The daily morning Alaskan. (Skagway, Alaska) 1899-1904, 1903-03-03
SNOWDRIFT STORIES
fcopyrlFht. i0o3. BY c. D. Lowis.l

drift twenty feet high and half milo
long and that It might be three days
before we were dug out, there were
considerable swearing among the male
passengers and weeping and lament
ing among the women and children.
Night came down with e wild wailing
OF wind and everybody kicking and
ready for a quarrel. and then the CHI
cago drummer showed what kind Of a
man he was. In a quiet, gentle way
be drove the passengers into the last
coach, kissed all the children, smiled
at all the women and bowed to the
men as he began:
Ladies and gentlemen, this Is a
simple incident Of railroad travel In
the winter. In a few hours we shall
be steaming on our way again. and this
detention win be remembered only as
q pleasant adventure. Three years ago
business called me to Manitoba. 1t be-
gan showing one day, and in the
course OF three hours our train had
come to q standstill. We were caught
between stations twenty miles apart,
and within ten hours engine and cars
were buried out Of sight There was
only food enough for one meal, and by
noon next day the fuel had given out.
There were more than hundred Of U.S.
and death by freezing and starvation
stared US in the face"
Seems to me l heard OF that incl
dent" said the redheaded man from
Omaha.
"of course you did-of course" re-
piled the drummer. "as the details
were published far and wide. We
were In that drift for sixteen days.
have always felt sorry for the ten little
children, but under such circumstances
what can you dor It is a case Of the
survival OF the fttest Yes, the
children had to so. There came day
when we had eaten the last OF our
shoes and gloves, and we had to begin
on the children"
'You don't mean that you turned
cannibalF' exclaimed the mother Of a
four-year-old boy.
"Ah, madam, when men are dying OF
hunger they nave no sentiment" re
piled the drummer. "The last Of the
children had disappeared when we
were rescued. am sorry, deeply
sorry, but / feel myself blameless.
had eaten my shoes, gloves, hat and
the velvet collar OF my oyercoat first
had even tried to eat the plush cover
OF the seats, but the stun got tangled
IN my teeth and wouldn't so down.
knew that there were ten fat children
aboard, ranging In age from one 70
seven years, but l was not the first "a
propose II. No, believe me, l was not
had intended to keep right on and
starve to death, but the others were
fierce to live, and live they did. The
arst child selected was q beautiful little
boy. An, remember
The drummer wiped tears from his
eyes with his knucllles and was over.
come for a moment. When he could
control his voice again, he said:
IL cannot so on. refer you to the
papers OF that date for further particn
lars. l brought up the incident for itt
moral effect alone. Always remember
my friends, that no matter how bad
things are they might be worse"
Most Of us had mentally set him
down as a bold faced liar, but forgayC
him on the ground that he was lying in
our interests. when he cleared his
throat and resumed:
81 was In the Blank hotel In ST
Louis when that terrible conhagration
broke out. AS am Chicago man,
I and as there is q bitter Jealousy be-
tween the two cities. l was stuck away
up on the nlnth floor in a small room
II was midnight. and was sleeping
like a babe when the smoke and fame
and confusion aroused me. Hastily
throwing on my clothes, dashed ou'
into the hall. From a window at tho
back end dangled a rope-a single
rope. There was Just time for one per
son to slide down before the rope
would be burned in twain and rendered
useless, while there were forty women
and myself to be saved. In this emer
gency"-
"You saved tho forty women, OF
course" interrupted an old maid from
Iowa.
"No, ma'am; l am happy to say
didn't" replied the drummer. with
their shrleks and screams ringing IN
my ears, I caught the rope and de-
seconded in safety, and every one OF
them persisted"
"But that was worse than cowardly
on your part. A man who would dc
that
ct acted for the best, I assure You
ma'am. Those ladies' were delegates
10 a Christian Endeayor convention
They had attended a meeting that day
They were ready to 90. on the con
trary, was at that time a sinful man
and needed at least two years TO even
stop swearing. There has never been
the slightest doubt In my mind where
tho forty went to. but II hadn't
escaped by the rope my whereabouts
- Al. a. ,,ra,,IN 10 a onhfnaf ~