The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-25
.BEVER|DGE COULD
NOT FIND BIBLE
Many Western Towns Ap-
pealed To. But None
Could Be Found.
INCIDENT OF RECENT TOUR.
PEOPLE SURPRISED WHEN ASKED
FOR BIBLE, NOT KNOWING
WHAT 1T wAS-oNE FINALLY
FOUND IN HELL GATE.

Helena. Mont, Oct 24-The efforts
of Senator Alfred ]. Beveridge OF In
diana to secure a Bible in Western
Montana on his recent tour are most
interesting. That il is always the
unexpected that happens was emphat-
ically illustrated by the incident in
which the principal actors were Sena-
tor Beveridge and Conductor Ike Harp
ster of the Copper City local.
When Senator Beverage left Butte
he was breakfastless, and il was not
until he reached Garrison and its
lunch counter that he was able to get
even cup of coffee. Without break
fast, it is not easy for a man to con-
slider what he is going to say to an
audience that he knows will be wait
ing for him when he gets to the end
of his journey. and IL is not to be won
dered at that the senator did not give
much thought to his afternoon talk un-
til he had secured the coffee
- Search for Bible Begins.
Whether it was the refreshing effect
of the Garrison coffee that brought
him to consideration of his talk for
the afternoon, or whether the coffee
produced an effect that turned his
thoughts TO the hereafter, Senator
Beverage does not say; but, whatever
was the cause. he bethought himself.
after leaving Garrison, of his Bible. Ii
was in his trunk, and his trunk was
supposed to be in the baggage car
but 1t was not.
At Butte the trunk had been checked
to Seattle and was not put on the local
train, but was held for the through
train later. So it became necessary to
find some other copy of the Bible. and
the search was Instituted.
Conductor Harpster, always oblig-
ing went through the train and endea-
vored to locate Bible somewhere on
board. But there was none to be
found.
Four Towns Without One.
Then the train reached Big Bend.
Harpster asked the agent there IL he
had a Bible. The reply was emphat-
ically in the negative. Harpster gave
the signal and the train pulled on to
Gold Creek. At this station the agent
Bible, but her husband had been
transferred and she had left few
days before taking the Bible with her.
So there was nothing doing at Gold
Creek.
Haskell was next. Harpster swung
off the train and walked confidently up
to the young man who manipulates
the key there.
Have you a Bible?"
"Wot's a Bible?" was the answer:
and the conductor fed.
Drummond is the next station"
called the brakeman as the train
slowed up at the water tank. and
Harpster hiked. They were very nice
people at Drummond station. but they
were short on Bibles. There was not
one in the whole bunch. though every
body was frisked; and the train pull
ed out
He'll Gate Furnished One.
Statesman and conductor. by this
time were pretty well discouraged.
There were some references that Sen
there was an earnest desire en- the
part of the conductor to satisfy the
demand. But it was hard shedding. The
case looked hopeless. IL there was
no Bible in Gold Creek. and il there
was none in Drummond. and If Has
kelI and Big Bend had furnished none
then where could a Bible be founds
For, il there were none there, surely
there would be none at Bear Mouth
or Nimrod or Bonita And it would
be too late at Clinton and Bonner.
But Harpster. acute as he is. had
overlooked a bet. AS he reasoned
with himself, the train stopped and he
swung off. As matter more of habit.
he walked to the station man and ask
ed him if he had Bible. The man
had. And Ike got it. He took 1T into
the train and gave it to Senator Bev-
eridge, who was profuse with his
thanks. Then Harpster asked him to
look at the name of the station. The
senator looked.