Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-06-05
TOLD By PREACHERS.
Queer Experiences Of Some Noted
New York Ministers.
DIR. Howard Crosby's Encounter with
Drunken Passenger - Funny Wedding
.Fees-HOw an Episcopal Clergyman
Was Buncoed by a Groom.

The duties of clergymen often lead to
strange experiences and most preachers
who have spent large portion of their
lives N their profession could tell of many
quaint happenings in their intercourse with
their fellow-1nen, says the New York Jour-
nal.
DR.. Howard Crosby says of himself that a
short time ago he was on a Fourth avenue
horse-car, when 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 DIR. Crosby went over to him and began
talking to him soothiugly. 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 amiable
expression on his face to DR.. Crosby and
said, patting his back Familiarity:
ike you, old feller; you know how it
is yourself"
weIl-known clergyman in New York
City was one evening belated when return
ing home from a pastoral visit to a 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 a man a
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 a short lecture
on the evils of alcohol Bracing himself
against lamp-post the man said:
you're preacher, ainchers"
The clergyman admitted the allegation,
and the man, shaking his forefnger un-
steadily, said:
''See that, now. You're tryin'-hic-to
show me the road to Heaven, an has ter
ask sinner like 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
dihicu TO impress on them the fact that it
would be wrong.
1t is in the wedding fees occasionally ten
nature are illustrated. Mr.. Macarthur told
the writer that he knew a country clergy
man who recently married a couple and was
given bag of potatoes as fee. On an
other occasion this clergyman was given
valuable colt as q wedding fee. A brother
clergyman received a present from a
grateful bridegroom of d dog for tying the
nuptial knot.
A kiss from the bride is now and then
offered. Rev. w. S. Rainsford, of St
Georges Episcopal Church in this city. saws
that once when he was curate in Canada
his rector was called upon to unite a counle
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
1t 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:
1--WE always keep the identity of the
couple dark"
a very mean trick was played by a groom
on the pastor of a Mariners 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 equalin station of the groom.
After the nuptial knot was tied the groom
slipped paper apparently containing a
gold coin into the clergymans 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 un-
rolled, and 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. bv a
bridegroom. This clergyman is well known
in social circles, and to prevent his friends
keeping up perpetual joke at his expense
his name, by request, Is not given.
The pair who came to be married were an
honest-looking young fellow of handsome
appearance and good address and young
girl scarce out of her teens.
The bridegroom, after the ceremony pro-
duced fifty-dollar bill and said, in shame
faced way:
81 would like to give you this bili as a fee |
for making me so happy, but l feel as if |
could not afford it. l could spare ten dol
ars. Would you-would you-er-mind Civ
ing me the changel"
&c ertainly not" said the minister, as he
took The bill and went to the drawer. He
took out forty five dollars in bills and gave |
them to the bridegroom, telling him he |
would only accept five dollars as fee.. The !
married couple departed, but when the |
clergyman tried to pass the fifty-dollar bill |
1t was found to be counterfeit.