Wichita eagle., 1889-05-07
TOLD BY PREACHERS.
Queer Experiences of Some Noted
New York Ministers
DR.. Howard Crosby's Encounter with q
Drunken Passenger - Funny Wedding
Fees-How an Episcopal Clergyman
Was Buncoed by . Groom.

strange experiences ana most preachers
who have spent a large portion OF Their
lives in their profession could tell OF many
quaint happenings in their intercourse with
their fellow-men, says the New Y Ork Jour
nal.
Dr. Howard Crosby says OF himself tnata
short time ago he was on Fourth avenue
horse-car, when a drunken man entered
and began to use profane and offensive Ian
guage. Some Of the passengers told him
to ''shut up," but the fellow became worse,
and DR.. Crosby went over to him and began
talking to him soothingly. The fellow in
stantly quieted down, and as he got up to
leave the car scowled on the men who told
him to shut up, but turned with an amlable
expression on his face TO DR.. Crosby and
said, patting his back Familiarity:
81 like you, old Teller; you know how it
is yourself"
well-known clergyman in New York
City was one evening belated when return
ing home from pastoral visit to sick
member of his congregation on the West
side, at Eighty-fourth street, near Eleventh
avenue. The night was very dark, and he
struck into number Of vacant lots and
finally lost his bearings. He saw man
short distance before him and asked him
the nearest way to Ninth Avenue Elevated
station. The man proved to be drunk, and
the clergyman thought he would improve
the occasion by giving him short lecture
on the evils of alcohol. Bracing himself
against lamp post the man said;
you're a preacher, aincher"
The clergyman admitted the allegation,
and the man, shaking his forefnger I'M
steadily, said:
''See that, now. You're tryin'--hic-to
show me the road to Heaven, an has ter
ask sinner Hike me fur the road ter New
York. Why doncher larn the roads on
earth fusta''
Rev. Robert S. Macarthur, the pastor of
Calvary Baptist Church, has had some
unique experiences. He is sometimes asked
to unite in marriage an Irish or German girl
and Chinaman. In such cases he always
Institutes rigid inquiry to find that all is
right before he unites the pair.
On one or two occasions when the bride
was Irish he has been asked to give the
Chinaman an Irish name in performing the
ceremony, as the girl did not want her
friends On the other side to know that she
had married a Chinaman, and he found it
difficult to impress on them the fact that it
would be wrong.
1t is in the wedding fees occasionally ten
dered that the greatest oddities of human
nature are illustrated. Mr.. Macarthur told
the writer that he knew a country clergy
man who recently married couple and was
given bag of potatoes as fee. On an
other occasion this clergyman was given a
valuable colt as a wedding fee A brother
clergyman received present from a
grateful bridegroom of dog for tying the
nuptial knot.
A kiss from the bride is now and then
offered. Rev. W. S. Ransford, of St
Georges Episcopal Church in this city, says
that once when he was a curate in Canada
his rector was called upon 10 unite couple
in marriage and was asked by the bride
groom to take as fee the first kiss from
the bride This would usually be thought a
privilege, but the good rector didn't look at
il in that light. The fact was that the hap
py pair were both full blooded negroes. Mr..
Rainsford in telling the story to the writer,
said:
"We always keep the identity of the
couple dark"
A very mean trick was played By a groom
on the pastor of Mariner church in New
York City, whose name the writer has been
requested to withhold. The groom was a
respectfully dressed young fellow, and his
wife dapper, smiling young girl, who did
| not appear the eGualin station of the groom.
After the nuptial knot was tied the groom
slipped paper apparently containing q
! gold coin into the clergyman's hand, and
! went away with the expression on his face
| of man who had done generous act
| After the couple had gone the clergyman
| unwound one paper. Then another envelope
| appeared, and then third which was tied
| over the coin. Two more papers were IN
rolled, and a shining new one-cent piece
! was revealed.
| A more dishonest trick was, however
! PLAYED upon prominent Episcopal clergy.
| man, at present living in this city, by a
| bridegroom This clergyman is well known
/ In social circles. and TO prevent his friends
1 keeping up perpetual joke at his expense
his name, by request, is rot given.
The pair who came to be married were an
| honest-looking young fellow of handsome
! appearance and good address and youns
| girl scarce out of her teens.
! The bridegroom, after the ceremony, pro
duced a fifty-dollar bill and said, in a shame
| faced way:
at would like to give you this bill as fes
for making me so happy, but feel as if
could not afford it. l could spare ten dol
| aTs. Would you--would you-er-mind Civ
iug ne the changed
C certainly not,'' said the minister, as ht
took the bill and went TO theAirawer. Il,
took out forty-five dollars in bills and gave
them TO the bridegroom telling him h,
would only accept five do liars as fee. Thi
married couple departed, but when tn,
clergyman tried to pass the ffty-dollar BIZ
| it was found to be counterfeit.