The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-06-07
INDIANA HEROINE.
The Reason Why Miss Jennie
Creek VIII Be the Guest
of France at the Paris
Exposition.

At the Paris Exposition there will be
among the guests of honor simple
American country girl, just Is years OF
age.
On her breast she will wear fve-point-
ed gold star, emblem of the French Legion
!, of Honor.
1t has been given in the past for
painting that is exquisite, for an essay
that conveys rare knowledge. In this in
stance il was bestowed to commemorate
deed Of exceptional bravery.
The National Humane Society of France
has invited Jennie of Mill Grove, village
in Indiana, to visit Paris as one OF the
most distinguished women in the world
Jennie Creek was just II years of age
when she became renowned. From the
little village near Hartford City to the
Partisan boulevards her fame spread. 1t
was carried there OH the wings of graft
tude. Mothers and wives clasped their
loved ones in their arms and called upon
God to bless the little maid of Indiana.
To understand why Jennie Creek may
wear in her button hole the bit of scarlet
watered ribbon which artists have worked
for and scientists have bu,nt The midnight
. oil to attain, you must picture summers
afternoon early in September in the year
1898
Well, then, for the luck Of all those
aboard the Chicago express on the after
noon of September TO- 1898, Jennie Greek,
of Indiana, was wandering through the
woods that belonged to her foster father.
In one hand she held book, in the other
bunch of late wild flowers. She had
gathered them as she walked. Under her
feet rustled the dry leaves; seeming TO re-
peat to her the words of her spelling book.
With the hand that held the flowers she
pounded her chest after the manner OF
very young children keeping time, as it
were
y Suddenly the smell of burning wood
came TO her nostrils with startling dis
tinctness She looked up and down
. through the old woods fearing to detect
some private tree that had been burnt
S. Shc knew them all 10y heart, and just why
10 she specially loved each one. In quick
review she paesed them by. Soon she
n. came to the Pan handle Railroad.
n There she stood shielding her eyes from
n. the vanishing sun. She looked up and
" down, trying to place the smell Of burning
timber. Suddenly she paused in terror
- Her:eyes were fixed and CLASSY. She grew
rigid aud pale as death The reason foI
!. the smell OF burning timber had been re-
| vealed to her in an awful moment.
SAVED THE TRAIN.
a just below where she stood the railroad
bridge, spanning an ugly gulch, had been
burned away. 1t had caught from tn:
burning grass, which had been set on fire
by spark from passing engine. 1t was
still in flames.
IntO UcI lHntiluoSl NOH oNiOhcHN0o NV
situation pierced with terrible distinct
ness. The condition of the sun told this
little country-bred girl that in five min
utcs the east bound Chicago express would
come dashing along carrying its human
freight.
Alone stood this little scrap Of humani-
ity PRAYING to God to help her to advise
some plan of rescue for these hundreds of
I helpless people She looked down myriads
of feet into the great ugly gulch lined with
sharp rocks and rough pebbles. She
. looked up the track and toward her own
house, about half mile away.
Would she have time to summon help?
, just as she murmured this question be-
tween her parched lips she heard the whis-
tie of the train-the Worlds Fair train,
. as she and her companions called it.
Joyously it announced its coming With
merry clang it seemed TO cry: I'VE are
going to our friends-to our friends"
The little girl, just II years old, stood on
the borders of the gulch seeing in her
Imagination eager faces pressed upon the
windows, peerng out into the distance. If
she could not act, act quickly, these pco-
pie might never see their dear ones again.
Lord Jesus prayed the little girl,
"help me--tell me what to do"
4 She realized in the single instant left
her that she must stop the train. How?
4. She looked about her for something to
wave. Hundreds of branches swayed to-
- wards her. 1t flashed through her mind
y to break off one and use it as flag.
q "No, no." she moaned, "they would
= never sec it,"
i She knew that red flag was sign of
4 danger. Ii only she had something red
. suddenly she remembered her underskirt
% Of red flannel.
& The train was laundering along as only
= an exprdss may. 1t was almost on top of
Y the bridge, when like an apparition out of