Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-11-21
A BOY
WHO SAVED
FIVE LIVES
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how useful the art of swimming may
be to boy. Frank Duffy lives near
the boot Of South 9Th street, Brooklyn.
There is an old wharf at the end OF
the street-a rotting old wharf no
longer used. On this sunny, deserted
old pier the boys of the neighborhood
congregate and skylark in the water.
At certain hours they go in. SWIM
ming. The term high tide' and "low
tide" are not in use on this pier. In
stead, the boys say clean water
and dirty water" A big sewer pours
its muddy stream into the river at
this point. At low tide the boys will
not go. in. They wait for high tide,
and they keep. track of its rise and
fall with all the precision of old fish
ermen. Sometimes at 9 or 10 o'clock
at night the cry "Clean water!" in
long drawn cadence, will run along
the foot of South 9Th street, and from
all round about the boys come flock.
ing, like the children after the "Pied
Piper of Hamelin Town" Mothers
protest in vain. Boys have even been
known to slip out Of bed on hot
summer night, jerk trousers over
nightshirt and skin away to that mag
ic cry of ',Clean water!" Some boys
stay in the whole six hours of clean
water"
Nevertheless, Frank Duffy had lived
at No. 81 South 9Th street for four
years without learning to swim. He
can't tell why. He just. didn't. There
are many other boys in the neighbor-
hood who have never learned. A year
ago, in September, he went to Sleeps.
head Bay for several successive Sun.
days with a number of other boys.
They hired boat and amused them.
selves by diving from 1t in water
wings. This apparatus Is something
Hike lifesaying belt, with big pads
on either side. The whole is blown
up like a bicycle tire, and will support
2 mans body in the water FRANK
padded about in the water twice with
the wings. The third day he dove as
usual but the wings had been improp=.
stetfed; and he found himself
sinS the water without them. 1t was
sadp to" him to swim, and he swan
rs naturally as II he had been swim
ming all his life. He swan little
more before cold weather came, and
last spring started swimming regu-
larly at the foot Of South 9Th street.
On September IL. while standing on
the pier. he noticed a boys head go
down. The head did not come up,
and there was strong presumption
that 1t was under log that bumped
lazily on the tide. Flinging of his
coat, but fullysaccoutred otherwise,
Frank sprang in and swan to the log
He saw the boy under the log, grab.
bed his foot and dragged him to the
surface. The boy, Herman Hurdis,
had swallowed SO much water that
he was nearly unconscious and almost
drowned. Frank took him to shore
wsth one hand; then be proceeded to
stand HIN on his head to let the salt
water run out At this the Hurdis
boy came 20 life and objected Justify.
Then Frank tried to roll him to get
the water out. But the Hurdis boy
would no. permit that, and ungrateful-
ly tried to kick his rescuer in the
stomach. So Frank abandoned the ef
fort In disgust.
& It was his busy day, however. He
had no sooner ceased his course OF
first aid to the injured than he saw
smother boy trying to drown himself.
This was Charles Schmidt, who lived
just across the street from Frank.
The Schmidt boy felt himself being
carried out by the tide and began to
scream. Young Duffy plunged in
again and brought his second trophy
to the shore. AS he set him down
on the pier, he said in disgust:
Say! l can't keep dis ting up all
day. Can't you kids keep in your
depth? You'd better tie string
round you and hitch it to de dock
when you go in swimmin'."
The crowd gathered around Frank
and began to congratulate him on his
double achievement. But that young
hero responded grimly:
Oats all right, but look at me
pants! Me mother II know I've been
in de water for fair. I'll need life
savin' committee meself when / get
home"
He started dejectedly for home, but
at this point Mrs. Hurdis appeared,
added her thanks to the congratula-
lions, and invited Frank to come
around and have his picture taken
froo of hos buchopd,c ot,x3;o Che II
30 bestowed upon him 50-cent piece.
This created diversion. Frank head
ed for a place where so cents might
suitably be spent, followed by his
friends. Then he went home, slipped
into his own bedroom very quietly and
changed his clothes. Whether 1t was
the proverbial modesty OF the hero or
Q prudent desire not to call attention
70 his pants" Frank did not say
but anyway Mrs. Duffy knew nothing
about the mater till she saw it in the
paper. Then the neighborhood said
to her: Say, Mrs. Duffy, did Schmidt
blow frankie to new pair of pants?"
BLOW nothing" replied Mrs. Duffy.
We've bought our groceries of
Schmidt for. five years, and he never
80 much as spoke to Frank about saw
ing Charles life" 1ts.
Never mind" said Frank, phlloso.
phically; hell give me sonethin'
next Christmas. He'll give me cal
-endar."
Frank was calleA in from roller
skating on the asphalt under the VIII
liamsburg Bridge to discuss his teats.
He came rather grumpily as he pre-
fers roller skating to fame.