Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-02-07
LETTER FROM THE WEST.
FOR TIE HERALD.
DAYTON, Quo, Jan. 26, 1867.

to see you, sir" but they were not SO,
happy. after ali, when they heard my sto-
~.
Ehe story Of a hcggar IS not very inter
esting, but | hope it will not be so with
you and your readers. There is that about
MY work which is encouraging and yet
discouraging, pleasing and yet painful.
Chicago, found, was not the place to
beg money. Men go there to make mo-
ney, not to give When man is max
ing money, he is not educating himself to
give. Lat length discovered NY mistake and
took the cars across tie great prairie State
to point in the interior, where | expected
to preach aud present my cause. | got
there Friday night. Saturday morning
we were visited with terrible snow
storm, which continued all day and night,
blocking up the roads and streets. Of
coarse we had no preaching. Monday
morning the pastor asked me whether [
was going to try begging? | told him
that | must do something. He gave me a
list Of names. T started off to the country
(most of the persons lived four miles from
town. on foot Itmay have been an over
sight, but neither the minister nor any of
the members in town offered me horse.
Away [ went, across the fields, over SNOW
drifts and fences. The first four men [
called On were not at home. One man
accused me of being an impostor: con-
tinued to wade through the snow till o.
clock, without getting anything to eat.
much less any money. at the next house
{ found. a very warm-hcartcd man, who
gave me five dollars, at the same time tell
ing his brother-in-law, who stood near by,
TO give me five also, (Which he did, He
then added some more names to my list,
and told me to get on his horse and not to
come back until had called on every man.
AS soon as [ mounted the horse, the old
motto, 'perserelenciu rincit omata," {per-
severance conquers all tbings) flashed
across NY mind Away | went, till 8
O'Clock at night, when | came back with
forty dollars i'll my pocket; and to the
great JOY of a hungry man, big supper
awaited ne. The old woman was deter
mined not to be outdone by the old man
She had roast chckcn, spare-rib, sausage,
baked potatoes, houiny. &c, together
with an oldfashioned Virginia coffee boil
Ell full Of hot coffee
After supper wo had bng talk; then
we all got to singing; after which we had
prayers and went to bed.
North - was the next place [ visited
Friday [ called upon the elders (thvy were
without ministell and made arrange
ments to present my cause on the follow
ing Sabbath. At night, when I asked
the elder with whom | was stopping) how
Y might Improve the following day, he
proposed to hnnt prairie chickens, sell
them and give money to the church.
morning We were i'll our sled, (hcy hunt
them at this season with sletis or wagons
and by 5 o'clock we had killed twenty-five.
(You need hardly say to Uncle George,
our old CAPTAIN. that | did my part hand
somcly } The chickens yielded the church
five dollars and fifty cents
You haze doubtless heard what change
able climate they have IN Illinois They
have spring, suiamer, fall and winter wea-
ther an in one day. | preached for them
one Sabbath, but the congregation was
small IN consequence of the cold weather.
On Monday, which was extremely cold,
(tle prairie winds almost piercing my bo-
dy,) rode twenty-five miles, and only
collected FIVE dollars.
AT -, [ called upon two ministers
to whom [ had letters of introduction, but
they gave me no sort Of cnconras cMcnt
hardly hearing. Just as [ was about to
leave the place, one told me of an Irish
man, a celebrated lawyer, who would pro-
bahly 30 something for me- He is the fell
low, thought [. Where is the friend like
an Irishman when he taxes q liking to you9
(By the way, | might just here say, that
there is some Irish blood in me- We
soon met, took hold Of each ether and the
cause. and, in less than three hours. We
collected orc Hundred dollars for the
Woodstock church.
At ST. Louis, Mo-, | found the people
doing molly for the South Notwithstan-
ding they have raised thousands by their
Soashern Relief Fair, they are now send
my corn, provisions, clOthlnS, &c, IN
abundance to the South I understand
that there is great deal of suffering In
the South.
Louisville, Kentucky, came next on my
list. When got there found the place,
and especially the Presbyterian churches,
literally in the possession of hcggars, just
as the city was in the possession of the
Federal troops during the war So Nor
gan-like, | made a raid on Main Street,
on dram shops, Jew stores, lager-beer sa-
Icons, &C., asking hut dollar of every
man | saw, white and black, Jew and
Gentle; and how much do you think |
'eeAfseatcd = Four hundred and fifteen
dollars.
am now enjoying the hospitality of
Hon. G. l.. Vail andigham.
Although | shall not be as successful as
I was on my former trip, | hope to return