Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-03-20
Aumoral1s department.
HAD BEEN THERE HIMSELF.

II have been reading The Journals
close CALI stories with a good deal Of
interest" said an old Confederate vete-
ran to me while up at the Capitol a few
days ago, land while I haven't any of
my own that I care to write about,
will tell you a story heard told by an
old Confederate in a nearby city not
long ago, and of which I am reminded
by The Journals stories.
THE people Of the town had arrang-
ed a sort of celebration or reception in
honor Of the boys who had returned
from Cuba. These boys had all seen
service in the late Spanish-American
war and were full Of experience. Es-
pecially experiences about bad treat
ment, bad food, having to sleep on one
or two occasions on the cold ground
with nothing but a blanket and an oil
cloth to wrap up in. During the dinner
or barbecue the young veterans were
telling their experiences and graphical
ly relating all the horrors Of the Cuban
campaign.
among the auditors who were guests
at the reception, were several old Con-
federate veterans, old grizzly fellows
who had seen service with Lee in Vir-
ginia and who had gone barefooted dur
ing a winter campaign, slept on the
frozen ground or in snow many a time
without covering and lived on a quar-
ter of pound Of meat a day, with rye
coffee as an occasional luxury. These
old veterans had listened intently at
the experiences Of the boys just back
from Cuba, but hadn't said anything.
Finally one Of them was called on to
tell some Of his experiences during the
Civil war. Probably he didn't think
they amounted to much or probably he
didn't think it would be right to spring
them at that particular time, after what
had gone before. The crowd insisted,
and finally he said that while he didn't
have in stock any experiences worth
relating or that really amounted to
very much as war stories, he would
tell them of a dream he had a few
nights before.
"I dreamed that died and went to
heaven he said. I loafed around for
a while, feeling kinder lonesome-be-
cause was from Macon you know-un-
til finally middle-aged angel ap-
preached me and began to relate to
me the story Of his death. He was
drowned in the Johnstown flood, he
said. and graphically he related to me
all the horrors Of that terrible deluge
Of water. How it swept over the entire
valley and carried trees and houses be-
fore it, leaving death and destruction in
it's wake. He had evidently had a very
exciting death and it left a lasting i'm
preston on him.
HE told me his story and then
passed on to other angels, reciting the
horrible story of the Johnstown flood
to each one he met. Finally he ap-
preached one Of the oldest angels had
seen; in fact, an angel who appeared to
be several hundred years old, with long
flowing beard and hair, greatly resem-
bling Father Time. To this angel he
began to tell his story of the Johnstown
flood, but the old angel didn't appear to
hear him-perhaps he was deaf. At any
rate he paid no attention to the Johns
town angels story, he became discour
aged and went to look up st. Peter to
complain Of his treatment. He told Pc
ter how he had tried to tell the elderly
angel the story of his death and Of the
horrors of the JohnStown flood, and |
how the former paid no attention to
him. |
What's the matter with him; is he
deaf?' asked the Johnstown man Of Pc
ter. |
"'No,' replied Peter we have no deaf
angels here; that's Noah-he knows |
all about floods Thomas w. Loyless |
in Atlanta Journal.