The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-11-24

there for many years, and was raeeu
In "Dunn's" as &c. 8. NJ. b." wnicn
letters established the IRA
ham credit on solid foundatioh
the United States, so tnat
whenever a salesman happened to stop
ut Crescentville, he always maue +"
sail at Nelson Graham's.
Crescentville, Illinois. was nourisn-
pg city of over 1000 inhabitants and'
n course. things were just rushing.
fhe city contained two mahulactur-
ing plants, a brewery, First Nation-
Al Bank of Crescentville, an Electric
Light and Power Company, ana q ran,
road depot. Also. various stores anu
small industries according to its needs.
The railroad was loop Of the b. Il. q
G. s., the main line ten miles from
Crescentville.
Nelson Graham, as the proprietor Oh
The general store, was quite an IN
duential citizen, and 1t was under
stood that his son, Rodney, was In
position to pick the profession OF MS
.hoice. The law, medicine, art, music,
poetry, stenography. bookkeeping
were all within his reach; he consid-
,red them all from different points OF
view very differently from most peo-
,le) and then deliberately chose the
profession of stocking freight engine.
The masses of Crescentville resented
his choice. They were surprised and
iispleased. They discussed 1t over tea
tables. drug counters and saloon bars,
md decided that Rodney, though
smart, was born without ambition.
For this reason they voted against
Nelson Graham when he ran for may
Or, and defeated him, which shows
how the sins of the sons are visited
upon their fathers.
Rodney Graham was peculiar In
many ways. He came home to Ores
sentville once a week, and in his con-
versation frequently cursed the
freight engine. Instead of having
consuming affection for it-as oil well
regulated stokers are supposedto nave
he shamefully abused and (metaphor-
cally) despitefully used 1t. He said
The boilers were bad-the brakes were
40 good-the engineer was crazy and
hat were it not for his untiring zeal
ind sleepless watchfulness, fast
freight Number Forty-Six of the
treat B. r. & G. s. r. r. would be con-
dnually jumping Off the track and
having to be lifted on again at great
expense of life and money. He said
hat all stokers were excused from pur-
yatory; but Notwithstanding all the
things he said he stuck to his job. and
when his father solicited the votes Of
his fellow citizens for the honorable
position of alderman, his fellow cih-
tens elected some one else.
In addition to running the Crescent
Vile general store, Nelson Graham
was interested in the First National
Bank of Crescentvllle. He had always
deposited his receipts there. and as
they had grown in volume he had in
rested what he could spare and was
low vice president of the bank. 1t was
N the fall of the year that the free
rIver agitation burst forth In oil Its
rirulence. The Democratic party
would surely win the elections, and
he value of the dollar would be cut
half. The farmers all around Ores
,entyille wanted their money before
he dollar deprecated. The Crescent
yille bank had money loaned out to {
number Of neighboring manufacto
lies on easy terms, and this none!
,ould not be called in. Therefore TIL
Drescentville bank was in difficulties
Ind the farmers came up and .besieget
t.
II the bank suspended. Nelson Ora
ham would 60 with it. If the banl
,uIled through, Nelson Graham woul'
pun through. The bank wanted $50
VOC to meet the demands upon 1t. bu
40 one knew where to set the none
N time.
These were the circumstances whe
Rodney Graham departed from Ores
sentville one afternoon, to stoke fas
freight Number Forty-six. which b
would Join at st. Louis, stocking it
Chicago and back. The station ager
was on the platform at Crescentvill'
md saw Rodney Graham get into tn
Fab of the train which left Crescen
fille for st. Louis at quarter befoi
Xix. The freight agent at Nation
raw Rodney Graham In the cab {
Number Forty-Six when 1t stopped II
water. 1t left Mattoona on time
passed Kalakoka on time. Butt did M
reach Dalabeke. 1t was signalled
Dalabeke, and the operator there wal
I'd for 1t, because after 1t had gone
was his intention TO get his suppe
Number Forty-Six was Is minutes lat
30 minutes late; 45 minutes late; OF
hour late-clearly 1t must have m
with some accident since 1t left Kal
koka.
The Dalabeke agent Dimkins), wire
Chicago that fast freight Numb
Forty-Six had met with an accide
and was delayed. Then he arrang,
with some one to watch the depl
went home and took hasty MOUTH,
collected two or three people and
doctor, and started up the track I
ward Kalakoka, distance of abo
ave miles.
The doctors report Of the adventu
Is as follows
"After ascertaining at the depot tn
no train of any kind had passed, '
walked along the tracks to Kalakoi
expecting to discover the wreck
fast freight Number Forty-Six at a
noment. To our great surprise. no
ever, we saw no signs of the trs
anywhere, on account of which Di
kins said that Tompkins the Ia
koka agent must have been mistah
IN signalling the train to Dalabeke
ION arriving at Kalakoka we fou