Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-05-06

I . FREAkk HEA Hz %z &Z
 Ir I. rather curious fact in itseit that soon after reaching the estate of lranhood our bumps of inquisitive- ness take on an abnormal growth i'll proportion to the rest of our cranial angles and our whoe lives begin to resolve themselves into interroga- tions. In fact, curiosity is an attFi. bute common to every known TarietT of animal, I believe: out after pass ing a certain period of his growth man in particular seems to become encomDassed in huge interrogation Eofnt. The why and the wherefore is ever with Us. and in every circum- stance and incident of fife We are prone to philosophize.
 And strangest of all strange things to man is man himself Did you ever read that little doggerel:
 @Just when get to know myself
 As one who tries, and can, 'Tis strange, but I begin to feel
 Just like another man.
 This is pretty hard luck, consid- ering the fact that one has put in such hard work trying. But then mans life is principally filed np with ups and downs anyway, and as enc grows older he should learn the lesson Of life.
 So much for that.
 That Free Bridge.
 The other night I sat dreaming daT dreams by my office desk after the long hours of the day had faded into the pale amber shades Of the evening. just as old men do when the sun sets oyer the horizon Of life. And as l sat and pondered, there came to me one of those partings of spirit and body which come to every man, when the soul seems carried beyond the habi1anents Of flesh. and peers into the Unknown, catching feeting giimp- ses of things beyond And this is what I saw:
 A great and prosperous city rose najestically from rich and yerdent valley that rivalled the Nile. Dottfns it here and there were the stately staeDles of scores Of handsome clutches and magnificent school build ings, sky-scrappers reared to dizzy heights throughout the business dis tricts. and great busy .shfdllu7ldsrb tricts. and great hHrrying, surging throng of busy humanity bespoke the prosperity of their metropolis, for everybody seemed glad they were liv- ing, and glad they were living in that particular city. Great factories and mammoth shops in the outlying districts told of the sub stantial basis upon which the city was founded. while for miles around could be seen the rich fields Of cot ton and grain. growing on soil whose wealth was unexcelled. Interurban cars sped over lines reaching ont their long rails in every direction, and gathered in the golden harvests e thousands of happy, prosperous farmers.
 I saw railways traversing the coun- try north. east. south and west. I saw heavily loaded trains carrying the products of farm and factory 10 the marts of the world. saw score of banks, with capitals rum hing into seven figures. handling the huge incomes of thousands Of pros perous people
 I heard the shriek of q locomotive pulling a train of fourteen passenger coaches into the great central sta- tion. where stood dozen other trains ready for departure, and saw hundreds Of people alight.
 And wondered at al this, for it vas new to me.
 Just then I noticed some gentlemen standing by me.
 What magnificent city i8 this92 inquired.
 This $ Greater Pine Buff, . he ra- pied, looking at me wonderinsly
 And the year?'
 This time he appeared aneasy- could see that he thoagat Tie of rnsounA mind.
 1850. he finally replied
 Oh. said, T resided here back in 19os, bat never thought then that such metamorphosis would t5xe place in so short time
 Then sir. you were mistaken and yea have not seen the aatf Te aov