The daily Alaskan., 1904-06-17
A CONVERSION
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was prejudiced against the cloth, peg ged me to be careful as to my remarks. I only half promised.
 I found the rarson a very different sort of man from what had supposed, an athlete, a fluent talker, and his in- tellectual endowments were vouched for by peculiar looking, old fashioned watch key, the badge of the Phi Beta Kappa, an ''honor" college society. l made up my mind should like him if he would throw out from his theol- oey those Bible stories which l have long considered myths. To find out about this flung Jonah and the whale at him, but he dodged. Then 1 tried him on Lots wife and the pillar of salt, and he ducked. At last l poked him with Daniel in the lions den. This time he concluded to face the music.
 "Yes," he said, T believe all these stories, especially the first one you have mentioned, because have been through similar personal experience. T
 When I left college my father sent me on A sea voyage. He wanted me to see something of the devil was to fight, SO he put me on a ship whose crew was about as fighting, swearing set as ever met. From the day we sailed the weather was stormy, and We pass ed from one gale into another till we struck a regular hurricane, The crew were blasphemously suPerstitious.
 ''So great was their prejudice against clergymen that they really got an idea I was the cause of all their troubles. When the storm was at the worst | | saw them coming aft and making straight for mo. parson,' said the spolcsm2n, we're sorry to trouble you, but you're a~,a.la' his here stress O ' weather ron Us. and we're under the painful ur,s it, O lOokin out for our- selves and the ship Every man bore a hand. was lifted over the gunwale and tossed into the sea. l hadn't been in the water minute before ! saw shiny something moving toward me- and l knew it was a shark.
 '.Now that my story may not seem impossible. I'll put in here that ] was while at college the right tackle of our university football team and an eN- pert swimmer. Sharks are numbering things, and 1t doesn't require much agility to get ahead of them. This one leisurely turned over on his side to take me in. watched till he opened his jaws and had one on each side of me. when like flash made a quick turn, planted my foot on his lower row of teeth and braced both hands on his upper jaw. Then had him wedg- ed"
 The minister paused, and I gave a gasp. He proceeded:
 'The sailors were looking over the ships side and saw the whole thing. Of course the shark was bound to drown with his jaws pried open, and 1t wasn't long before he was dead as Q dOornan. Then I threw myself on my back, gave a shove with my feet and sailed away from him. Sailors are quick to appre- ciate any getting the better of shark, and nearly every man on the ship threw me line. But refused to come aboard until they had apOlogized for their rough treatment and had prom ised me that I should be permitted to hold service every day during the rest of the voyage. They promised, and l was pulled on deck. The captain offer ed me a stiff glass of grog, which ac- cepted, for I needed 1t. You see, the water was very cold, and the mus cular effort had been considerable.
 That episode was the means of the conversion of the whole crew, from master to cabin boy The weather moderated at once. and held services every day, two hours morning and aft ernOon, with psalm singing in the eyen- ing. found them singularly unbeliev- ing, especially as to the miracles re- corded in the Bible, and confined my self principally to their explanation. l converted the crew to a belief in every miracle in the gospel, though one burly fellow held out so long that I was ! OuAlkGu lo klN6 HUI h kOuN AAAA AoAAA6 fore I could convince him.
 ''I have told you the story to show you that there is no accounting for how the divine purpose may be carried out We do not know but that was placed on that very ship, thrown over board by the men and given the strength to save myself that the unholy crew might be converted"
 "Parson," l said, 'the manifestation is quite enough to convert a whole city, be it wicked as Nineveh, and I confess myself convinced. I am sure that you must have been given divine strength"
 "NO," said the parsOn. My strength was only that vOuchsafed me by Moth CT Nature"
 "It was divine" l insisted
 of you have gloves ready I will con vince you that it was but natural"
 fingered at his domiueeriug tone-bc, sides, I was very proud of my skill at boXng-I led the way to an upper room, where I kept my athletic para phernalia. We each put on a pair of gloves; but, though l was in the best of practice, he soon hammered me into confusion, then knocked me down and sat on me.
 Do you believer he asked
 q believe that you're as big a sparrer as liar. Let me up, and promise you I'll be at your church every Sunday morning hereafter. I am convinced of l every mirncfe in the Rible and any