Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-28
Hotel GOSSiD|

the time he reached my age he could
have money enough to start half a dozen
national banks.''
The speaker was one Of lie old-tim,rs
and registered at the Butte yesterday.
He had been ON the road talking up Bour-
ron WHISKY for a Louisville mouse for
over thirty years. AlthouGh his years
h&d passed the half century mark, they
LETT no wrinkles on his face and the
iton gray hair looked much out of pla "a.
"Commercial travellers are proverbially
lucky III escaping railroad accidents" he
cDntlnCei when che reflects that a large
share OF their time is spent Oh trains. l
recall one incident in my life which lead
me to think that l will die through nat
r"al causes. At least l lay the JUNCTION
10 my soul that | VIII nevcr get smashed
in raj road collision.
You remember the frishtful accident
at Ango d. near Buffalo. along about '6S
or 80" No? Wei, s-aped that terrible
ca amity. ana it was all along OF two or
three drinks l took with a friend at Col-s
umbus, Ohio. In those days Il passenger
on railroads was obliged to change cars
every hundred or two hlnlred miles.
Lets see. l was little more .han a
xii. just about 20 years of ase. l had
been employed in the uuartermaste. = de-
partment of the Army of the Cumberland
at Nashville, Tenn, which did not close
up its books and accounts until two
years after Lees surrender. I'll IA l got
into A liquor house making a speciality OF
Robertson county whisky. Along towards
Christmas l had a longing Cor homc and
the old folks and decided to so to Buff
ia o, | timed my departure so as to reach
Buffalo and eat my Christmas turkey
with the folks. Accordingly I took the
Louisville 4 Nashville train for the Ken
lucky metropolis: spent Il day looking
around: got acquainted with George d.
Prentice, WHO in those days was even
more famous than his successor. Henri
Watterson: and on the following day
boarded the splendid steamer General
Lyle for Cincinnati. Strolling about the
cabin, met a young man OF my own age
WhomI had seen in Cincinnati some three
years previous
"Of course. We had a drink and played
a friendly game of "seven up for dol
lar. and in other ways passed the time
away until the boat reached the levee at
Cincinnati Here I'VE boarded the train
fen Columbus. the end of the Little Mia
mi read at that time. My friend lived in
Columbus, and he, too. was on Christ
mas visit 10 the Old folks at home. 1t was
change cars at Columbus; and there
We're twenty minutes to spare before the
train would leave Columbus for Cleve-
LAM. where another change cars
wou'l take place.
Il got out with my friend for part
ing smile at the nearest sa'oon. about
block away. Well, treated and he treat
ed. and he treated and I treated. and
when we at last broke away I had four
or FIVE jolts under my belt. When I
reached the depot there were two trains
there. both ready to go somewhere. but I
saw only one train. and boarded 1t, feel
ing pretty gay.
well. this train started after the 9TH
or one had pulled cut, and in due time
the conductor came along. Whenl handed
him my ticket, he inquired if it was my
intention to have gone through to Cieve-
land | replied in the atfirmat ive. Well
said he you have taken the wrong train.
This is only local, and goes only as far
as Delaware You Will remain over in
Delaware for the next train, which comes
along about O'Clock in the morning.
BOUNDS, what a disappointment! Could
I reach Buffalo in time for that Christ
ma dinner? Impossible. The train reach
ed Delaware: l got cut and for twelve
hours l walked up and down the little
city in a fretful mood and mutterins
,ui ses over my i'll luck.
iii luck? Providence had interposed
t. save me. and yet l blasphemed the
name of Him who had stretched out His
hand and snatched me from an aWfu
DEATH The train l should have taken,
no a |
with my friend and load up with whisky,
went on it's way to Cleveland and then
to Buffalo. No, it did not get to Buffalo,
At Angola, about 80 miles from the big
city the engine jumped the track while
| crossing bridge over a wide creek, and
the whole train was precipitated below,
a distance of sixty feet, into the ice and
water beneath. To add to the horror of
the calamity, the cars took fire immedi-
ately. and then ensued one of the most
trasical railway holocausts of modern
times. l shudder even now when I re-
call it.
When my train reached that bridge
and | looked out Of the windows down
AT the wreck below. I was seized with
remorse over the basphemy I INDUCED
in at Delaware. Since then have never
uttered curse, although 1 am not al
! together blessed with the mildest of
! tcmperS.
"Of course I was not in time for the
/ Christmas dinner supper either; and
| found the old father at the depot sur
/ veying the burned bodies with the keen
est anxiety. fearing he wOull ind his
son among them. When he discovered
his boy safe and sound, there was 4
scene at that depot which gathered a
I sympathetic crowd"
THE HY0TEIS