The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-05-01
WHEN THE ~ y
= DROUGHT ENDED.

= rrso ,eaks and slopes Of Montana
1nr,alns cleaned white in the sun
H. that baked and bllstered the rocks
"a catches OF earth. and the yellow
aims we're parched and arid. Even the
s.n,l means OF irrigation seemed to
~. failed that season, for the very
az .,..rs were dried up In their sources,
nvySt,sS channels Of the Jefferson. MRdi-
s and GAlRtin. with their tributary
,.s.ams. were narrowed Into a mere
mo rnnchman whose homes lay scat
,srrd throughout the erstwhlle fertile
',Ilsv were discouraged and sick at
,S,rt with the prospect that lay before
Rem Maybe it'll rain to-day" the
ZEN would say. upon rising each morn
~, ,,Nlaybc Il WILL the women sighed.
~ ..Nayhe So" echoed the children,
T,,t the rain came not. Morning after
s,S-pinE they watched the sun come
sysr the eastern ridges, looking eagerly
a. the trace OF tiny ralncloud. but
M veil OF mist was there TO soften the
Stunning heat OF the red orb. Through
mi the day they watched IL, but Mt the
yssridan it Rlowcd and glistened even
r,ors tcrcely, with never u shadow 10
csscurc It's rays, and at nighttime
when Il sunk from view behind the
western peaks, there was no perccptl-
NJ diminulion OF It's Intense power.
The crops, the herds, the people. all
,,Frred from the unprecedented
I1ught. The owners OF the large
,,nrhes were In some wise prepared for
,,sh an emergency, but the smaller
ana owners not only had not counted
y, II but they would have been unable
"a insure themselves against its dan
r.rs In any event. and their condition
Tns drplorable Farmers, miners and
bsrdsmeu are not. as y general thlng.
s5dicted 10 prayer. but all other means
s,r relief having proved unnyallins, II
vas decided to set apart day for the
c,nysnins OF men and women Tor miles
srnuud. that they might invoke divine
Messing In the shape Of the longed-tor
rain, ,,,,
R!shey and put into execution through
Ms agency. Richey owned a small
tract OF land in the center OF the val
ley in the western part OF the state. He
had been located there three years. and
through the indomitAhlc energy OF HIM
Telt and wife their small house had
Rem transformed from the customary
genuine. beautiful home. But that sum-
ner gloom had enshrOuded even their
little paradise. The roses withered. the
rsraniumS wiltcd and the sunfiowers
dled on their stalks. The only flower
ls't blooming there was Rlchey's baby.
A lalrcr blossom never grew than he,
All up and down the valley people
knew Of him and loved him. although
few had ever seen him, 80 great We're
the distances. He was Richeys idol and
Il was as much for his sake as anything
else that Richey had proposed the day
o. prayer. Somehow, the father had
taaCied that the little fellow was begin
Ming 10 drOop and grow languid during
the torrid August days. and It occurred
10 him that he could even pray for the
blby's sake.
Wed pull up stakes and 90 away"
he said to his wife one morning, but
we've nothing to so with. Wen have
TO weather Ii through. Wen see what
prayer can do"
Ing that all along in secret, but she
knew that when two or three are gath
e;td with n common object in view
there arc apt 10 be more effective re-
suits than when n single heart pleads
alone so she babe him God speed and
hurried him away TO join his neighbors.
The little city lying twenty-five miles
70 the westward from Rlchey's home
had been selected as the place for the
great prayer meeting. II being the most
central point IN the valley. Hitler
RiChey started early one clOudless Au-
gust morning. His wife stood in the
doorway with the baby in her arms
ard watched him as he gradually dwin-
disI into mere pigmy in the distance.
Then when increased his size by stand
ms Up In the stirrups and waving her
anal Good-by, she snached the boys
broad. white hat from his head and sig,
Haled back a fond Gdieu.
Somehow there seemed 10 be peculiar
beat emanating from the ball OF fire
that day. Along toward noon the at
nosphere became so clarified that dis
lance was well-nlgh nnnlhilated and the
mountains, twenty-five miles 20 the
east, doomed up large and distinct, as
though they were Just beyond the creek.
On the other side the city and the sec
ohd that formed It's background seemed
siartingly near, while the road that
Stretched like sinuous ribbon from the
gate Of the mountains TO the town was
shortened into less than One-Quarter
is actual length.
A llttIe past o'clock a gentle breeze
blew down from the crest OF the noun
ialns and famed the valley. Gradual
y the wind increased In force. and the
Chinook was on its way. Mrs, Richey,
Who sat In the north door with her boy
Ia her lap. inhaled the fresh scents
with which 1t was laden and welcomed
Il as teyently as did the red men OF
The old Chinook county. By and by a
haze O'erspread the face Of the sun.
Great masses Of dense blackness were |
Piled high. one above the other, obs
scurng the sky and the mountains and
casting a lurid twilight over the valley. |
The sheep were bleating and the cattle |
we're lowing in the fields beyond the !
barn, and Mrs. Richey hurried down TO |
lhe corral to drive them into shelter |
before the storm should break The |
animals knew her and loved her voice |
ana always answered her call. but the |
Weil-knOwn tones were drowned that |
DAY IN the eeTie shTieks OF the wind, and |
y was difficult to make them hear. |
Long before the last eve had been |
brought Into the fold the Chinook had |
lost is gentIencss and had been chang |
20 into an angry. chilling blast; the |
ram, iHterminglcd with hail and slect, |
came down In torrents. the thunder |
is'erborated throughout the valley and |
lhe lightning played dizzily round the
mountain peaks
Hat drowned the woman reached |
me house. at length. To her surprise. |
we door was open. She had closed 1t |
otlore going down TO the corral and, |
placing the boy in his high chair. had |
pade him sit there ill mamma comes |
again lie had always obeyed her, bus |
yHAi DAY the chair was empty ana |
TgsngHed with lie inblOwing storm.
itlntcaliy she searched every nook
ah1 Granny Of the little house. looking |
unler the beds, chairs and tables and |