The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1907-06-01
THREW AWAY DICE
coLoREp soLplEse m a FIT OF
PENITENcE.
Sewers Storm a. Sea Caased impronR
tu Revival Meeting in Earrest--
No Mere Crap Shooting
During Thai Voyage. ~

During Thar voyage.
Five hundred rs.r5 os sd.cs arc lying
on the. bottom: Of the Atlantic ocean
somewhere off the east coast Of the
United States. unless the fishes have
swallowed Thorn and carried them
away. says the Kansas City Star. The
spotted cubes were thrown overheard
by the negroes Of Kansas regiment
during q violent storm lat sea, the sac.
rtfice having been prompted BY peni-
tence. 1t was while the negro regi.
nnent was on board the ship Vigilance
en- route to Cuba IL September, 1898,
that storm converted score Of
boisterous crap games into fervent
religious meeting.
The regiment wen. from Topeka to
New York city and from there sailed
for Cuba. There was no sleep on
board the Vigilance the first night out.
I. IL said that practically alr'of the ne.
groes who were net Frustrated with
seasickness were shooting craps The
scene Is described as one Of mingled
suffering and excitement. The dis.
trcssed pleaded for quiet and rest,
but were UNDECIDED by the noisy gam.
blers.
Above the cries and means of the
suffering. such language as this could
be heard In different parts Of the YES.
sci:
TITS 'leven an l know IT. shoot
de money" Didn't get Q coon?"
Little Dick" sHA
Late at night while tho games were
running high q violent storm broke
suddenly upon the sea- When the wind
struck the Vigilance rudder was
broken and she whirled round and
round and ther dipped down into the
hollow Of a mighty wave. The shock
was unexpected and In moment the
soldiers were experiencing all Of the
horrors of storm at sea- TIE ne.
groes grabbed up thedlce and loose
change and huddled together like cat.
tie. some of them moaning and others
too frightened to utter a sound
The storm ragged for an hour, tina
soldiers thinking that every moment
would be the last. Fortunately there
was q negro preacher on board. the
Rev. John l. Waller It was for him
to rise to the occasion. He gathered
q crowd of negroes around him and
spoke thus:
Brethren. the Lord sent this storm
on the heads OF sinful crap shooters.
II we want to be saved let's pray"
Then he dropped down on his knees
and his voice was heard praying above
the noise of the storm.
The soldiers joined with the preach
e. In his prayer. In short time
lamentations, means and promises
could be heard on every hand 1t was
a revival meeting in earnest. Nearly
every one OF the 500 soldiers was
either singing or praying The whole
regiment was converted" in a very
few minutes.
But the rough sea continued. The
colored preacher felt that something
further must be done. An inspiration
came to him; there must be sacri.
flee of some kind.
Our prayers and songs don't pre-.
VAIL he shouted. There's some
thing wrong. Brethren, the dice must
60 into the sea-"
The suggestion had only to be
made. The dice were tossed into the
angry waters. about 500 pairs. Some
Of the negroes also threw in the
money which they had won with the
dice. In half an hour after the dice
were given to the sea the storm
abated.
The Rev. Mr. Waller held religious
services at frequent intervals during
the rest Of the voyage. They were
always we'll attended. At each meet.
ing he told his hearers that the pray.
ers Of the righteous had saved the
wicked. Then he urged them all 70
remain steadfast. Is
Nothing was said about crap shoot
Ing during the rest Of the voyage.
Shortly after the soldiers landed In
Cuba there was pay day. Then 1t was
that a "backslider" tried-to borrow
some dice, but not single pair could
be found in the regiment; they had all
been consigned to the sea.
This was condition that could not
last. An ingenious negro soldier stole
an ivory billiard ball from a Cuban
pool hall and whitfield out a pair of
dice. He sold them for $12.