Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1911-04-27

working the region you ever saw. He
was not only slick. but desperate.
No one dared resist him. Smelling out
whenever he ordered one TO do So
He was fond of DISCUSSES. At one
time he would go about a. a peddler.
| at another as horse trader, and
so on. He was known among us by
| the name under which be made his
first haul, John Wagstaff. He chang
ed his name every time he worked one
of his schemes. but Wagstaff was
what we called him.
/ had done some neat work under
DISCUSSES myself and determined that
If could locate the villain | would
match him at his own game. So
| when news came that he was stop
ping with a widow about five miles up
| the creek | determined TO go for him.
i went as a travelling evangelist.
mounted and with a pair of saddle
bags filed with tracts. Two revolv-
| ers hung 10 my waist under my trou-
sers. l hadn't any clerical garb, so
| got one of the women TO make me a
! white cravat.
When | reached the widows house
1 told her that was going TO work in
the vineyard of the Lord in that re-
gion for a few days and would like to
put up at her house. she didn't OBJ
! ject. saying that she had another cler-
gyman boarding with her and she
! thought we two would take an inter
est in each others work. / assured
her that we would. and truthfully, for
i didn't doubt that the other clergy
man was the man | was after.
i had a description of Wagstaff
| given me by man he had robbed
The rascal was a short. thick man,
with especially large ears that stood
| out like donkey's. / didn't see my
fellow clergyman till the next morn
| ing at breakfast, when l recognized
him at once by the description. aspe-
cialy his ears. He had probably rob-
bed a clergyman of a suit of clothes,
for he was in full Episcopal canon
| icals. | saw him cast a quick glance
at me. after which he attended to his
breakfast. When our landlady came
| in she introduced us-Wagstaff as Mr..
! Warbury, me as Mr.. Tidball. / had
fortified myself to play the parson by
smattering of Bible lore and was Gu
rious to discover If Wagstaff could
match me on that ground, so / opened
conversation with him with that in
view. Besides. / had been brought up
an Episcopalian.
81 hope, Brother Warbury," / said,
"that you will not decline to do any
of the Lords work that may lie in our
path with one not ordained in the An
| glican church"
church that was, but he said he would
be very glad to assist me in any work
I had laid out for myself.
"Are you engaged in missionary
work." l asked, "or are you on your
way from one field to another"
"Oh, I'm just making convert here
and there wherever I can"
'It would be well, brother, IL you
could make a convert of ranchman
I visited yesterday, William Bittinger.
who lives not far from here. He has
been favored by the Lord with world
ly goods. and he should aid the cause
with gifts of money. / found him
very hard of heart-indeed. a scoffer.
When l asked him for means with
which TO replenish my tracts he took
me into a little room In the rear of
the ranch house and showed me pile
of gold and silver dollars, saying at
the same time: You see, have plenty
! to give. but not cent for you lazy
parsons. You should all be set to real
| work."
Wagstaff pricked up his ears at the
mention of the pile of gold and silver
dollars, but otherwise he did not seem
especially interested in Mr.. Bittinger's
i conversion.
do you preach near here, Brother
warbury?" / asked.
preach? No; / haven't got any ser
mons with me-"
'ThenI take it you do not speak ex.
temporaneously."
"what?"
"You don't speak offhand, without
having your sermon all written out be
fore you?"
"Oh. no; don't speak that way"
"Are you high or low church,"
"Im high church" 1t was evident
that his answer was at random.
do you intone the service"
This was too much for his religious
education. He hesitated, then admitted
that he did. refrained from press
ing him further. fearing that he would
suspect me. Having finished my
breakfast l arose. saying: II wish
you would try your persuasive powers
on Friend Bittinger. 1 would like to
see some of thai pile go to good
| works"
Maybe I'll try"
"Im told that he sometimes pleads
poverty. If he does SO with you ask
him to show you what he has In the
northeast corner room on the ground
| floor"
II don't reckon my route will be
that way. but II go there I'll remem-
Der what you say
"Goodby. Brother warbury." said
II am very glad to have met fellow
laborer In the Lords vineyard"
uofod fho cold rvvuutu<v On HE ave