The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-24
Startling Suicides at Bjgb Bridge...

SN~~-~~~~~o-~-~~o-N-~o~~
st. Paul is a beautiful city-a resident
would say so whether he thought it or
not-and whenever visitors come here
they are taken to Indian mounds new
capitol building, Minnehaha falls, the
state FISH hateheries, Summit avenue
driveway and divers other places just to
prove it,
For some inexplicable reason the high
bridge is seldom included in the list OF
attractions. 1t Is strange, for the mas
sive structure besides really being some
thing worth looking at, Is something to
think about. There was a time when the
- bridge was an eyeSore to certain poll
ticianS, for stories of shady real estate
transactio and boodling and under
handed deals chung to it with surprising
tenactty, but each recurring spring cleo
ton the shadow Of the great bridge would
loom forth only to fade away again. Like
q nightmare or a certain carpet that peo-
pie in the city hall were wont to hear
tell of, the bridge had a habit of COM
ing and going. But all this is history,
and yet stories In connection with any
thing, living or inanimate, are always in
teresting.
Something happened in connection with
the high bridge about week ago and,
In after years. the happening may assume
a senblance of truth, thus adding an
other one TO the chain of legends that
Ciings TO it.
An old man was sauntering along the
bridge in leisurely fashion, tapping the
railing with a beautiful gold headed cane
He had long beard, buShy eyebrows and
a somewhat stern face. The sternness,
however was not so marked as it would
have been had he not been the possessor
Of twinkliug, mischlevous eyes that SEEM
ed to take in and comprehend everything
at glance. Happy philosopher he look
ed, and, II not that, he was happy, any
way. he pulling a cigar. and seemed
to enjoy it hugely.
Some distance back of him came a
young couple who, now and then looked
over the railing in awesome wonderment
A few minutes and they were up to the
man of experience in life
High bridge. this. isn't it?" said the
young man, and all three stopped to take
& look over the railing
Married couple, hey?" asked the old
man
Whats that got to do with the bridge?
We came from a little town down river
here and all the way up people would
look at us and nudge and say, Married
couple. hey?' It is getting tiresome, and
] feel as if would like to be baby boy
again and make mud pies, and get the
mumps and get spanked, because then
l wouldn't know that everybody was look
ing at me and talking about me and,
John! Wen have the second quarrel
within half hour if you--ha. ma, Ia, ha /.
u SO Iuhny-yeS, we just got married.
What about it?"
Yes. this is a pretty high bridge, and
yet high as it is, many have taken the
1rlghtful leap to the rocks beneath"
No! and then the couple looked care
fully over the railing again.
1hat The truth. You see I am the
Waterman here, appointed by the rnayor
to see that no one commits suicide IF
1s1t very often they fool me- but they
do. The last suicide was a week ago
Eoor fellow. seem to see the mangled
form Of the boy down there on the
rocks now And just to think He died
more because of q mental alteration
than anything else! You see he had been
studying hypnotism and suggestion in
high school with his chums and had
been used as a subject. He proved to be
q good snb; and the first thing he knew
he was SO wrapped up in hypnotism and
suggestion that he didn't know his own
name from that OF Moses. Well, one day
q teacher read an account Of a suicide
here at the bridge. The police reporter
IN writing the story, had said that the
man, as he fell to the rocks, described a
paraeoIa. 1t was a graphic description
and left deep impress upon the mind
OF the boy. One day his friends asked
him to describe a parabola. The sug-
gsstion began to work upon him and
by the ghost of Shakespeares HamIet!-
one day he came down here to describe
found some OF the pieces of him after
Vards-about fifty"
The girl looked at the young man.
The young man looked at the girl.
They were too full for utterance.
What makes YOU look so frightened
about it. When a man prevents people
from jumping off so often he gets used
TO II Just like in any other business
20 It's awful You do save some OF
them, then?' the girl asked.
20, yes, all the Democrats, anyway. I
don't know whether or not you VIII be.
lieve me, but I have seen stranger sui
cides than the one who described the
parabola. You remember some years
ago--no you don't either, not living here
well, some years ago we had a very
bad ice crop in st. Paul. Icemen In
- previous years had always had a cinch
and they soaked it to the poor citizen
good and hard. This year however. ice
was scarce and the icemen when the
season came around. made themselves
scarce One of the ice kings in the city
began to worry. He was used to making
hig money, like plumbers in winter time
and every time he thought OF the ice crop
he shriveled up a little bit He got
smaller and thinner as the Ice season
went by and it wasn't long before he
was in bed. Well, to make matters
worse, there was gang of bad BOYS in
his neighborhood and every night they
would get outside of his house and sing.
80 how would you like to be the ice
m2n?'
- 1T was too much and one night he
came down here in his night SHIRT and
jumped over. got hold of the night
shirt just as he was going over, but he
- slipped through the armholes, SO that
was all I could hang onto. When we get
the new county Jail we will put the SKIRT
IN a glass case where everybody can see