Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-02-15

4 Peculiar Physiological Phenome'
NON 10 the Feeling 9th Rescued

IL IL common OelleI tnat persona
saved from drowning are forever
grateful to their rescuers. There ID
little if any foundation or justifica,
ton for this belief, for persons res
cued from watery graves Invariably
detest and ignor those who have riskc'
ed life or limb for them.
The same may be said of those who
have been saved from accidental death
of any kind. but the ingratitude OF
the ones rescued from drowning seems
to be the most pronounced. Everyone
VINO has saved life in the water has
had some experience with this seem,
ingly unnatural phase of human ma.
ture.
1t is true that there have been in.
stances when the rescuer has been re.
warded, but among 10000 persons say.
ed it is barely possible to pick out
tse who proved that they were crate.
full.
Psychologists and others who have
made study of this ingratitude &C.
count for it from the fact that persons
saved from violent death have such
horror for the incident that they hate
everything identified with it.
Another reason and . logical one,
too, is that the rescued cue feels he
owes, not only his being, out all he
possesses to his rescuer an d can re.
ward him only by offering his all,
even though he possesses millions. The
selfshness of nature then asserts it.
self and he concludes to offer moth.
ing. AS with the man who borrows
$40 and promises to pay it back and
does not even after an extension of
time, he begins to think i'll, then speak
ill of you, and finally cordially hates
you.
In proof of this there are a few not.
able instances of this base human
quality.
For many ,years Nathaniel Story has
been in charge Of the drawbridge at
Prison Point, Charlestown, Mass, and
has saved upwards of forty persons
fl n drowning. He has never been re-
warded by any one of them, and sew
eral for whom he risked his life have
deliberately tried to injure him in var.
ious ways.
One bitter cold night in the latter
7Os he plunged overheard from the
Eastern railroad bridge after an old
man who had accidentally walked of
the bridge. After considerable hard
work and intense suffering he man
aged to get him ashore. He carried
the unconscious man into his house
and did everything to save his life,
but the man died. His name was
Litchtield, and he was proven to be
the pastor of the Swedenborgian
Church and greatly esteemed by his
flock. A sermon which he was to have
delivered on the following Sunday
was found in his pocket, and Mr.. Story
was rewarded for his good work with
an invitation to come over to the
church and hear it read. Mr.. Story
was not good church member at
that time.
The following winter he rescued a
woman at the drawbridge. She was
carried into his house; She became
very ill, and for several days was
threatened with pneumonia. She was
nursed by Mr.. Story's wife and his
famil" physician was called in to at
tend her. After three weeks care she
was able to start for her home in New
buryport. Mrs, Story loaned her a
dress, the dress She had worn having
been ruined by the salt water; Mr.
Story provided her with railroad
pass to her home, and since then she
has never recognized the services, new
er returned his wife's dress, or even
sent a postal card of thanks.
"A man for whom he risked his life
in the icy waters ON a bleak winters
night had a petition in circulation in
Cambridge for his job as draw tender
less than a fortnight afterwards.
The late Capt. William II. Daily, of
Boston, a life saver of national repu-
taton, best known ON the Pacific
slope, saved upward Of fifty persons
from drowning and experienced the
ingratitude of the rescued on several
occasions.
Once when in tight place he want
ed to borrow $50 from millionaire.
Mr.. NJ, whom he had saved from
drowning in 1881 at great peril, but
NJ told him that his money was all
locked up in real estate and he could
not oblige him.
Another rich man who was ASSESS
ed for real estate in San Francisco for
$4,000 was rescued by Capt. Daily
after haiI struggle and didn't even
return TnahKs.
A resident OF Vine Hi, CAL, a
wealthy man saved from drowning by
the brave Daily, would not sign the
certificate proving the rescue which
was to be forwarded ia Washington
and through which he was to obtain
the national medal for bravery in saw
ing life.
"A railroad lawyer, who was rated
would have lost three
members of his family but for the
prompt and daring action of the hero
ic Daily, but when it was suggested
to him to reward the self-sacrifcing
Daily he shrugged his shoulders and
remarked, HE only did that which
any brave man would do" He was a
coward and eur himself. according to
his own statement, for he was good
swimmer, yet dared not take a risk
even for his own children. Later
when Daily went to him. as he was a
notary public, to have four a1idavits