Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1915-03-26
MAN
HASLONELY VIGIL
He Was a Stranger Yet No One
Took Him in or Took Him Any
where when He landed at
Roanoke Junction from Mid
night Train
A TRAGEDY OF ERRORS
WITH A MORAL

| = AANkAN1AA> VI kAANANSAN0
WITH A MORAL
Worn-out, tired, sleepy, dis
gruntled, but still able to protest
vigorously, not to say fleently
and picturesquely, Mr.. A. Isaac
son, travelling man, of New York
City, appeared in the Herald's
office on last Saturday noon with
a doleful tale of a night of
horrors spent in our fair city and
a never again" expression on
his face that you could hear a
block away.
Mr.. lsaacson, as recounted by
himself, on last Friday night
came blithely and unsuspectingly
on his maiden voyage to Roanoke
Rapids, reaching Roanoke Jur c
tion on the midnight train. Mr..
lsaacson had never been to
Roanoke Rapids before and he
distinctly recalls the fact that it
had been raining just before his
arrival. His advent was un-
heralded and still more unfortu-
nate, unwelcomed. No hack.
conveyance, or living person met
the train. A large blur close at
hand on investigation and con-
tact proved to be a depot.
Lights glimmered from afar
off. Progress toward them en-
numbered with sample cases and
travelling bag was slow and
arduous and finally success turn
ed to ashes when the lights
turned out to be a "cotton-mill".
Other lights beckoned, however,
and the march was again resum-
ed. Fifty thousand dogs reside
in Rosemary, all of them light
sleepers" averred Mr.. Isaacson.
Finding building lighted and
bearing the legend Rosemary
Post Office, Mr.. Isaacson was
dumfounded. His ticket called
for Roanoke Junction, his dis
tination was Roanoke Rapids
and here he was in far-off
Rosemary.
The next discovery was the
Avenue = logical deduction indi.
Gated that it must lead some-
where = a. faint blare of light
was visible in the distance, so our
hero, perturbed in spirit and
weary in body, also footsore, be-
gan again his quest for the holy
grail. The bottom between Roa-
noke Rapids and Rosemary to his
excited imagination was a more
gruesome spot than any pictured
in Poe's tales = a place for evil
deeds, especially suitable for
murders, highway robberies, and
such like. Between Scylla and
Charybdis he held his bearings
and docked at The intersection of
Roanoke Avenue and Second
Street some time about two
O'Clock.
Lights burned everywhere he
stated except in the one place
that ought to have shown a light
= the hotel. Many weary blocks
were tramped in the search for a
hotel, anything that looked liked
a hotel, anybody that could direct
him to hotel. The quest for
bed and sweet repose was definite
ly abandoned about four O'Clock
and Mr.. lsaacson returned to the
Roanoke Pharmacy corner and
took up, in solitary grandeur, the
post of guardian of the town
pump. One stray dog, with
whom he made friends, and one
crippled mule which ambled up
and took drink out of the water
ing trough of the aforesaid
pump, were the only citizens Of
Roanoke Rapids he glimpsed
until fifteen minutes past five,
when the first inhabitant vested
with the gift of speech directed
his weary way to the hotel.
Mr., lsaacson said his experien-
ces were positively unforget-
table,"
MORAL: Draw it for YOUR