Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-10-19

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y BY JAMES BvcxHAM. y
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VX|HEN was in the theological SEM
w mary it was the custom Of the
students at the beginning of the senior
year to obtain. with the approval and
co. operation of the faculty, licenses to
preach. Then we would go out, as
often as we had opportunity. to supply
vacant pulpits in the surrounding
country. Requests for supplies'
some member of the faculty. and he
would assign them to the seniors.
Often We used to go long distances to
fill these preaching engagements, and
not infrequently the small sum we re-
ceived for our services would be al
most, if not quite, consumed by travel
ing expenses. In winter, or during the
season of the spring floods, it was no
small task to reach the remote coun-
try towns to which We were sum-
mOned, and often we would have to
start before daylight on Saturday, amt
order to reach our destination in sea-
son.
However, we were all eager to get
these preaching assignments, which
served to introduce us to the actual
work of the ministry; and not one of
us ever complained if he was sent 100
or 200 miles ''up country to serve
some small church in the hills, that
could offer no more than to pay his
expenses.
In the spring of 1874, which was my
own senior year, Prof. Mason, OF the
seminary faculty, came to my room in
Fletcher hall, one lovely April evening
with letter in his hand from the COM
mittee of small church in Bakersville
w., IS miles away, in thinly-settled
section of the state. Can you go?'
he asked. ''The pay is only Sl0-the
fare S."
certainly l can,;' I replied, CRATE
fully, for I had not had an assignment
to preach for more than a month.
"The pastor has been called away
suddenly, by the probably fatal illness
of his father" explained Prof. Mason
"and you are to be entertained by his
wife. man will meet you with horse
and wagon at Gambia station, and you
will have drive of nine miles from
there to Bakersville, which, as under
stand, is an out-of-the-way place in a
mountain valley. It's a long, hard
trip, but you may get some pleasurable
spice of adventure out of it."
Prof. Mason handed me the letter
from the chairman Of the church COM
mittee, Deacon John Fay, and assured
him that l would look up time tables
and be ready to start early Saturday
morning. It was already Friday even
ing, SO packed my bag, putting in two
sermons, with the usual change of
clothing, and then walked down to the
railroad station to get posted as to my
route. I found that l should have to
start at seven o'clock in the morning,
and then, as usual in such trips to out
of-the-way places, wait for three hours
in the middle of the day to make con-
nections at a small junction. It was
exasperating, but there was no other
way, so I added lunch and a good
book to my budget, and soon went to
bed, so as to wake in time for an early
start
The day passed more pleasantly than
I had expected, for the ride through the
country, clad in that first delicate green
of ear', LEAKAGE, and bright with clear
sunshine and sparkling brooks, afford
ed a succession of charming pictures
I spent my three hours at the little
junction in the hills strolling and lis
tening to delicious brook music, in
stead of reading, and then settled to
my book as the long-awaited train
pulled out, and read until the brake
man shouted "Candia."
It was Deacon Fay himself who met
me, with a stout horse and buggy, at
Gambia station and we had pleasant
talk, as we rode, in the late afternoon
and early evening, through the lonely
passes and over the wooded ridges of
the everlasting hills. It was dusk be-
fore We reached Bakersville, or rather
the river valley from which it's roofs
came in sight. Just as we were passing
a rocky, wooded island in the stream
q loud, hoarse, startling scream rang
across the water. The horse gave a
leap that nearly jerked us backward
out of the buggy, and then broke into
a gallop down the river road. My
companion twisted the reins about his
hands, and finally succeeded in slowing
down the frightened horse to a trot.
The cry was not repeated, and our
steed became quieter as we drew rapid
1y away from the island.
'That's the first time I've ever heard
1t, and I've been over this road at least
once a week for years." said my cons
panion. 49, iii :. I j d., IL. .zj.sz= +
what was it," I asked, with per-