The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-11
PRAYED A LITTLE TOO STRONG.
Deacon Lingie Asked for Water and
Water Came with a vengeance.

water Came Win a Vengeance.
"A drought Of damaging continuance
was adding to the general dependency
of Indiana farmers that SEASON." said
George b. Budd OF Richmond. Fifty
cent wheat was being fed to the hogs
instead OF finding golden storage in bins
and granaries. The drought was threat
enins h corn crop with failure. 1t was
particularly severe in the Upton neigh
borhood, where the drying up OF
springs, wells, n streams a also
made IL difficult for sufficient water to
be obtained for the use OF live stock.
One day Deacon Hiram Lingle, who
lives la the northwestern part of the
county, was listening with a full heart
to the lowing of his cattle for water
and strolied over to Jason II. Van Brig
giles farm. where that farmer VAS gaz-
ing with much ~foreboding upon his
thirsty and Storytelling corn fields. Dea-
con Lingle said to Neighbor Van Brig
gle that he believed that an appeal In
prayer for water would be answered.
Neighbor Van Briggle said that he
didn't know but IL might. and suggest
ed to Deacon Lingle nat he try il. The
deacon and Neighbor Van Brigsle knelt
down in the dusty highway, and the for
mer prayed earnestly ana fervently for
the m~uch-needed moisture.
"On the upper side of Farmer Van
Brggle's place a company some months
before that had put down well in hope
of striking a gas vein. The test proved
a failure, the well was abandoned. and
the company had sent men to draw the
casing from the well. They were at work
on the day Deacon Lingle knelt in the
road N prayed for water. when sud
denly a stream of water shot up from
the we'll and drove them away in a pam
ic. The fountain hot upward more than
20 feet, and water was soon flowing oV-
er the contiguous and in a great food.
This occurred less than d quarter OF an
hour after DeacOn Lingle's prayer. The
news of the sudden and surprising flow
of water from the earth on the Van
Brtggle farm quickly spread throughout
the district, and people locked from all
directions 10 see the marvel, and when it
got around that II oilowed closely on
Deacon Lingle's prayer. Il was looked
upon as a miracle by the rejoicing peo-
pie, and Deacon Lingle was received
everywhere with respect.
The water spouted and spouted, and
showed no sign of decrease in its vol
ume, and before the day was over not
only Farmer Van Briggle's cornfields,
but everybody else in that vicinity
were flooded Water stood a foot and
a half deep in the fields and was still
rising. The mex day the people began
thinking ABOUT seeking safety IN nlgLt.
and the day after that they were una
BILE to go except on a raft. The corn
fields were drowned out, and the water
completed the work the drought was
slowly but just as surely doing.
At last the gas well men succeeded in
getting a cap on the Wen. and piped
the terrific flow of water TO a neighbOr-
ing stream, which il soon increased
from a rivulet to a good sized creek.
the volume of which is kept up by the
well to this day. The water was clear
as crystal and very cold. Deacon Lin
gle remained firm in the belief that the
great gush OF water came in response
to his prayer, and told Farmer Van
Bicycle so az the farmer was digging
trenches TO drain his drowned-out fields.
AS he looked ruefully over them Van
Brigele replied to the deacon:
1t looks that way, deacon. But
seems like you prayed a leetle too dog
gone strong
But the deacon wouldn't admit IL,
and won to this day"