The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1907-11-29
TALES OF TRAVELLERS
HOW SMALL THE WORLD is, is
SHOWN BY ODD MEETINGS.
People Run Across Acquaintance in
All Sorts Of Out of the Way
Places in Every Part of
the World.

Two men left the city the same day
going in opposite directions, says the
New York Sun. They met Oh their re
turn and exchanged experiences.
Il came back from my Journey
said the man who had spent his time
in New England, more impressed
than ever with the idea that the world
is growing smaller"
Il went where | had never been be
fore and where l was likely to meet
no n whom | knew. At the first
meal the stranger upon my right look
ed up from his newspaper and said
somethiug about the bridge disaster
at Quebec.
The stranger said he had a special
dread OF bridge accidents since he had
been a victim in the Ashtabula affair
a number Of years before. He related
his experience and concluded with the
a man whom he had never met before
or since.
The incident as described by him
was vivid in my recollection. was
the man who had saved him. The &C
cident happened about 80 years ago
Singular that at our first meeting after
the affair the conversation opened on
the subject mentioned.
After the meal | walked into the
Office Of the hotel and looked Over the
register. I noticed a familiar name.
The writer was from my home town.
/ looked him up.
I'VE had not seen one another for
40 years. And then we had parted as
enemies. 1t was about a girl. We had
a good laugh over the meeting. in a
strange part of the country, and con.
cluded that We had the best of the
third fellow who won the girl later
and was afterward-but that is Of no
interest to you"
Like you," began the other return.
ed tourist, Il went into a new country
to me. l thought / had lost myself
away up the Saguenay river.
"One day 1 went out in a canoe look.
ing for fish. After the catch my guide
padded ashore, and we prepared for
q feat. Soon afterward another tourist
landed nearby. He hadn't had a bite.
After I had jollied him a while
asked him. to sit down and take pot
luck. Then we felt to our pipes. You
know that is the bridge on which al
smokers meet. Later on l offered him
my flask.
He declined, and laughingly re-
marked that II he had not changed his
usual garb for the outfit he had on. he
might not. have been asked. He was a
minister. His story was interesting.
HE left college in this country aft
or graduation and went abroad. He
kept on until he reached India. There
he became interested in commercial
pursuits.
He failed. He went broke. He met
. Snowman who was organizing a
minstrel company. He engaged to go
with him as a tenor. The organization
made money. 1t landed in Australia.
There Il went to pieces.
"OnesOf the company was a negro.
He and this man who had shared my
fsh dinner started out together to find
work. They fell in with a Salvation
Army outfit. Both were good singers.
The upshOt was that the white man
became converted.
He left the Salvation company and
became an Episcopal minister. The
negro followed in his steps. The white
man IL rector of a church in the north
west. The negro is a missionary in
SIAM.
what is your manner" 1 asked the
dominic And when he gave it I re-
piled, we we're classmates at -
university
That was the only experience I
had during my trip. But l think 1t
beats. yours"
What was the negro's right name"
asked the man who told the first
story.
The dominic gave it as -."
Then tha first speaker said: TITS
the same coon. He was the o of my
fathers old slave. He ran away when
he was a boy. and the first we ever
heard of him was after he had become
q preacher. I think this rounds up the
two stories. even"