The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-01
MEN OF The HOUR.

In the "Questions and Answers" de-
partment of the New York Sun, yester-
day, appeared the following interesting
contribution from Postmaster Ripple:
| was a prisoner of war in Anderson
Vile when the spring, about which L. II.
5. asked, burst fortl--some time during
the month of August. 1864. That it was
GOdSent and miraculous | fully believe.
IL bette? language than | can give it
John McEirOy in his book "Anderson-
Vile" page 3J3 gives the following ac-
count OF it: "One morning the camp
was astOnished beyond measure to dis
cover that during the night Il large bold
*prnG had burst out on the north side,
about midway between the swamp and
the summit Of the hill. 1t poured out it's
grateful food of pure sweet water in an
apparently exhaustless quantity. To the
many who looked In wonder upon it.
it seemed as truly a heaven wrought
miracle as when Moses enchanted rod
9mota the parched rock in Sinai's desert
waste, and the living waters gushed
forth" The spring, now known AS
"Providenca spring" still flows in as
great volume as in 1864. and the ladies
of the Women's Relief Corps G. A. r.,
have erected over it Il pavilion. The
evening before it burst forth ! passed
the spot and there was no evidence of
water there, the next morning just at
daylight on my way to the creek for
water | saw a number fishing over the
dead line with tin cups on the ends of
poles catching the nice, pure water fi0w-
ing from the spring. Tho flow was sut-
1icient to supply our entire prison Of
33OfN. II had come in the night. Prior
TO this our suffering for water had been
intense. Our only supply was the little
stream which flowed through tho camps
of the rebels and the cook houses before
II rpnrbrD l,s and
polluted for use. Such as it was, how
ever, we had TO Use it, for there was
nothing else, and VIC We're baking under
the fierce rays of the midsummer south
crn sun. We prayed for water as we
prayed for food and for dcliverance.
Ezra II. Ripple.
Colonel Ripple is an authority on
prison life in Andersonville, having de-
voted much time in the preparation of
an Illustrated lecture on this subject,
which has been heard several times in
this city.
His collection of rebel prison pictures,
drawn from descriptions furnished by
him and fellow prisoners whom he in
terested i'm the work, is one of the most
interesting, as we'll as unique, art col-
lections extant
eral solicitor of the Pennsylvania rail-
raod upon the reorganization OF the
legal department on Wednesday, is rep
resenting the LehiGh Valley company
before the strike commission. He is
best known to the railroad world by
his former presidency of the Choctaw,
Oklahoma and Gulf railroad. He was
chosen for that position through his in
innate knowledge of railroad law and
as the representative of the Philadel-
phia interest, the controlling factor
until the Rock Island system saw the
value of the road as reorganized and
built up under Mr.. Gowens direction,
and purchased 1t last spring.
Mr.. Gowen has had wide experience |
in railroad legal work. He has been
since 1867 counsel for the Lehigh Val |
ley railroad in Philadelphia, and was |
for several years assistant general |
solicitor of the Philadelphia and Read |
ing
To Il. r. Robathan. John Reynolds, |
David Pritchard and John NJ. Edwards,