The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-19

| ana quarter Gay Tor IWSlty-elgnl
different days that is to say. thirty-five
hours in all. the dictations covering a
period of little less than six weeks.
In debating this autobiography of more
/ than 100 600 words, Mr.. Train did not
once consult book Of reference. His
memory is astounding. The story of his
| life is crowded with dates. with names
OF people, names Of ships, thousand
things that it seems utterly impossible
| that any human being could remember.
and yet Mr.. Train talked them out OF his
head at the rate of go words minute
II made not the slightest difference
whether the event or incident happened
seven months or seventy years ago. it
was perfectly clear in his mind
Much time was devoted by the publish
ers TO verify Mr.. Trains names and dates
whenever it was possible. He tells of a
certain reception he attended in India
on a certain date, where he met certain
people. It was all he said. He points
out that Jules Verne's Around the World
| In Eighty Days" was founded on the
Citizens around-th-world tour in 1870,
and he adds that the book was published
in 1872. There was grave doubt about the
rectness of this date. 1t took an active
young man nearly two days of investiga-
ton TO find out that Mr.. Train was right.
He describes selling a ticket to Ralph
Waldo Emerson, who, with one exception
that modesty forbids him to name. Mr.
Train considers the greatest man Ameri-
ca ever produced. for passage to England.
He names the date, the ship. and the cap
tain, and he quoted a passage from Emer-
son. describing the voyage. Mr. Halsey
looked up the matter and found in En-
glish Traits" that Emerson had recorded
the facts just as had Train. and that
the only error Train made was in quot
ing the passage He used but" where
it is and" in the original. And in all
that story of 100000 words, story of
facts, which the citizen talked without
consulting a single work of reference.
that is the only blunder that has been
discovered.
And there has been practically no edit
ing of the story save that which every
dictated manuscript requires. 1t is truly
George Francis Trains story, told in his
own words.
1t is wise always to begin at the begin
ming, which in this case is the title of
the book which D. Appleton & Co. are
preparing FOR publication and which win
be issued the latter part of the month
1t is called My Life in Many States and
in Foreign Lands, Written in the Mills
Hotel, in my Seventy-fourth year. by
George Francis Train
And after the title comes the dedication,
which is a particularly fine one, worthy
Of a man who has lived up to the senti-
ment in it.
TO the children and the childrens
children in this and in all lands who love |
and believe in me because they know
1 love and believe In them.
The real autobiography begins with his |
grandfather. Baltimore man, who turn
ed itinerant Methodist preacher, freed his |
slaves. and who married my beautiful /
grandmother, who had a thousand acre 1
farm at Waltham. ten miles from Bos- |
ton" Mr. Train was born in Boston on 1
March "a. 1929 and soon after his father |
removed to New Orleans. where he open /
ed a store He says he can remember |
almost everything in his life since his /
fourth year and he draws a charming 1
picture Of his life before the yellow fever
scourge. when the fear of the plague
had so shaken the human soul that men
stod afar off aghast and did only what /
they had to do in a coarse. brutal swift
burial OF the dead" He continues:
: one day they brought into our home
a coarse pine box. Then ! saw them
take the body Of my little sister Josephine
and put it hastily into the rough pine box
I was too young TO understand it all. but
Ga4 . S4a
tears even now. After mailing uD the
box and marking it to go to the Train
vaults the family sat and waited for
the coming of the dead wagon The
city sent around carriers 10 pick up the
dead.
"A few days later another pine box
was brought TO the childs homo, and
then he knew more of the mystery of
death. IN this they placed his sister
Louise and he went to the window and
listened for the cry: Bring out-bring
out your dead" His last little sister FL
len followed. Mr.. Train continues:
The next strange thing TO happen TO
me was the arrival IN the house OF box
much larger than the others. I did not
know what it could be for. The box
was very rough looking. The nurse told
me it was for my mother. Again I took
my stand by the window. Bring out
bring out your dead. resounded mourn
fully in the street Just below the window
where I stood. 1 looked out, and there
was the dead wagon II had come for
my mother Only my father
and I sat In the carriage that went to Il
the cemetery and TO the vaults that day.
There were my mother and three little
sisters; all had been swept from me in
this St Pierre style-in this volcano OF
yellow fever.
Finally there came one day a letter
from my grandmother. the wife OF the
old Methodist itinerant preacher OF Wal
than; send on some OF the family be-
fore they are all dead. Send George I
And so my father made preparations 10
send me back TO Massachusetts,. I can
remember the exact wording OF the card
he wrote and pinned on nay coat. just
ike the label or tag on a bag OF coffee.
Il read:
This Is my little son. George Francis
Train. four years old. Consigned on board
the ship Henry 10 John CiarK- u. Dock
Square. Boston; 10 Be sent 10 his Grand
mother Pickering. at waithan. ten miles
from Boston. Take good care % the
Little Fellow. as he il the only one
eft OF eleven OF rs Il the house. inclnd-
i1g the servants fslzvexl I xii come
on as soon as I can arrange ny business
The child VS. the only passenger on
the ship and II Was during that voyage
that he learned 4. swear OF MS lie
or his grandparents farm The dawn %