The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-03-05
The Minister In a BLIZZARD.

humble country minister and how his
unsclnshnoss and thoughtfulness of
others comfort converted train load
of snow bound passengers into =
Jolly house party each member con
testing with his neighbor to QUITO In
generosity,
IL was about 2:3O Tuesday afternoon
when No sos westbound passenger on
the Dallas branch Of the Northwestern
struck snow bank about mile east
of Burke. 1t soon became evident
that it would be many hours before
the train could move. y wild Dakota
bli2zard-the worst of the year-rag-
ed outside In the ladies' coach
dozen tired women, with as many tret'
full children, huddled together In
vain effort to keep warm through the
afternoon. The smoker was filled with
travelling men who Immediately Or
ganized POKER and pitch games and
began a long siege of bucklhS me
kitty. The newsboy soon sold out
both cables and smoking material.
Matches and cigars were at a prem
ium and after the manner OF humanity
I'm general, those that had hung tight
Nv to that which they had, lest their
neighbors should receive some beneht
thereof BY o'clock the pangs II
hunger had added to the general as
comfort and each occupant OF the
smoking car wore dark blue grOu'h
and bucked his ncighbor at poker
little harder in an effort to separate
him from his cash. However, TINS
was one time when money and great
riches availed not Neither food nor
cigars were to be obtained 1t any
price A few passengers had eaten
since morning. Children cried Tor
food and tired mothers were unable TO
offer more than word of explanation.
At 7 o'clock an effort was made TO or
game a party to brave the storm 10
Burke for food, but after one look at
the storm outside the delegation re-
turned to the meager warmth and
light of the smoker.
The Coming of Real Man,
But all this was changed after Rev.
William c. Garberson of the Baptist
church of Burke appeared. Mr.. Car
berson came not to preach or pray
Int brought more substantial aid III
the form of coffee and dOughnuts and
II is needless to add that he was very
nopular. The travelling men who had
been bucking the kitty all afternoon
could not understand why MI CARRIER
son would not accept pay for the pro
visions. The good Samaritan also
apologized for the weakness of the
coffee on the ground that his wife had
used all they had in the house. The
shirt of selfshness and greed had
been so strong on the train that after
noon that the Rev. Mr.. Garberson mad
almost finished his journey through
the smoker before the passengers be-
gan to AWAKE to the unseltshness OF
the act.
No Pay For Him.
Most of the passengers began to
form a picture of the prairie home
of the struggling country parsoh'
poorly paid, suffering the privatlons OF
the rough prairie life-the good house
wife taking all the coffee in the house
and possibly all the flour, working 1or
hours over the doughnuts and then
the parson Drawing a mile and hair
of the blizzard and the snow drifts,
STRUGGLING through the storm with the
heavy load to feed a trainful of sci
fish humanity. Then to refuse pay.
1t took the card players some time to
understand this, but when they did
understand, the spirit of the train was
changed A coffee salesman robbing
his grips of precious samples filled the
parsons empty baskets with the best
of his wares, a collection was taken
and tactfully offered for missionary
fund"
Sample Grips Are Opened.
After the good angel had departed
the poker games We're dropped by mu-
tual consent. A cigar salesman open
ed his samples and passed them
through the train. \ cracker man and
a candy salesman were not to be out
uone, and their samples were opened
and were free to all who cared to
partake TOGO, the harpist of Dallas,
returning from a dance down the line,
uncovered his instrument and played
his choicest Italian airs. The Spencer
orchestra. enroute to Dallas, unpacked
their instruments. The rest of the
evening the car was filled with music,
songs and laughter. Travelling men
entertained the fretful babies, while
tired mothers snatched an hour S
rest.
Came Again and Again.
Three times during the twenty-siX
hours tie-up the good Samaritan ap'
peared with food and coffee. 1t was
a sermon without words, sermon on
brotherly love and unseltish living, the
real spirit of christianity personitied
and it reached the hearts of the four
score of people as no other sermon
had ever done.
FRIDAY FACTS.
Mrs ]. c. Myers has been visiting