New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-04
THE GOOD SAMARITAN

have been spread upon the blottcr Of some
police court as a dISordCrly person; but in
our great West we'll things seem somehow
very different out there. There are not SO
many SkvScrapcrS in that part of the Coun-
try. and the horizon of humanity may there
fore he a ht,lc broader; and perhaps too the
StrugglcrS ont there are closer to the period
Of their own trials and tribulations than we
are here in the East and become in consc-
quoncc more instantly sympathetic when
they see the signal of distress.
THE second incident occurred nearer
home. II was in Ohio at the time of
the floods that wrought such havoc in Day
ton and thcrcaboutS in the spring of 1913.
| had lcCturcd the night before at lronton,
and on my way 10 Cleveland was TO all in
tents and purposes marooncd at Columbus.
Much doubt existed rs TO whether traffic
out If Columbus was at all possible SO COM
plctclv dcmoralzcd were all the railroads
CCn,Cring there II is a cardinal principle
with lvccum workers, however, TO make
every effort possible 20 get through 10 their
ENGAGEMENTS az whatever inconvenience or
cost. So in spite Of the warnings of Suhor1i-
nate officials took my chances and went out
on a morning train which passengers took
al their own peril through scenes Of dread
ful dcsold,ion. and over disquictinglv sog
gv roalhci. until the train reached an Ohio
city which shall not identify by name here.
While ! have no hard feelings against 1t, or
agaluS, any Of its citizens, | cannot bring
myself to speak of ii in terms Of "cndcar-
mcn,, as | should much prefer to DO.
Al this point our train came 10 stand
q.
it would be impossible TO get through TO
Cleveland because all the bridges had been
washed away. Motoring over for the same
reason was ont Of the question, and the en-
gagCmCn, was lost. Immediately repaired to
the telegraph office and sent of several dcs-
patches, ITO the Cleveland people, announc-
ing my inability 20 get through; TO my
agents, telling them If my plight; and to
nv family, assuring them Of my safety.
These tclcgramS broke my Financial back A;
for when had paid for them found myself
with only forty cents left in my pocket,
maroonci possibly for days in Wc,tcst Ohio,
hungry as a bear, and no, a friend in sight,
| lid not worry much over the situation,
however: for on several other occasions
when found myself pcnnilcSs in the West
and in the South had not found any trouble
in getting someone to cash my check. So,
after assuring myself that my train would
bc held there for at least two or three hours
before returning to Columbus, set off
blithc-hcar,cdly to secure the rcplenishmcnt
OF my pocket. In the heavy rain | walked
M the main thoroughfarc Of the little city,
and to my great relief cspicd a national
bank on one Of the four corners Of lis square.
| walked boldly in and addressed the cashier,
telling him my story with few well chosen
words.
81 thought possibly" said !, as he listened
without too great a display Of interest, that
in view of all these circumstances YOU would
be willing to take a chance on me, and cash
nv check for twenty-five dollars.
why, my dear Sir, he replied, "ih's IS
Il baHk!"
restrained a facctious impulse to tell him
that was surprised to hear il, having come
in under the impression that II was butcher
shop, where | could possibly buy an UNI
brclla, OF a much needed cight-day clock.
81 know, contcntcd myself with saving,
smiling the WHILE "That's why came here
for money.
~Wcl, you've come TO the wrong place,