Jonathan Eaton's Blog - Posts Tagged "flash"
Flash History
One of my favorite things about research is running across a little pearl of a story. Some are just fragments that set off a cascade of ideas and images, others are complete tales in themselves. Here are some I've run across recently. I'd call them "flash fiction", only they're not fiction, so maybe "flash history" (Titles are mine)
***
The Plaintiff
Plaintiff's dwelling is almost under defendant's trestle work; her buggy house is nearer the railroad than her dwelling; sparks of fire emitted from defendant's passing locomotive engines are thrown onto plaintiff's premises; plaintiff's houses are constructed of wood.
***
The Cyclone at Savoy, Texas
"Mr. McMurry and I had retired for the night, our bedroom being in the front part of the house. We were awakened from a sound sleep by deafening peals of thunder, the terrible roar of the wind, and a mighty downpour of rain that fell in blinding sheets. Our first thoughts were of Minnie, who was sleeping alone in a back room that opened onto a porch. When we opened the door that led to her room we found that the room had been blown away! Her father and I rushed out into the black night in search of our child with no light to guide us but the vivid flashes of lightning. We called and called her name, but there was no answer, for our voices could not be heard above the roar of the elements. Minutes seemed years! We continued to call and creep, inch by inch, over the debris which the storm had left in its wake. Finally there was a lull; things grew quiet, except for the cries of the distressed. We continued to call our child and to pray that we might be directed to her. God hears and answers prayers. In the distance there came a plaintive answer to our calls, 'Here I am, Mamma, in the pig pen.'
"The pig was dead, but Minnie we found on her bed, unhurt, except for the terrible beating of rain and mud."
***
The Railroad Trestle
A passenger on defendant's train was carried half a mile past his station on a dark and damp night. In walking back to his station plaintiff had to cross two trestles on his hands and knees, owing to the darkness, and his knees were consequently sore and stiff for some days. He had been sick with jaundice, and the exposure gave him a cough which lasted for some time, and in crossing one of the trestles he was frightened by the sound of an approaching train. Held, that a verdict in the plaintiff's favor for $1,000 was excessive, and should be reduced to $500
***
A Youth of Nineteen
The wife of Sim Harper, of Pulaski county, eloped with Mark Shelton, a youth of nineteen, both riding one horse to Stanford, where they stopped over night, their alleged destination being Indiana, where they were to be married. That night Shelton sold the horse, obtained from the woman all the money she had, and left the town alone. The authorities at Lebanon, being telegraphed to, arrested him there, and Harper came up from Pulaski county to prosecute him. They failed to make out a case of grand larceny, and Mrs. Harper returned home with her husband
***
The Ballad of Nellie Crockett
Charlie Campbell, formerly of Kentucky, but a musician at the Red Light for a year, had been drinking a great deal and became quite reckless on account of his girl, Nellie Crockett, who is an inmate of the same house, being on the eve of leaving him and going to Colorado to get married. Last night at 9 o'clock he took a large dose of morphine at the St. Nicholas saloon, and went up-stairs, telling a servant that he was going to die and to let him die easy. Directly he was heard groaning. A doctor was immediately called. Campbell died within half an hour. This is the second man who has killed himself about this woman--the other was Dave Brown, and occurred a year ago.
***
Illumination
Happenings at Brenham.
Special to the Herald
Brenham, Oct. 9.--Dr. Wilson, an Englishman, and a physician practicing at Greenville, in this county, took two ounces of aconite at 2 o'clock this morning, and was a corpse before daylight. The coroner's inquest gave a verdict of suicide. He had been drinking heavily of late.
Fine cotton-picking weather this week.
The Banner office is now illuminated with gas from the city gas works.
***
Dr. Bly
***
The Plaintiff
Plaintiff's dwelling is almost under defendant's trestle work; her buggy house is nearer the railroad than her dwelling; sparks of fire emitted from defendant's passing locomotive engines are thrown onto plaintiff's premises; plaintiff's houses are constructed of wood.
***
The Cyclone at Savoy, Texas
"Mr. McMurry and I had retired for the night, our bedroom being in the front part of the house. We were awakened from a sound sleep by deafening peals of thunder, the terrible roar of the wind, and a mighty downpour of rain that fell in blinding sheets. Our first thoughts were of Minnie, who was sleeping alone in a back room that opened onto a porch. When we opened the door that led to her room we found that the room had been blown away! Her father and I rushed out into the black night in search of our child with no light to guide us but the vivid flashes of lightning. We called and called her name, but there was no answer, for our voices could not be heard above the roar of the elements. Minutes seemed years! We continued to call and creep, inch by inch, over the debris which the storm had left in its wake. Finally there was a lull; things grew quiet, except for the cries of the distressed. We continued to call our child and to pray that we might be directed to her. God hears and answers prayers. In the distance there came a plaintive answer to our calls, 'Here I am, Mamma, in the pig pen.'
"The pig was dead, but Minnie we found on her bed, unhurt, except for the terrible beating of rain and mud."
***
The Railroad Trestle
A passenger on defendant's train was carried half a mile past his station on a dark and damp night. In walking back to his station plaintiff had to cross two trestles on his hands and knees, owing to the darkness, and his knees were consequently sore and stiff for some days. He had been sick with jaundice, and the exposure gave him a cough which lasted for some time, and in crossing one of the trestles he was frightened by the sound of an approaching train. Held, that a verdict in the plaintiff's favor for $1,000 was excessive, and should be reduced to $500
***
A Youth of Nineteen
The wife of Sim Harper, of Pulaski county, eloped with Mark Shelton, a youth of nineteen, both riding one horse to Stanford, where they stopped over night, their alleged destination being Indiana, where they were to be married. That night Shelton sold the horse, obtained from the woman all the money she had, and left the town alone. The authorities at Lebanon, being telegraphed to, arrested him there, and Harper came up from Pulaski county to prosecute him. They failed to make out a case of grand larceny, and Mrs. Harper returned home with her husband
***
The Ballad of Nellie Crockett
Charlie Campbell, formerly of Kentucky, but a musician at the Red Light for a year, had been drinking a great deal and became quite reckless on account of his girl, Nellie Crockett, who is an inmate of the same house, being on the eve of leaving him and going to Colorado to get married. Last night at 9 o'clock he took a large dose of morphine at the St. Nicholas saloon, and went up-stairs, telling a servant that he was going to die and to let him die easy. Directly he was heard groaning. A doctor was immediately called. Campbell died within half an hour. This is the second man who has killed himself about this woman--the other was Dave Brown, and occurred a year ago.
***
Illumination
Happenings at Brenham.
Special to the Herald
Brenham, Oct. 9.--Dr. Wilson, an Englishman, and a physician practicing at Greenville, in this county, took two ounces of aconite at 2 o'clock this morning, and was a corpse before daylight. The coroner's inquest gave a verdict of suicide. He had been drinking heavily of late.
Fine cotton-picking weather this week.
The Banner office is now illuminated with gas from the city gas works.
***
Dr. Bly
