Evening star., 1900-07-07

a week the episode had ceased to annoy
him. He went up to Red Hook. on the Hud-
son, to write his letter of acceptance and
do some fishing. He made no record as
fisherman. but he learned to talk phio-
sophically of the Madison Square demon
stration.
Though Mr. Bryan showed great physical
endurance there were two or three occa-
sions on which he did come near breaking
down The trip from Lincoln to New York
was made during a period of intense heat,
and this told on his strength. Neverthe-
less he carried out his full program OF
speeches. On another occasion, in New
York, report was circulated of his physi-
cal collapse just as he was about to leave
the city for the south. Later the true story
was told and its humorous side appre-
ciated. Mr.. Bryan had been waiting
the inability of some persons to see him
while he waited gave rise to the story OF
his Illness.
Nearest to a Breakdown.
The nearest he came to complete break
down was in Chicago. where he had been
making series Of speeches In different
parts of the city. The night the train was
to leave he was several hours late in reach
ing 1t. and it was said he was suffering
from fatigue. The real facts were that in
addressing a meeting in the Polish section
of the city he had almost collapsed, and as
he afterward stated, had nearly tainted
from exhaustion. He confessed to a blur
before his eyes and TO bringing his speech
to a close mechanically and then staggering
off the platform. But the audience did not
discover his weakness did those who
were with him fully appreciate it until he
asked to be taken to his hotel. In spite of
this he made his usual number of speeches
the next day. and he wound up the CAM
paign showing fewer signs of nervous strain
than those who were with him and who
had nothing at stake.
1t was always a wonder to those who
were Mr.. Bryan's travelling companions
that no serious accident occurred The
chances were greater than most persons
understood. When he went from Chicago
to his old home at Salem Ill. Immediately
after his nomination he travelled on tho
regular train and this method was kept up
during part of the campaign. Then specials
would be provided by the political COM
mttees to carry him from place to place.
1t was not until the last month of his cam
paigning that regular train was provided
for Mr.. Bryan. which travelled on its own
schedule and which enabled him to close
up the gaps Of geography.
One Of the untold incidents Of that last
months travelling was the way the Bryan
special ran wild one night through Iowa.
1t left Madison. Wisconsin. late in the
evening and was switched to one of the
roads leading through Iowa. 1t made re-
markable time and was at its destination
in the morning, but for several hours after
midnight there was panic in two or three
train dispa tcherS offices. In some way the
Bryan special had picked up the schedule
of one of the regular night trains. BY the
rarest chance there was no accident,
though the engineer had been running at
high rate Of speed. and had assumed that
the way was cleared for him. 1t al
ways the ambition of the engineers to make
record, and this particular engineer made
it.
The panic. among the railway officials
was ended at daylight when they located
tha Bryan special and received no reports
of collisions other accidents The mat
ter was kept very quiet and MIR. Bryan
himself did not know of the chances he
AMI his party had been taking during that
nights railway journey. / believe there
was an official investigation to determine
the responsibility for the runaway special,
but 1t was kept very quiet and the public
knew nothing of the circumstances.
Another danger of accident which was
always in mind was the collapsing of plat
forms. Political committees usually put
up these structures with little thought of
the strain which may be put upon them.
under the platforms. There were at least
Bryan's campaigning. and in one instance
disaster which would have meant a seri-
Gus loss of life was barely averted. There
were number of persons injured, but /
do not recall any case of fatal injury. Ul-
ttmately the danger from this source be-
came pressing that where short stops
were to be made Mr.. Bryan declined to be
escorted to the platforms and insisted on
making his addresses from the rear end Of
thu train. CHAS. NJ. PEPPER.