The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-06
MOST DROUND!
Deacon Andrews Nearly Give Up
the Cost in Snake Crick!-
Rescued by Lem Brown!-A
Warning to Others to Walk the
Strate 6 karrer Way.

Deacon Andrews, one of the stanch
pliers of the Bingville church and also
one of our most respeckted citizens,
had a narrer excape from a horrible
death by drownding last Tuesday night
which will finger and flourish like a
green bay tree in his memry as long as
he lives. Little do we know, gentle
reader, how close we sometimes walk
to the brink of that bourne whence no
traveller ever returns sound in wind
and limb.
The Deacon had spent the ev'g at
Hen Weathersby's store chewing fine
cut and engaging in soshial intercourse
with his neighbors on current events
in the neighborhood, the crop, how to
cure the pipp in chickens, ct cetera, too
numerous to mensh1on.
1t was about 9 o'clock when the
Deacon took a fresh chew and arose
from a three-1egged chair he had been
setting on all the ev'g and which he
had nearly whitfield out from under
him till it wasn't safe to set on and
said to the other visitors that he calki-
lated that it was most time for him to
go home and get to bed, being as he
would haft to get up before daylight
the next morning in order to get his
to take trip to the Co. seat on biz
ness and pleasure SO as to get back
home in time to feed and milk again
before dark. With a CHEEKY goodnight
to all of the prominent citizens who
was gathered in the store the Deacon
passed out into the night and taking
the middle of the road wendell his
weary way homeward.
AS everybody knows the Deacon lives
on the opposite side of Snake Crick
from the store, and in order to arrive
home it was necessary for him to cross
over the foot bridge over the cricl<
This bridge is made outen two spruce
logs laid acrost from one bank to
log to tother along on top of the logs
to walk on, while on either hand as
you cross over is a wood railing. This
bridge has been in use many years and
recently these ratings had become
somewhat wobb1y, but it was consid-
cred that with mild usage the bridge
and the railing would last many years
to come.
When the Deacon reached the end
of the bridge and before he started
acrost he took off his glasses and wiped
them on his bandana SO as he could see
better, but being as it was a cloudy
night he Couldn't see very well even
then but he finally got holt of the rail
ing and started acrost. When the Dea-
con had got about half way acrost the
bridge he stubbed his toe on plank
in the bridge which was warped and
the edge turned up and stumbled for
ward against the railing. This was TOO
much for the railing, which give way.
and the next second the Deacon fell
about 9 #. into the dark, cold and tur-
bulent waters of Snake Crick with a
dull and sickening splash. still holding
the railing in his hand
1t was an awful surprise for the
Deacon Just to think he was high
and dry one minute and the next wal
lering in the waters of trouble, as you
might say. The crick was very swift,
and before the Deacon could say scat
he was being carried down stream.
The Deacon can't swim a stroke, but
the way he hung onto that wood railing
which fell into the crick with him de-
notes his great presence of mind. He
thinks this more than anything else