Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 April 1913 — Tragedy and Comedy Mixed In Rescue at Peru. [ARTICLE]

Tragedy and Comedy Mixed In Rescue at Peru.

The following account of a rescuer's experience in the Peru flood mixes tragedy and comedy in proper proportions. The rescuer said: “f was rowing here and there saving as many as I could from the flood when I heard screaming, and looking up saw two women on top of a porch about eight feet above me. I rowed close to a porch post and told them to slide down and I would take them to a place of safety. This they refused to do until I turned my back and when I felt the second one come down kerplunk into the boat, I rowed them to the court house. Right here is where trouble began for one of those fair Juliettes took me for her Romeo and wanted to kiss me for the services rendered, and of course I gently refused. I didn’t want to hurt the poor lady’s feelings, but when she insisted, I had to sternly tell her that ‘I am a married man and my home is in Rochester and besides this, there are too many looking.’ I finally got away but I couldn’t keep the tears back to see how grateful these Peru people can be.”