Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-09
TALESOF TRAVELLERS
HOW SMALL THE WORLD Is, IS
SHOWN BY ODD MEETINGS.
People Run Across Acquaintanees 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 on 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
I went where had never been be-
fore and where I was likely to meet
no one whom 1 knew At the first
meal the stranger upon my right look
ed up from his newspaper and said
something about the bridge disaster
at Quebec.
THE stranger said he had a special
dread of bridge accidents since he had
been victim in the Ashtabula affair
a number of years before. He related
his experience and concluded with the
statement that he owed his rescue to
a man whom he had never met before
or since.
THE incident as described by him
was vivid in my recollection. 1 was
the man who had saved him. The ac--
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 1 walked into the
Office of the hotel and looked over the
register. 1 noticed a familiar name.
The writer was from my home town.
L 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 2
strange part of the country, and con-
Guided 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 new country
to me. 1 thought 1 had lost myself
away up the Saguenay river.
Zone day 1 went out in canoe look
ing for fish. After the catch my guide
padded ashore, and we prepared for
a feat. Soon afterward another tourist
landed nearby He hadn't had a bite.
after I had jollied him a while 1
asked him to sit down and take pot
| luck. Then we fell to our pipes. You
| know that is the bridge on which all
| smokers meet. Later on l offered him
my flask.
l
marked that if he had not changed his
usual garb for the estfit he had on, he
| might not have been asked. He was a
minister. His story was interesting
| He left college in this country aft
| er graduation and went abroad. He
! kept on until he reached India. There
F.! he became interested in commercial
| pursuits
HE failed He went broke. He met
/ a Snowman who was organizing a
! minstrel company. He engaged to &c
| with him as tenor. The organization
made money. 1t landed in Australia
There it went to pieces.
Zone of the company was a negro
| He and this man who had shared my
fish 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 mar
| became converted
HE left the Salvation company and
became an Episcopal minister. The
negro followed in his steps The white
man is rector of church in the north
west. The negro is a missionary II
Siam.
What is your name?" 1 asked the
dominic And when he gave it l re
piled. we were classmates at -
university
THAT was the only experience
had during my trip But l think L
beats yours"
What was the negro's right name?'
asked the man who told the frs
story
THE dominic gave it as
Then the first speaker said: Its
the same coon He .as the son of MI
fathers old slave He ran away wheI
he was a boy, and the first we eve
, heard of him was after he had become
a preacher. think this rounds up th'
two stories even"