The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-01-09
A Cabman' S
Experience
By EDWIN ERiNsLEY

anu Il me Sieet was falling about MN
But John Burns was far more inter
ested in catching IA nap than in looking
upon the marvellous electric display
But soon he heard his cab door open
and shut and mans voice say:
Wake up"
John Burns turned and looked
through the glass behind him upon the
textures of very old man. The only
part of his apparel that was not Gov
cred by his cloak was his hat. which
struck the cabman as something re-
markable. 1t was what is called bell
crown. with a large curled brim and
covered with short fur. The chang
ing electric displays lighted the wear
er's face, showing countenance mol
only old. but there was an evil twink.
In the eye.
''NOrthward." said the passenger.
ION what street,"
"The Bl0omingdale road"
1.-THE whaty'
THAT one" The speaker pointed to
Broadway. Cabby put on the rowe,
and. turning ut the corner. entered
that part of Broadway lying north OF
FOrty-SecOnd street and now the live
hest part of upper New York. After
reaching less crowded portion of the
thOrOughfare he asked the old gen
tleman behind him just where he
should take him and received orders
to turn into One Hundred and Fortieth
street. From that time the passenger
kept pointing out the way till he pull
ed up before an old fashioned house
situated among modern edifices. The
STARE" opened the cab door and. sup
porting himself with staff, tottered up
the walk to the front door.
From this point John Burns in tell
Ing the story appears confused. He
doesn't remember whether the house
was~lighted or in darkness. He can't
say that he saw the old man 60 into
the house. His impression is that
there were no lights in the windows
and if his fare went inside he must
have gone right in through the closed
door. The only thing John Burns re-
members distinctly is that the wind
blew aside the mans cloak. which
reached to his ankles and exposed a
cair of legs no bigger than those Of 3
skeleton.
However this may be, the cablnan.
who. it has been said, was in need Of
rest. soon began to dOze In his seat
He was awakened by blaze OF iis hi
coming through the doorway of the
house before which he was stopping
and saw distinctly two persons there.
The one was his passenger. the other
a lady. The latter was dressed very
much in the present mode of high
waist; panniers and clinging skirts
The man who was bowling himself out
fiourished his bell crown hat. bowed
very low and scraped excessively with
his feet After number of such
wonder. he came down the walk. turn
ing to throw a kiss to the lady who
still stood in the doorway Then the
seemed to go out all of a
sudden. and the passenger stepped into
the cab. closed the door and said:
Down the BlOOmingdale road"
Having learned that the Blooming
dale road meant Broadway, cabby ask
ed mo questions. but mOtOred south
ward. He received no order to leave
the thoroughfare or to go to any par
ticular place. so he drove on past the
junction at broadway and Thirty
third street and Madison and Union
squares and thence straight south
ward through what is now lower
Broadway. The life of the city grew
less and less as he proceeded till it
became the midnight Of great city.
1t livened up as they passed the City
Hall park. adjoining which most Of
the newspaper Offices linger, but died
out as they approached Trinity church.
at the head Of Wall street. Burns was
directed to turn into Rector street.
the churchyard on the south
''Stop- said the stranger.
John Burns drew up to the curb.
81 am under deep obligations to you"
said the passenger In tone that
sounded to John Burns very pOmpOus.
you have taken me to call on my wife
1t her residence. and I am now going
% pay visit to gentleman whom |
was reluctantly obliged to punish for
,Ome annoying remarks he made about
ne. Good evening"
With flourish Of the bell crown hat
IN lieu of fare. the strange man
seemed to dit up the side Of stone
wall. through an iron railing. and dis
appeared beneath monument located
but few feet beyond the rail.
Whether John Burns awoke from
lream or was so astonished that he
lidn't know whether he was asleep or
awake he fails to make 1t appear.
As to what he did the next day to
clear up the matter he is explicit. He
notored up to the dwelling where he
1ad taken the stranger and asked of
me passing who lived there.
Don't know" was the reply. That's
he Jumei house She lived In the
early part Of the last century and mar
He'd Aaron Burr in his old age"
''Nho wassAaron BurrT' .:...r
.Forzner vice president of the United
States He~killed his political rival in
/ duel.
From the. Jumel house John Burns
1rove to Trinity CHURCH and entering
he churchyard. went to tie monument
Rector street. On. the