The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1905-06-22
Little Chapters From Life
Big Sam 5" Hard Luck.

Dig Sdm udrO LUCK.
We all wondered when Big
Sam punched his job and joined
the Salvation Arm y Sam never
was much on religion, and all the
boys knew that he d studied Bob
1ngersoll's works because a mum
Der of them had borrowed the
books from him. Besides that,
Sam 1--WE called him Big Sam be-
cause he was the biggest man on
the drive and when his time
check was cashed could spend
more money and stand up under
more of WetWood's bum whiskey
than any other lumberjack that
ever made the town was never
known to say more than three
words without cussin and tell
you that there's not a loader in
the countr could hold a candle
to him in that line. It was sim
ply mysterious this act Of
Sans and the boys at the camp
would lay awake thinkin' about
the affair. The foreman, too, got
interested, and one night Wien
the matter was being discussed
he appointed me a com mittee to
go to WetWood and see what allied
Sam.
got to town and found Sam,
alright, and he was looking as
good as ever. He was spruced
up somewhat and wore a new
outfit Of togs with a paper collar
and patent leather shoes. This
was the first time I ever seen.
Sam dressed up, and I was sur.
prised at his good looks. He
spoke to me kind of cheerful like
but when I asked him to drink
he shook his head. This was an
other surprise to me, for during
the ten years | had been with
Sam he had never before refused.
I didn't say anything, but kept
mum, and hung around the town
for three o.. four days, all the
time trying to get at Sans all
ment. He went out on the street
every night with the rest of the
Army and acted like a real con
vert, SO I made up my mind that
( he had went daffy on religion and
! | went back to camp and told the
boys so.
OF course all the boys felt a
kind of sympathy for Sam, and
some were in favor Of getting
him examined by the probate
court, but as there was only
about a week left to put in, we
decided to wait until the job was
finished.
On the day that the crew was
let out, we got our checks about
2 o'clock in the afternoon and
got into WILDWOOD by supper time.
We moseyed around looking for.
Sam for a couple of hours but
couldn't locate him until the
Army came out on the street.
Sam was the last one in line and
was singing and hamm ering on
the big drum. They rounded up
in front of Nosey Keley's place
and had regular religious jubi-.
lee, and then they went to the
Army's tent.
: : \ > !
None of the boys cared to hear.
any more religion, SO we stayed.
around Kelley.s and discussed
plans for taking care of Sam. We
hadn't been there only about an.
hour when in comes Sam, look
ing mad as a bull moose on a
rampage, and he goes right up
to the bartender and calls for
whiskey, inviting the rest Of us
to join. We thought then that
he had gone plumb crazy, be
cause he looked more like wild
man than a lum berjack. We
didn't have to wait long for Sam
to explain, though. s'You boys
may think I am nutty, = said Sam,
ssard I guess you are right in a
way. I got stuck on one Of them
girls that belong to the Army
that one with the blue dress. It
was all up with me the first time
I saw her, and there wasn't any
use Of my staying on the drive.
+ didn't dare talk to her till after
I joined the Army, and then I
got along first class till tonight.