Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-10-28
e:s Storyette
THE OTHER SIDE.
BY veIma caIdweII-MeIviIle.

It was some days after Aunt Mel
midas story of the blind tramp that
the school ma'am said one evening,
suddenly looking up from the pile OF
spelling papers she was correcting.
What you told me of Joe reminds
# a case that came under my
notice a while back. Under flaming
headlines the daily press announced
the death of noted criminal, Polk
Wells, in the Iowa penitentiary, going
on to outline his career of crime,
breathing righteous satisfaction in
every line that so great a sinner no
longer cumbers the earth. knowing
the other side of this mans life for
the last few years the rehearsal, with
out one extenuating word, rather
heated me as Mr.. Smith says.
You see [ have long been inter
ested in the orphanage at Councll
Bluffs, Iowa, known as the Christian
home. 1t is a grand institution, It's
ike to be found nowhere else on
earth. 1t is supported by voluntary
contributions; is non-sectarian; adj
nits orphan children from anywhere;
lives them schooling, food, clothing
md love. They are never let out save
W adoption and what is strangest
md best of all, families are never
eparated. AS high as five children,
,rothers and sisters, have been adopt
d into one family. 1t scarcely seems
rue, but it is"
|You don't say, la Duz!" cried Aunt
Ielinda, pausing by the table, arms
kimbo and lively interest mingled
18th incredulity in her face.
Yes, and the manager holds that
his is one of the keys to the phenom-
nal growth and success of the instltu-
ion. However, there is another fea-
ure that interests me even more, and
his is the college for afflicted little
,es. You know right here all our
societies and institutions are
*: there are no provisions for the
reformed and sickly children. No
one will adopt them and there is no
Mace for them. Well, at the Christian
home is a large beautiful house set
apart for them, provided with mother
ly nurses and everything to make the
little sufferers easier and happier.
Some wonderful cures have been eff
fected here and of course many lit
tie soul gone from them to God. There
was one. Willie McCourt, terrible
sufferer. and yet his patience and well
Chfistlikeness, l may say, were SO
noteworthy that people came from far
and near to see him, and there is lit
tie girl there now---I have her picture
and she's a dear little thing-par-
alvzed. She can only move as some
one moves her, but she is so sweet
and happy; wants to sing the hymns
the others sing but her poor little
paralyzed throat
But here l am rambling on about
wrong with the school ma'am's throat
we'll for she choked here and Aunt
7linda seemed taking a sudden cold.
But here Cam rambling On about
home when it was Polk Wells
ran to tell about" said the school
am, after little pause and with
tie unnecessary severity.
so it was" meekly agreed Aunt
linda: "only seems to me I'd rather
ssar about them blessed little lambs
anyhow how many Of them be there?
About two hundred and fifty in the
average family and the capacity is
taxed at that. There is a publishing
house in connection from which
weekly and semi-monthly paper are
issued. I guess / will have my al
dress changed on one of them and
have it sent here; the other | will
have for mother.
%, it is indeed a wonderful thing
and all the work of one self-sacrificine
heroic man, Rev. J. G. Lemen; but
mention of him brings me around e
Polk Wells again, for it was through a
Yisit to the former to the penitentiary
hat the latter came to have another
ide to his story, suppose.
REV. Lemen gained power over
he man at their first meeting and ere
5ng the convict publicly professed
yhrist, From that time on to the end
f his life some years later he lived
to his profession, doing humbly
nd faithfully his allotted prison
uties and putting in his spare
loments making wonderful things out
f horse hair to be sold for the BENEFITS
the home. Once he made an entire
ride out of white horse hair and sent
as a private gift to Rev. Lemen
gain he made cane and it was con
idered one Of the most unique and
agenious articles ever made byhuman
ands can not remember how
amy colors of hair were in it, nor can
+ell the particulars though 1 knew III
q it at one time.
81 fairly idGlized Rev. Lemen and
F