The daily Alaskan., 1905-11-02
The Rev. John Scott

was trusted collector, ana once month I made round of about fifty customers and turned In from $15,OOO to S2O,OO0.
 On one occasion 1 had a railroad jour, hey of a hundred miles to make, and would arrive home before o'clock n the evening. It had always been that way, and the watChman was instructed to let me into the office In order that might deposit the money in the safe. I took a glance at my fellow passen' gers as l entered the car, and l found no cause for suspicion. Indeed, in my car there wee only half dozen peo' pie, and thre9 of them were women. One of the thuee men was an old man, and l spotted him for clergyman at once. He had seat quite distance away, and after about half an hour l took a second look at him, and he beck. oned me to come over, He made a place for me to sit beside hIm and opened the conversation by asking:
 Young man, 1 want to ask you fl you are a resident of BlankEgle?"
 T am, sir" I replied.
 ''Then you can do an old man fa- vor, If you will. 1 am not only an old man, but very lame to boot My name Is John Scott-thc Rev John ScOtt- although l retired from active work some years ago. presume you are well acquainted with your city"
 Fairly well, sir, and I shall be glad to oblIge you In any way cou.'
 Thanks. knew l could not be mis taken in you. It is this I want to ask: How far Is Butteruut street from the depot?"
 "Only two blocks away"
 And about where would No. 224 beY"
 Not over three blocks away" re piled, after a little thought
 That Is well. The street, as have been told, Is respectable?'
 "Oh, yes. The residents are mostly working people, but 1t is nice street
 You don't happen to know ma. chlnlst living at 22+-a man named BarrowY
 NO, sir"
 Well, no harm done. I don't know him, either, but shall make his 0c Quaintance this evening. had SOD die in South Africa three years ago. and this Mir. Barrow was with hin and has written me thut he can give ne full particulars. He is to meet m. at the depot and put me up for tho night. Poor Harry, He was ny only son, sir. He went off there to seek his fortune, and was killed by ho natives You are not a father and you G1pt know what 1t means for one to lost his only child.
 I assured him of my sympathy and as matter of fact I dId feel sorry when I saw his chlu QuIyering.
 "Oh, well, 1t Is a cross l am called upon to bear" he said after time. "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Are you a member of any church, may ask:"
 Not as yet, sir"
 But you believe in the Christian doctrine, hope|
 "I certainly dO."
 well, let me trust that in time you will see your way clear to ally your self to some church. Religion asks nothing of any man he cannot grant and you do not know what COnsOlG ton 1t is in time of trouble"
 Later on he told me something of his history, and l learned that he had beer a great exhorter in hls time, and had been the means of leading thousands Into the true path. We fell to discuss | ing Biblical questions, and I was sur prlsed and pleased at the extent of hl& knowledge and the keeuness of his 1 arguments I offered to withdraw sev- eral times, thinking 1 might weary him, but he oyerruled me, and so ] rode the whole distance in his com. | pauy. He did not ask my business or other impertinent questions, but seem. ed perfectly satisfied with what told l him.
 When we at last reached the end Of our Journey I felt 1t no more than common pOliteness to offer my arm tO help him out of the car. He accepted It, and when he rose up he placed Q crutch under the other and moved painfully along. He had already told me that his complaint was sciatic rheu- matism and that he was just now suf- fering from a periodical attack. He had said that Mir. Barrow was to meet him. No such person was there. When we were satisfied of this tho reverend gentleman said:
 He may have made mistake about the time, or something has happened to dataIn him. Would it be asking too much of one who has already favored me to ask that you walk to the corner with me? shall be indeed grateful"
 Why not? Any man would have done so. We set out at a slow pace, and l afterward remembered that all the hacks were gone before we left the platform, nor did notice a policeman about The two blocks to Butternut street were occupied by lumber yards and factories which were closed at that hour. Tn going block and a half we