DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Reuben Gaines' memoir, undated

Transcribe
Translate

Page 30

PAGE 30. Buxton.
said my chances were still the same bring 1 to a hundred as I was being swept down stream. Not only is my foot cut over the bottom but sore and bruised as well; not only that I am exausted when the current skilled me a few yards farther a Miracle as great as "All the kings Horses and all the kinds men had helped me to live again." The current had swept me up against a several ton boulder that was in the middle of the river. It was about four foot wide and about four foot high and I could not tell the length from where I was. 
I was so tired and exausted I stayed in front of that boulder for almost a half hour to rest and then I placed my feet beside it and propelled myself as far as I could to evade the middle current. I made it to shore but it gave me something to think about for a long time. Why was that boulder placed exactly the right place to save my life? I am sure there are no other boulders anywhe in that area in going to Oskaloosa many times I have looked for that bould when the River was at its lowest level but never saw the top of it; then I wondered if God placed it there becuse my destiny was not to end that day and would take place another time in the distant future. I drove my team of ponies to this picnic and I took my step mother who was going to HighSchool the same as I at this time and her sister Mable and Tom Lewis which were marri a few years later and later with a family of: Nathan; Issiah; Billie; Mable and Tim. Mable was the only one of all the multitude that caught a fish that day and it may have been her that cast a trout line over into the River and caught one hook in the middle of Malcom Wesley's hand. A fish hook is designed to stay where it penetrates. Malcom was nine or ten years old and they had a terrible time getting the fish hook out but picnicing was over for Malcom that day. I never mentioned my narrow escape from death to anybody but we are all getting ready to leave for home. A young fellow named Johnny hired a team from the Livery stable to go to this picnic and he decided he had better water his horses before starting for home so he lead them down to a tributary that empties into the DesMoines River. It was almost level near the edge so the horses walked into the stream to drink. The water was up to the their belly when they walked in so they stood there drinking and cooling off for too long until the water was over their backs and going over their necks so everybody that could get a holt of anything was trying to pull them free. The two horse was in quick sand up to the middle of their neck. Johny was in a panic by thi time no doubt thinking if he were going to have to work for the rest of his life to pay for those horses. Now for the second time that day a second mirac appeared on the scene just at the appropriate time for the horses necks were now submerged when The Standard Oil Company's team of Hugh draft horses that pulled the big tank wagon was crossing the bridge and he looked down and saw the horses were about to drown so he hurried down and fastened the chain aroun

Saving...

PAGE 30. Buxton. said my chances were still the same bring 1 to a hundred as I was being swept down stream. Not only is my foot cut over the bottom but sore and bruised as well; not only that I am exausted when the current skilled me a few yards farther a Miracle as great as "All the kings Horses and all the kinds men had helped me to live again." The current had swept me up against a several ton boulder that was in the middle of the river. It was about four foot wide and about four foot high and I could not tell the length from where I was. I was so tired and exausted I stayed in front of that boulder for almost a half hour to rest and then I placed my feet beside it and propelled myself as far as I could to evade the middle current. I made it to shore but it gave me something to think about for a long time. Why was that boulder placed exactly the right place to save my life? I am sure there are no other boulders anywhe in that area in going to Oskaloosa many times I have looked for that bould when the River was at its lowest level but never saw the top of it; then I wondered if God placed it there becuse my destiny was not to end that day and would take place another time in the distant future. I drove my team of ponies to this picnic and I took my step mother who was going to HighSchool the same as I at this time and her sister Mable and Tom Lewis which were marri a few years later and later with a family of: Nathan; Issiah; Billie; Mable and Tim. Mable was the only one of all the multitude that caught a fish that day and it may have been her that cast a trout line over into the River and caught one hook in the middle of Malcom Wesley's hand. A fish hook is designed to stay where it penetrates. Malcom was nine or ten years old and they had a terrible time getting the fish hook out but picnicing was over for Malcom that day. I never mentioned my narrow escape from death to anybody but we are all getting ready to leave for home. A young fellow named Johnny hired a team from the Livery stable to go to this picnic and he decided he had better water his horses before starting for home so he lead them down to a tributary that empties into the DesMoines River. It was almost level near the edge so the horses walked into the stream to drink. The water was up to the their belly when they walked in so they stood there drinking and cooling off for too long until the water was over their backs and going over their necks so everybody that could get a holt of anything was trying to pull them free. The two horse was in quick sand up to the middle of their neck. Johny was in a panic by thi time no doubt thinking if he were going to have to work for the rest of his life to pay for those horses. Now for the second time that day a second mirac appeared on the scene just at the appropriate time for the horses necks were now submerged when The Standard Oil Company's team of Hugh draft horses that pulled the big tank wagon was crossing the bridge and he looked down and saw the horses were about to drown so he hurried down and fastened the chain aroun