a quarter of a century, Mrs. Walker is the sole survivor of what might have been a sad tragedy, and she has little disposition to give the world her best impressions and recollections. No doubt she was more engrossed in those trying hours with the results to be attained than with the manner of their accomplishment. In imagination can be seen, even in the growing darkness, a somewhat obscure and tragic picture of a rather ghostly horse, harness and buggy, in a waste of waters, badly confused as to the present, and almost hopeless as to the future. In the foreground of this scene, in what might safely be called a dissolving view, are glimpses of damp calico and other portions of feminine apparel, alternately floating and clinging about the form of a woman in a desperate situation, but stout of heart, and with no thought of quitting until the job was done.
But imagination will not do justice to the actual scene. Kate Shelly in her wild flight through the woods, over the pathless bluffs, and across the swollen river, in her errand of life and death had solid footing. Julia Romane was in the flood, not above it, and had before her the task of saving her own life, and rescuing the only other living thing in sight, the faithful horse. Both of these she accomplished. It seems that in the plunge in which all were engulfed, the buggy and its occupant were thrown forward, and Miss Romane was not only on the horse's back, but securely fastened there by means of the interlacing of her steel-ribbed crinoline and the turrets of the harness. This fastening she could neither undo nor break. In his struggles the horse broke from the vehicle, and got a temporary but insecure footing, and his involuntary rider found no way of freeing herself but by slipping out of her heavy clothing, and leaving her garments on the horse. This she did, and, after securing her horse to a tree, to prevent him from following her, for the poor beast seem to feel that in her assistance his safety was to be found, she struck out for land. In her wanderings she crossed the main channel and attempted to stride a floating log, in the hope that it would help her on her way, but in the two attempts she made the log turned so quickly as to go over her each time to her grave peril. But she had already learned to swim, or rather she "found she could swim," and she breasted the current thereafter without the aid of floating logs, and finally reached the north shore about half a mile below where she had entered the water some hours before.
Seeing a light that promised shelter and aid, she carefully advanced, and found it to proceed from the window of Mr. Plummer's dwelling. Knocking at the door, she was admitted by a thoroughly frightened little girl, sole occupant of the house, the remainder of the family, with some hastily summoned neighbors, being then engaged in exploring the river for the lost woman, who was supposed to have been drowned. Miss Romane made a hasty contract with the child for some much-needed clothing, arrayed herself as best she could in misfit garments a world too small, and serenely awaited the surprise of her good friends on their return home, and their congratulations on her brave and successful struggle with the noted river on a bender.
In 1864-65 the Western Stage Company connected the State capital with the Chicago & North-Western Railway at Nevada. This line of railway being then extended farther west than any other, and affording the best means of getting from Des Moines to the world outside, and vice versa, the coaches did a rushing business. The highways were even then neither graded nor bridged, except at points where they were otherwise impassable. Much of the line of