The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-09-18
!, WHO'S VINO
IN
SOUTH
|. DIKOTA
BY o. W.
MODEST TEACHER-PREACHER
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

Something over a year ago the
morning Milwaukee passenger train
from Aberdeen to Mitchell had just
passed the city of Redfield when a
cat, evidently caught in the riggings
underneath tho car floor. began to
make the most pitiful distressing
shrieks. Its whines were so h%artrend-
ing hat all of the passengers COM
paratively few in number--except
one lone man who sat undisturbed
in the rear seat. next to the aisle, APP
parently reading a magazine. began
to plead with the conductor to stop
the train and liberate the animal. He
refused to do so: but at Tulare he
and a brakeman crept under the car
to find the cat IT was gone However
as Don as the train had gotten un-
der Roadway again. the cats pitiful
Sroans became even more irritating
than before. Again at Bonilla the
train crew tried TO locate it. but
failed. Still its rasping cries went on.
At Wolsey the silent mar in the last
seat, put away his magazine, took his
grip. stepped off the train. and the
cat was gone.
Now this ventriloquist had done
his work we'll, i'll hat he had success
fully directed attention entirely away
from himself. This is the Foundation
TO real greatness. In n sense, the ven
~triloquist represents DR.. John l.. Sea-
ton. of Dakota Wesleyan university,
at present occupying temporarily the
local NJ. +. p~astorate in the city of
Huron. Since coming to our state
nine years ago. he has never in any
sense magnified himself: but in a
quiet, earnest. inconspicuons way, he
has gone about his business unher-
aided and has sought to direct atten-
ton entirely away from himself
not toward an imitation cat but ratl-
er to the cat(alog3 of achievements
OF other people.
Personal.
DR.. Seaton was born on a farm
near Manchester. Ia, January 25.
lS13. While he came into the life
with The crime of '73" (the demon
citation of silver, yet it was no
crime to bring into the world a babe
of his temperament and disposition.
Quite the reverse; such babies are
their parents blessing.
His early childhood was spent on
the farm where he got his first year
of education in Il country school. At
I years OF age his parents removed
with him to Manchester, where he at
tended graded school until he had
completed the seventh grade. Then
the family moved to Cedar Rapids,
Nebraska, mot lowa) where he com
pleted the eighth grade. After that he
went direct to Epworth, Ia. where he
entered Epworth seminary. The
school was at that time running jun
lor college work. Bishop Lewis, for.
merIy president of Morningside col
lege, at Sioux City, was its president.
Seaton finished With the class of
1895.
After graduating from the semin-
airy, he entered the NJ. e. p%astorate at
Gutenberg, la. Here he met with
great success, right from the tart.
An old fellow who attended church.
who who v Joined any church,
took such a liking TO the young pas
tor that he put a provision INFO his
will to have Rev. Seaton conduct his
funeral services. (The old gentleman
is still alive.)
Our subject then Went to Upper
Iowa university at Fayette, and took
his regular college course. Here he
had for his teacher in psychology that
thorough instructor, Professor l.. A..
Stout. now occupying the chair of
mathematics at Dakota Wesleyan.
Stout is. as the student would say, u
hard hitter The fellow who gets "a
grade above ninety in one of Stout's
Glasses has got to earn it-and then
some. Seaton perhaps broke all rec
ords under him, for Stout Was forced.
on absolute merit, to give him 100 in
psychology for Two years in success
sion. During Seaton's second year at
Upper Iowa he also acted as student
pastor on his old charge at Gutten-
berg, and travelled 200 miles every
Saturday and Sunday to keep this APP
pointment.
He graduated in 1898 and then
went direct to Boston where he en-
tered the theological seminary in the
fall. Immediately he was made asso-
ciate pastor at Morgan Memorial.
and the next year he was given full
charge. While doing this work he car
ried on his theological course. The
third year, in addition to his studies.
he acted as pastor at Norwood a sub
urb of Boston. He also carried on the
residene work required for a Phi. ID.
degree, under the famous Borden p.
BOVINE, the finest professor of philo-
sophy that the NJ. Z. church has as
yet produced.
In 1900, Ole year before his the
illogical course was completed, DIR.
Seaton accompanied by the Rever-
end Dr.. IL. S. Wilkinson, now of Eu-
gene, Oregon. vent abroad. They Wis
tied London, Paris and Berlin; took
the famous scenic trip along the
Rhine and the Rhone rivers, travers-
ed Switzerland, visited Florence. Ma
pies and Rome, and crowned the trip
by witnessing at Oberamergau the re-
production of the crusifixion.
Upon his return in the fall he was
united in marriage to Miss Jessie Ev-
ans Davis. of Maynard, Ia, whom he
had met at Upper Iowa university.
She is a graduate of the conservatory
of music at Fayette and later she did
work in the conservatory at Boston.