Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-06-14

sweeping down the Mississippi rive
filling the air with fine particles o
ice and snow, making it almost i'm
possible to keep ones footing OF
level, unobstructed ground, and real
ly perilous for any one to be ou
in the storm. Sometime during the
night my father, as was his custom
was passing over some planks lai6
across large watts which were nearly
filled with hot oil and liquid refuse
FROM the distillery. He had always
been very careful when passing over
those dangerous planks, knowing
full we'll that his feet were liable to
4 slip at any moment ON their oily sur
4 face, and SO he would carefully make
his way over them each night by the
| light OF his lantern. On the night
In question, as he was making his
ROUNDS as usual, the light of his Ian
tern was suddenly extinguished by a
gust of wind and he was left upon
those dangerous planks in utter
darkness. Almost instantly his feet
slipped from under him and he was
precipitated into the hot oil below.
In falling his hands caught on the
side of the vat and though he was
buried in the oil nearly up to his
neck, he had just strength enough
to drag himself up and over the side
Of the vat falling out upon the
frozen ground, where he lay uncon-
scious until the engineer-the same
man who had come to my relief
when was watching at the Stun
baugh sawmill few years earlier
found him in the morning. Mr.. Al
ban Immediately gave the alarm and
he was taken home at once, where
everything was done for him that
skill and love could suggest. He
lived nearly four days, most Of the
time quite conscious, suffering great
agony, scalded and frozen as the
flesh was, it would fall from his
body, as 1t continued to do until he
died. He was good man and had
great reverence for holy things.
though, to the best of my recollec-
ton he was never connected with
any branch of the Christian church.
He was constant reader of the
Bible and had profound knowledge
of its contents. Thus in the fifty
fourth year of his life Samuel Green
passed away, who for the preceding
ten years as resident of Lyons, had
been recognized by his neighbors is
"A man among men,
Upon reading the account of his
death in the Mirror / Immediately
applied for a leave of absence that
might go home to attend the fun
eral To obtain furlough which
is given to non-commissioned officers
and enlisted men, or leave of alb
|sence, given to commissioned officers,
certain formulas required by the reg
ulations must be conformed with.
In my application l followed the re-
quired routine, but was unceremon-,
iously turned down by General Swee-'
ney at division headquarters. Moth
ing daunted however, took my pa
pers and went over to General
Dodge's quarters, determined to see
him in person and explain my earn
est desire to go home for a few days.
The guard On duty politely but posi-
lively refused to give me access to
General Dodge, stating that the Gen.
eral was very busy just then and
could not be disturbed on any ac-
count. OF course / persisted, but
could not induce the man to yield.
Finally. in despair for precious time
wss being wasted, took the Mirror
fir m my pocket and calling for the
Orderly, requested him to take it in
TO General Dodge and tell him how
DESTROYS / was to see him. In a
very few. minutes was called in and
General Dodge with kindly SYM
pathy that touched me deeply, after
inquiring more particularly about
my father and our home, said:
We'll, Captain, we are not granting
many leaves just now, but you may
go to your quarters and will inn
mediately wire Sherman for you"
Before dark had my leave and
started for home. Ny first Lieuten-
ant, J. F. Conway, who at the time
was temporarily attached to the
staff of Brigadier General e. w.
Rice, procured two horses and to-
gether we set out for Columbia,
where ] took the cars for Nashville;
arriving at that place went directly
to hotel and engaged cot for the
night The rooms were all occupied
and the train for Louisville did not
leave until the next morning at eight
o'clock, The colored boy who made
ready my cot and was to have awak-
ened me in time for breakfast and