St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-15

ChahA1M dntFNoccGidlSenn ts ma on IN IN
interesting character. Chaplain Lath-
rop was lounging about the senate
dropped into reminiscent mood. He
said:
SIT was at Faribault. A fellow came
to my house and said he wanted to be
married. They attended the church in
fine style-bOuQuetS and carriages ga
lore. L married them in good shape.
supplied them with a certificate and
they turned around and walked out
without paying me a cent / never
saw the fellow again. If | do / will
take mortgage on his children. There
was another fellow at Moorhead-a
young physician. He had a girl come
from Vermont. After / had fixed them
up all right, he says: Pm pretty near
out of cash, but here is $3.50; will see
you again. But he has taken good
care never to come within sight of my
shadow.
away back in the sixties | was con-
Quoting meeting in school house at
Stanton, GoOdhue county. l knelt
down to pray. / had prayed about a
minute, and a dog came up and put his
nose against my knee. | knew that
profane people in time of prayer would
be laughing at me, and | was fearful of
what the animal might do next. l got
up, gave the dog a little kick and Or
dered some one to put it out. This was
done, and L once more got on my knees
and commenced the prayer where / had
broken off. just before leaving the
people | suggested the ACCESSIBILITY of
keeping their prize dogs at home in the
future, as they were not likely to get
any benefit from the service.
In the spring of 81 | had to preach
at Lowsdon. Dakota county. Crossing
the river near the village, | found a
large number of people attempting to
remove the blockade of ice around the
bridge. The men were frightened that
the bridge would be washed away. L
went to the school house. and had been
preaching fifteen minutes, when a
young man entered. 'Mr. Thompson,
l said, what is the condition of the ice
at the bridge?' Well he replied, with
some work the pressure might be re-
lieyed.' | turned TO the people and said:
You had better go and assist in reliey-
ing that bridge. You can serve God
better by saving the bridge than by
staying here They went, and l shut
up and started on my journey home
wards.
During the Sibley Indian expedition
| lectured each Sunday to the men in
camp. L lectured twenty minutes and
prayed two minutes, and we had some
good. lively songs in between. That is
the only successful way of holding
big audience. An Irishman in the camp
came to me: 'Oi, chaplain, [ like to
hear you sing. | think you are the best
singer | ever heard. | doin't care ony-
thing for yer preaching, but do like to
hear you sing
Il accompanied party of ministers
from st. Paul to Winona. We went by
steamboat and were going to attend the
Methodist conference. 1t was before
the days of railroads. Our party was
scattered over the boat. Among the
passengers there were three fellows
who had secured table and desired to
make set for game of euchre One
of them accosted me: Excuse me, but
we are trying to get up set and have a
game of euchre. Will you join u.s.
Sir replied, you may think it very
strange, but L ain minister on my way
to conference The poor fellow looked
Gumfounded, and if he could have
dropped into mis- shoes | verify believe
would have done so.
I'VE were holding mission at Danes
vile, Stearns county. There were four
ministers present, and one evening
when the church was crowded a nervous
sort of fellow was preaching. He ges-
ticulated wildly and knocked over ker-
osene lamp, which broke and sent up
great blaze. The whole congregation
rose to their feet and turned to run for
the door. Sit down: sit down: right
down. / shouted in commanding tones.
/ hey dropped down like lot of chill
dren, except one woman. The minister
of the church, a great big siX-footer,
picked up an OyercOat. another fellows
by the way, and Smothered the fire. I
playing the organ and the congregation
joining i'll the singing. A panic and loss
of life was thus narrowly averted
The meaneSt thing aman ever did to
me was this: | was stationed at WinOna.
and fellow came requesting nv at
tendance at a funeral. L never refused
to go to the funeral of anybody when
requested, no matter what sort of a man
OF woman they had been. [ tod him /
should have to hire livery, the funeral
being several miles distant, and ex-
peeted to be paid for that only. sOh,
yes; that is all right the man replied.
The husband of the deceased is well-to-
do. and he will pay that So | went
down. 1t was a country place, and as
they had never had regular service
organized pretty good meeting and de-
livered sermon. At the grave side, in
accordance with the country fashion,
the people remained around while the
grave was filled up. The deceased hus-
band, an old gentleman. came to me.
Had you to hire a livery?' Yes re-
piled. How much is it?' / told him the
charge would probably be $3.50, and he
said: i will make it all right l told
him that was quite satisfactory; would
never think of dunning a man at the
grayeside of his wife. Six months after
the man got married, and got another
minister to marry him, and have never
got farthing yet. That is the meanest
trick fellow ever paid me.
''When at Mankato the choir struck
for some unknown reason, but [ was
equal to the occasion. Sunday came
round, and the man who sang bass came
into church with his face as long as an
organ stick, exctedly shouting: 'Choir's
struck WELL [ said. Il want you to
understand | can run the whole bust
Messing, pray and preach altogether.
And did it too"
Dr.. Lathrop's popularity may be
gagged from the fact that he was elected
chaplain of the senate by substantial
majority over DIR. S. G. Smith, of ST.