Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-08-21
Stories Of Curbst0ne and
Corridor

! tain tax assessment rolls with a party
| of friends in the lobby of the Grand
! Pacific last evening. AS deputy audi
tor of state the gentleman is generally
wading up to his eyes in figures.
Some one OF the party remembered
| that he had no taste for them. In fact
he would not know how to write a
billion in figures.
This reminds me of story l
heard. Two tramps, having been
elected from box car, sat near the
water tank playing poker. They were
both broke and were usin pebbles for
checks.
"Pll. bet a hundred said one, drop
ping a pinch of gravel in the space
between them. Raise you thou
sand," replied the other, after glanc-
ing at his hand. lone million bet
ter, said the first voice, putting a
whole handful of gravel on the pile.
"A billion BETTER" and the players
grew excited. The first one to bet
gazed about confused like and finally
said: take the pot, you educated
scoundrel."
The Salvation Army marched up to
the Mckenzie hotel Sunday afternoon
to the tune of the big base drum and
opened services in the usual way In
plain sight of the guests In the lobby
of that big hostelry. "This thing
ought to be stopped" said the bright
young man with the green tie and
red hat band, who sells millinery. No.
body paid attention to the remark and
the desire to be foremost prompted
the salesman to add: Its disgrace.
All they want is money, and you bet
yer life they don't work me for any,
An old gentleman whoshowed the har-
ness makers of many years on the
road, gazed at the blase young man
but said nothing. The wind was
blowing fierce gale and tae plucky
female soldiers had difficulty in keep
ing their hats from blowing away, but
they sang on unmindful Of the wind,
their voices heard only during tho
lulls. They're frauds, anyway. They
don't believe what they preach and
know they don't practice II" and the
youthful critic rolled fresh cigarette
and smiled at the pretty girl behind
the cigar counter.
How do you know they don't be-
lieve what they preach? Can you
read the human heart and tell what's
in the mind of these people, and the
old veteran of the road with his quiet
voice and fervent manner pinned the
jeering youth to the spot. These
people come nearer following the
teachings of Jesus Cnrist than any of
the denominations. They do not wait
for the poor and lowly and down"
trodden to come to them, but they 60
to him: seek out sorrow and suffer-
ing in the by.ways and relieve It.;
they take from the squalid mothers
arms her sick child, feed and cleanse
it and give it back again with smile
on its lips; they carry the sunshine of
Gods love to places whose deep shade
closes against it, and they make the
underworld brighter and better for
their existence. You may not believe
in them nor the things they teach,
young man, because you do not know,
but you have no right by your flip.
pant speech and jeering manner to
lessen the faith of any humble crea-
ture in his hope of heaven. 1t may
be his only solace, the underlying
hope which soothes and sustains him
from day to day in the battle of life,
and where you rob him of this you
gain nothing for yourself and leave
him pauperized indeed"
The scoffer wriggled uneasily in his
chair while the venerable voice OF
the o gentleman sounded in his ear,
the supersillious smile had disap-
peared and he looked grave, uncom-
Portable and concerned. Just then a
girl with her tamourine and prayer
book entered to gather the mite such
Efforts usually yield. The venerable
old drummer dropped dine on the in
strument and the loquacious youth,
now quite humble and crestfalken,
put half dollar on the pile and quiet
ly stole away. The old gentleman
smiled benignly and was heard to
mutter, 1.-THE lad is easy, after all"
Roy Nelson of the state examiners
department does not claim that the
following is original, but he does in
sist that it is equal to some poetry
emanating from the land department:
The lightning bug rides on in peace,
His mind is free from doubt.
He knows that none of the police
Will say "Your light is OUT"
DOWNING Street. LONDON.