Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-10-11
SOME INDIAN SINGING.
Beacon Richard Smith and a Chicago
Preacher.


In former communication which
made mention Of Grand Traverse Bay.
| referred to a Chicago preacher and
to Deacon Richard Smith, Of the Gin
cinnati Gazette. There was chasm
between the two five minutes after
the first meeting. Three of us sat on
a pile of slabs at East Bay, waiting
for the boat to go. | think we had it
all planned to play game of three
handed euchre, and | think the deacon
was trying to deal himself all the bow
ers in the pack, when along came the
preacher. His appearance was hailed
with joy.
Come, old fellow--come and take
hand in, called the deacon, as he
threw me a ten-spot of spades.
The preacher looked Mortified.
mo three-car monte about us"
continued the deacon as he shufled
away. Come on-let's you and |
warm these chaps out of their boots !"
"Sir !" thundered the preacher.
"Oh, we'll; we'll say poker if you
don't like euohre, said the deacon.
Il want you to understand that l."
well, we'll take old sledge, then
anything to please you, though |
should judge by your looks that you
can play most anything and win.
Come-squat down here "
I'm a preacher, sir-a preacher
from Chicago, sir !" almost screamed
the stranger as he fell back.
"Well-I'll-be-blowed /" whistled
the deacon. "If that's the case |
won't play a game with you unless you
tie up your coat-sleeves.
That started the chasm. 1t grew a
little day by day, though an outsider
could not have seen it, and finally
when we took the boat to 90 up the
lake, the deacon came to me and said
That Chicago preacher is in the
ladies cabin telling the women and
children that my example should be
held up as an awful warning to the
world at large. Now then, am 60
ing to get even with him if | have to
swallow a crow-bar to do it, and you
are no friend of mine if you don t help
me
May the recording angel forgive me,
! but | then and there entered into a
fiendish conspiracy with Richard
Smith to wallop and mutilate the
| Chicago preacher.
Nothing occurred until we reached
| Northport. The preacher held alooi
| from us, and we had no chance tc
throw him overheard or cast him down
to the coal-heavers. The Indians had
been holding a camp meeting at North
port, and about fifty of them came
aboard with meekness in their eyes
and their Gospel hymn books in theil
hands. The preacher came out t.
welcome them, and the boat haC
: scarcely left the dock when he got
half a dozen of them together anC
started them singing. Perhaps you
never heard any Indians singing. L
you have no Indians handy, draw
file across a saw, add some rusty gate
hinges, and get some one to blow
fife, and the medley will be Just as
sweet, and sad, and lonely, and linger
ing as if twenty redskins sat in {
circle around you. After a few min.
utes the preacher wanted to quit. He
believed in congregational singing, but
he couldn't 60 an Indian massacre o.
Sankey's choicest hymns. 1t was al
this time that Deacon Smith came tC
me and asked for a private interview
In two minutes we had great big six.
foot Indian down stairs. He was the
worst singer in the lot. He'd sing
against a ish-horn all day long, and
then beat a horse-6ddle after sun
down. lie sung bass, alto. tenor, and
four other sorts of singing all at once
and he depended on his nose to dc
half of it.
A pint bottle OF liquid was put into
this Indians keeping, and he was tolC
to 60 ahead and sing as if drove O
wolves were after him. He was tC
sing for and at the preacher, and he
wasn't to stop until the machinery il
his larynx gave out, or the preacher
died.
Me understand, he replied, as ht
half emptied the bottle, "and dom
you forget her
We went up stairs and sat in the
gangway to cut off escape; and just a,
the preacher was trying to bring tn,
singing to a close, our Indian SHE'D hi
castor into the ring He had removed
coat, hat and vest, tightened his strap
and as he bounded over two chairi
and came down before the preacher ht
yelled out:
You wait a little Me knock -
out of all that singing
Then he'began, He waItzed, Jump
ed, kicked, danced, and cracked hi
heels. His hymn was Were Coins
Home To morrow" and he mean
every word of it Some of the word,
were shrieked, some screamed. anC
Others were spouted forth in a guttura
sounding like the roll of a pumpkin
over a sheet-iron floor. The preacher
seemed to be highly pleased at first
but after a minute his smile dice
away, and in another he had his hands
over his cars.
'How | do love choir singing p re
marked Deacon Smith as the fun wen
on, and that remark caused two more
Indians to rise up, throw off thei
coats, and join the sad refrain. On,
of them sang II Would Not Liy,
Away, and the other got his work il
on Happy Day" We thus had thre,
hymns going at once, and | solemnly
warn the public that they went for al
they were worth.
They surrounded the preacher
danced before him and behind him
aunq him into oornere and ont on,