and reading a few OF
those poultry magazines bought Two
dozen eggs which were guaranteed to
he the output of a full blood Plymouth
Rock family and set them under a
couple of plain hens. They Matched out
all right and I had twenty-four of the
prettfest chicks that ever broke shell.
/ was Just as busy and made as much
fuss as the hens, and wouldn't let my
wife have word to say about them. 1
had learned all about chicks in the
poultry journal and was anxious to dis
play my knowledge. The second day :
after the chicks got out of the shells
built a nice place for them to get q I
drink The only thing I had handy was
a bucket and, as that was too high, L
the p--01Jf1d go that rim