The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-30
Good Ones Picked Up in
Johnson County.
CHASED BY LIGHTNING.
How the Rev. Dad Heiter Beat the
Fluid TO the Ground.
ROMANTIC Story OF A BRIDGE.

NuttTs E1thlg DdThf DIX anu b'oi
creeks are the water courses of this county,
writes "A correspondent of the New York
Sun from johnson county, Mo. There
was time when ghosts, gorgons, horrors
and hair raising feefawfums had their
haunts along these streams. Even today
one comes unawares upon gravestones in
unfrequented places, but the names and
epitaphs are worn away
There is not much doubt that this sec
tion was the starting place of many of the
stories which drifted and drifted until
their identity was lost. The first white
corners To this country were from Vir-
ginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and the Caro-
linas. The first towns of the county are
gone. You meet occasionally man or
woman whose grandparents knew OF Co
lumbus and Rose Hill and Boards and
Brookstown. But these towns closed up
years before the war.
The settlers were deeply religious from
their viewpoint. High Blue was the camp
meeting spot where the people met annu
ally and worshiped until their feryor was
exhausted and the absolute necessities Of
their various homes called them back.
IL was at one of these camp meetings
that the Rev. Mr.. Heiter told his light
ming experience, and the story passed
down from ono generation TO another.
One day the writer was riding over what
Is still known in johnson Aaunty as the
Old Shawnee trace-an old road. The
other man pointed TO a church spire.
"They had hard work TO build that
church, though" said the Missourian,
whose existence had been confined To one
county. For long time people who
lived about here turned up their noses
when preachers hitched and alighted 1t
was all on account of old Dad Heiter.
That yarn Of his at High Blue made skep-
tics and lots of infidels In them days, 80
I've hearn, preachers had 10 do other
things than preach. Some plowed, and
some was builders, and occasionally, when
they wasn't fit for anything else, they
kept school when they could find enough
young ones to make school. Dad Heiter
was chimley builder, built chimleys to
houses. Chimleys in them days was built
outside Of the house, and was of stoIt and
sometimes of wood, In which case 1t had
to be plastered inside with mud, so the
chimley wouldn't catch fire. They had to
use scaffolds in building the ohimleys,
and the scaffold was put up on long poles
higher than the ohimley.
dad was preaching at one of the High
Blue meetings when a thunderstorm came
up, and most Of the congregation wanted
to leave and crowd into their wagons or
cabins. But Dad Heiter hadn't finished,
and he called TO the people TO show their
faith by staying. He said II they would
ask tho Aleliehty TO hold back the rain
until the sermon was over he would do 1t.
"Then no told of his experience with
the lightning. He was building n chimley
and was at the scaffold when n storm came
up. He told how the lightning flashed
and how the winds bent trees. He had the
chimlcy all but finished, and he ask ed the
Lord to tarry the storm until he got
through But the Lord was not inclined,
and Just then Dad saw a streak of light
ming making for him and he knew he
had displeased the Lord in asking too
much. So he flung down his trowel and
ketchin one Of the scaffold poles with his
hands he locked his feet on the pole and
slid down without putting on any brakes,
and the minute he struck the ground tho
lightning which mo had seen coming fol-
lowed, and cano down the pole right after
him. Dad beat II down"
"Did the congregation stayP"
"I've heard pap say that his pap, who
was there right up in front, leading the
singing, said that the congregation would
"a staid cause Dad was u power as a
preacher ns we'll as ohimley builder. But
Dad hadn't more got the words out
when Streak Of lightning hit a barrel OF
cider that sot just back of the stand where
Dad had been tearing round and split the
barrel 10 flinders and boiled up the cider
into steam. Then tho congregation left,
and the people said IL was a sign and that
Dad was wolf in sheop's clothing, and
the meeting at High Blue broke up, and
some of tho converts who was to have been
baptized that day backslid, and there was
moro horse stealing that winter than ever
was known in johnson county"
what Is the connection between Mr..
Heitor's lightning story and the church
which you pointed outY'
Nothing, only Dad Heitcr lived In this
neck Of the woods, and you know how long
IL takes TO lame prejudice"
There Is q white bridge over Black Wa
ter, sluggish stream, the banks of which
arc high and oyCrgrown with willow,
which gives the waters all the more dole
ful appearance.
"This site, said one Of the johnson
countyites, pointing 90 tho bridge was
the only ford on Black Water up TO the
time Of the breaking out cf the war.
There was man who lived ten miles back
who had u daughter and she ran away
with young fellow who was not liked by
her father. They had several miles the
start before the old man found out whit
was up, and he Pnlored IN pursuit. He
came in sight of the elopors right here just