The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-01-19
BILL ARP'S LETTER
Barlow Man Goes to Mississippi to
Get Santa Claus" Money.
he RUNS UP AGAINST A CYCLONE.
III. Audience at Ripley Fled In Terror
His Mission However Ended
Successfully.

BLUE MOUNTAIN, MIss'-oono Soo"
people called me over here ana came '
NV wife said had better 60, for the !
winter was at hand and the family t
needed clothes and she was obliged to
n,av old Santa Claus, ass usual, and
provide some Christmas gifts 1or tne
children and grandchildren: Ina' Is
a good part of her life and happiness
pleasing the children. She never
asks for ANYTHING for herself. She
don't have to. The girls tell me what
she needs and I surprise her with 1t II
T have the money, and if l haven't 1
strain my credit and get it anyhow.
Professor Lowery called me here to
talk to his college girls, for he Is q
noted educator and has Zoo g,iis ou'
here in the woods and ls building up
an institution that is the pride OF nortn
Mississippi. He got four other towns
IN ;oin him in the call, and so lectur-
ed in TupeIo last Monday night to
a large audience in large house ana
found warm welcome.
tt is wonderful how these old towns
are looming up and taking on new
life. Twenty years ago L was IN 1u'
pelo and I thought it was pretty dead.
/ had only about 100 people out 10
hear me then, and this time there were
near 400. Prosperity has done IT,
Ten-cent cotton and cotton mill mas
done it. Mckinley had nothing to do
with it. Last night 1 was billed for
Ripley-a nice old courthouse town
not far away. The evening betokened
a storm and by night the lightning
was flashing necessarily all around the
horizon aud the thunder pealed heav.
ily. Country people became alarmed
and hurried home, for everything
seemed ominous of coming trouble.
There seemed to be something in the
: elements that was brooding over u.s.
, and sure enough there was
] The courtroom was about half full
of people who had dared to venture
out to hear me. Suddenly the storm
@ came with fearful fury. There was an
il awful roaring sound from the southeast
d that was like the sound Of many waters.
e tt hushed the audience into solemn
l. silence. I did not take the platform,
but waited. In few minutes some
70 wild, excited messengers came rushlne
d mo the stairs and called for the doctors
st and other help, for the cyclone hac
u come and torn up everything IN ~
X suburbs and killed men and womeI
and children. The night was intensel.
dark. but the men rushed to the rescu
in haste and the lecture programme
Il was broken up in q twinkling. Every
30 bodv hurried to their homes or to tn
scene of the disaster.
a. What an awful thing is a cyclone
IN What a merciless thing it is! Ho'
ne ouickly it comes and as quickly goes
p leaving swift destruction In Its traoa
to Happily it gives no warning, Tor To
an terror and apprehension would D
worse than death. This morning "
ed reioiced to learn that nobody WI
ne killed, though many were bad
es- wounded. Some houses were wrecks
eir and blown away and many we're III
on rooted and some set on fire. One ms
re was lifted up and carried away al
'ed thrown to the ground in the wood
'ed with only few bruises. How stran
Of that so few people are killed oy
49, cyclone. 1t seems pfovidential, Al
len this morning the question discussed
ght the breakfast table was whether IT.
the or the devil was the author OF the
are terrible visitations. :,
gh, One said that the spirit OF evil "
ing still ON the earth and was ever &C
tending against the spirit OF eoe
ing and this spirit brought famine pes
my lence, fires, storms and all disaste
at Another said that all these thir
J. came fro n natural causes. ana u
ro, neither God nor the devil hao
agency in them. Another quo
from Job, where the Lord deliver
him over to Satan, who was going
tally and fro upon the earth and Walk
INIT mn and down in it. He atflicted :
ress awfullv. but was not allowed to
neer his life. Another quoted rom
ome Sayior's words when he said: n
in a Won that those upon whom the 10
sons Of Sloan fell were wicked above 0
theis people? tell you nay, p"S un'o0'
hich repent ye shall perish.
,,f;sh Professor John Fiske, very 9
and learned man, has written i
hook called "The Mystery OF Evil.
i .,.,u have read it twice and found but
tha,. comfort or philosophy in it. HIS
.nen o,,r,ont is that evil is OF divine c
y. t;on and designed to illustrate
ot,ve exalt the good. That but ior sicA
ua :. we would not appreciate or ENJOY
= go health. But for an occasional III
use we would not enjoy the blessin
pui abundant food, and but for sil
!, ue would not enjoy heaven. HIS
|. n S.o leaves you just where it FOUND
Z sta' and the mystery is still unexplal
nre' W. know that God loves His
aking we 49, .hat ia enouqh. Not a
Yo,k 'uio1, o. " .ha oround without
notice. and He did not wish te
stroy Nineveh, where there were
ave If 600 people and much cattle.
mans much cattle" That was always
aieste significant expression to me.
lowing Well, I had to come here from
wever, ley by private conveyance. we
of,ce, GOOD team, but the road was fe
long for it had rained nearly oil night
made Pitner, an old Georgian, had the
emner and did not anticipate trouble
ted by when we got 70 tne iite. -.
pied to lowlands nooueo on ~ :,
laininc quarter of mile, and after we CT
,ror OF the bridge the horses plunged sud
id tb( into a washout and submerged q
I'll you deep water II no~eu ~ 80
here is and over IL ana up " ~ i,
could and for time we were both al
for fear of collapse. But we g
of 1t safely, and here am will
-. lise full of wet clothes and no
hara L. :.lA u..a 7 nm at fhA (