ll classes, yet what has been said for
generations will probably be repeated, even in the face of so
remarkable a fact as the following:

On March 1, 1882, the Iowa House of Representatives, on
motion of Hon. A. J. Holmes, suspended the rules and passed
a bill introduced by that gentleman providing for the
presentation of a gold medal and the thanks of the General
Assembly of the State of Iowa to Miss Kate Shelly, to which
was added a money appropriation of two hundred dollars,
which passed both Houses and became a law.

In support of the bill, Mr. Holmes spoke as follows:

Mr. Speaker: No apology is required for the introduction of
this bill, and I shall make no explanation in regard to it,
save a brief _resume_ of the facts upon which the bill is
based. Miss Kate Shelly, with her widowed mother and little
sisters and brother, lives in a humble home on the
hill-side, in a rugged country skirting the Des Moines
River. Her father had died years ago in the service of the
great railway company whose line for some distance is
overlooked by her home, while her mother, by economy, severe
toil, and the assistance of Kate, was able to support her
little family.

On the night of July 6, 1881, about 8 o'clock, there
commenced one of the most memorable storms that ever visited
Central Iowa; nothing like it had ever been witnessed by the
oldest inhabitants. The Des Moines river rose over six feet
in one hour--little rills that were dry almost the year
round, suddenly developed into miniature rivers--massive
railway bridges and lines of track were swept away as if
they had been cobwebs. It was while looking out of her
window toward the high railroad bridge over Honey Creek,
that Kate Shelley saw the advancing head-light of a
locomotive descend into an abyss and become extinguished,
carrying with it the light of two lives. It was then she
realized in all its force that a terrible catastrophe had
occurred, and another more terrible, if not averted, would
soon follow to the east-bound express train, heavily laden
with passengers from the Pacific. She announced to her