The Topeka state journal., 1903-06-17

was daily growing better His trips
upon the handcar were shortening
gradually, and on Saturday the train
came down as far as Menoken. BY this
time also walking on the North side
had improved considerably, and Quigley
followed the Union Pacific tracks all
the way into town His experiences on
saturday were about as personally in
tereStng to him as they had been any
time previous, although they may have
been trife less spectacular. The dir
ticult part was the crossing of the
north channel where ii broke througl
the Union Pacific right of way near th8
Updegraff farm. At that point the
earth had washed out under the track
for distance of forty feet. Through
this hole, where the two rails with their
ties hung like a hammock, the water
was still running swiftly. 1t covered
the entire right of way and track for
ground where the solid walking left Off.
10 walk a railway track when it is N
plain sight is comparatively easy feat.
but to stay on it when there is nothing
between the ties but water and when
the water is running waist deep around
and against you. is more difficult II
the performer has the knowledge that
the water is twenty feet deep below him
as am incentive to keep him on his foot
bridge he viii probably be careful.
Having made his first crossing sue
cessfully, Quigley returned by the same
way that evening, taking with hirrf
St Marys- The job of guiding tn sse
men across the stretch of washed OUT
and submerged track was not the
easiest Guigley went first, taking his
mah to the dry ground on the farther
slde- IN endeavoring to get back to
assist his cOmDaniOns he was carried
OH the track into the deep hole and
very thoroughly ducked- Coming to the
surface he swan back directly against
the current until he gained one of the
ialls- Fortunately his Inexperienced
companions made no missteps uDon the
crossing The water in the hole was
found TO be p feet deep at the place
where Quigley was swept off
on Monday Quigley found walking
salef on the Union Pacific tracks and
mace ms journey down and his return
without particular incident on Tues
days mail carrying expedition ne WIS
accompanied by Ben Roberts, the Union
Faclf1c station agent at St Ma~ys. His
success IN delivering the mails encour-
aged him to extend his operations so
that day he carried the mail uD to Wa
nego- lie and Roberts pushed a hand
car to Wamego Tuesday night after
reaching St. Marys, and to the ua-
bounded delight Of the populace pre-
sentea them with q number of letters
that had lain in Topeka for week
Wednesdays trip was the same as Mon
days but on Thursday he again went 10
Wamego. On Friday the Union Pacific
itself made connections with Topeka,
and, to use Quigley's own expression
beat him out of job"
Noting the absence of an account OF
his occupation on Sunday in the above
narrative. it might naturally be sup
posed that Quigley rested, but, accord
ing to his own statement. he played
game of balll Imsgine playing a game
of ball in the middle of a strenuous
week in which you had furnished your
own motive power on a handcar for IS
miles and had walked 81 miles carrying
a heavy mail sack. leaving out several
occasional swims with all your clothes
on and the rowing of a boat twice daily
across the most dangerous piece of wa
ter you can think of. Mr. Quiglev's
hands bore the marks of their rough
service in the boat and on the hand
car for a week or so after he had been
supplanted as q mail carrier. AS relics
Of his adventures he has a framed news
paper for which he paid "A ST. and a
much more valuable 5ewelled pin signi-
fyins his membership in the Elks lodge,
OF which he has not inquired the cost