Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1924-05-01
PROMINENT American busi-

n PROM NENI American busi-
| ~ ness man, vice-president of the
- Chamber of Commerce of the
United States, was the victim of an
automobile accident, as a result OF
which "he lay for months apparently
unconscious, but actually quite aware
of what was going on about him."
During this time he had a strange
mental experience of which he writes
"I think it was an adventure into
another world" The writer, A. B.
Farquhar of New York City, at eighty
five years, is still in active charge of
his business and his strange story is
called "a remarkable human document
by Golfers Weekly which presents it
in the issue of April II. The narrative
set forth in Mr. Farquhar's own
words, runs:
The 9th Of January, 1922, dawned
white and icy. For half a century
have reached my office in New York
not later than seven. At about half
past six I walked down my road to
the public highway to catch the troll
ley car which always takes me to
work.
l like the cars in the carly morning
when the workmen are riding on them.
The car must have been late or
must have been early-at least 7 did
not hear it when / reached the road,
SO | stood out by the tracks where
the motorman could see me. My eyes
are not very good. A smothering, en-
veloping crash
There is chance that he may re-
cover, said voice somewhere near
me, "but his skull is fractured in two
places, and he is nearly eighty five
years old. 1t would go hard enough
with young man"
Certainly he will never have his
mind back. Even if he does not die, he
will be helpless. Has he any sensations
at all? 1t has been six weeks now
hasn't it, since that automobile hit him
He ought to be showing some signs
i heard the men talking-heard their
every word-but I could not see them
| tried to speak, but l could not say
anything. 1t was all very strange-I
seemed to be somewhere and again
was nowhere. What was this talking
about automobiles and fractured skulls
and death? Who owned the voices and
whom were they talking about? Was
l dead?
Il shall try him with a needle" con-
tinued the first voice. heard step
He does not respond, he does not
feel the needle at all. He will never
be alive again"
Then | began to gather that this con
versatlon on which | was listening in
was about me-that it was these
people were discussing. just as tho
were not present. Was l present?
must be, or they would no thave said
that about the needle. They were doc.
tors-yes, that must be it-and they
had the crazy notion I was going tc
die
No, was not dead after all. Blu
these men thought I was going to- die
or be worse than dead. I was no
afraid of death. What they said die
not frighten me. 1t just amused me tc
think that the men probably they
weer doctors-could be so utterly anC
ridiculously wrong. For I was not go,
ing to die. That l knew; somehow
was assured of it--assured in an in
definable way. Nothing was quite de
fined But the doctors were funny.
laughed at them.
My nurse afterwards told me tha
really laughed aloud; they though
that perhaps | was passing from com;
to dementia. None of them knew wa,
laughing at them. They went away anc
so did l. A Divine Providence seemed
to possess itself Of. me and togethe
we went into space.
do not know how we Travelled.
had no companion and yet I was no
alone. l had a feeling that l was be
ing watched over and cared fo
in some marvelously capable way.
was not afraid l was not awed. no
even surprised, by the amazing sight,
of the journey. l went far off through
space. | passed planets and stars a
tho they were towns at night on
river. Their lights twinkled. The,
seemed indefinitely to be peopled anc
busy, and they were as easy to rec
ognize as tho they were on some riv
er | knew well, like the Susquehann;
or the Hudson, or the Mississippi. The
constellation of Orion was bustlinI
and thriving, as tho its members were
competing with each other I half ex
pected to see great signs: "Buy in Bet.
elgeuse,' or "Save in Bellatrix".
went on and on, and at last l came
to rest very gently amid green, rolling
pastures.
The sky was as blue as Italy's, the
air as velvety as Ireland's. I saw