Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-01-30

,ASIINGTON STANDARD. OILY
mains were lowered so slowly and
nOiseiessly into the boughs, made it
seem like the angels were bearing
him away while chanting their lul-
laby. If his spirit could see the
beautiful ceremonies at his grave,
the ease with which his body was
transported to the cemetery, and the
graceful lowering into the soothing
bed of natures choice flowers. he no
doubt rejoiced that he remained
among his friends FOR "a years,
thereby avoiding the crude, rough
and heart-rending burials of former
years. Verify, the world do move"
Death is not SO terrible as many
think. My experience, when
seemed" TO be dead for two weeks
in Portland the Robbers Roost,"
caused me to have no fear for death
or the hereafter, and when / came
back" l was sorry | had not remained
dead. But since! Oh, it is different
Since l escaped from the Portland
atmosphere and have gotten near to
Olympia, where l can sometimes 60
to visit my friends (and there seems
to be legion of 'em with the glad
hand). it just seems like l have
sneaked into heaven when st. Peter
was not looking.
And don't care now if | never get
killed again. | want to join hands
with Phil Skillman's Living Dead
Man" Maybe l will some day in
the near future tell of my experience
in Portland. 1t served me right. l
had no business going away from
Olympia, and when l get back to
stay the devil himself can't scare or
drive me away.
"ELIJAH, ON HIGH"
I went out to the cemetery with
Frank Crosby, in his fiivver, and it
reminded me of that passage in the
isible where it first mentioned the
Ford and said that elijah went up
to heaven on high" Then l thought
of the many, many times that have,
with others, marched all the way
from town to the cemetery, through
the hot sun and dust, to render the
last sad rites for some departed
friend. and make the occasion as
doleful as possible by singing with a
doleful tune these words:
Solemn strikes the funeral chime,
Notes of cur departing time;
AS we journey here below
Through a pilgrimage of Woe"
A REAR VIEW.
Walking back toward the city to
catch a street car from Tumwater,
and thinking of George Marvin Saw
age and his boss cars. Olympia's first
car service. ] saw man walking far
ahead of me, and I thought, by golly,
that looks like Jim Chambers. But
this man looked short and stout,
while Jim, when l knew him years
ago, was rather tall and slim. Well,
maybe he has been taking on flesh in
his old days, as some do when they
are going down the western slope of
the hill Of life, then he would not
look SO tall at distance.
l could tell if could see his face,
so l speeded up, on high, and soon
overlook him. When in speaking
distance I said, Mister, from a rear
view might take you to be Jim
Chambers. He stopped, turned
around and said, well, am jim
FChambers. but who are your" Many
times l have to tell old friends who
l am. People may change in appear
ance as they grow older. but they sell
dom change in motion, and have
recognized lots of them in that way.
/ had similar experience the day
before, as walked up Main street
in the hot sun OF September 21st. As
4
neared the corner of Main and Mil
roy streets lit ought to be called
Milroy street if it is not), there was
bench opposite the cd Milroy home
which seemed to invite me to sit
down and rest, SO at once felt tired
and warm and Topped down beside
an old gentleman with long gray
whiskers and long yellow crutches
occupying the other end of the bench.
We passed remarks about the wealth
er from force of habit, and l noticed
that he seemed to be chewing tobac-
co. Then saw him expectorate in
the grass and said to myself. that
motion looks familiar. From away
back. wonder
Say, mister, IL you didn't look so
old and didn't have such long gray
whiskers would think you were
Wash Frazier" Instantly he turned
his face toward me and said, well,