The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1933-05-25
PATROL OFFICERS
GOOD SAMARITANS
OF STATE ROADS

Strictly speaking, they are traffic
officers, these gray-uniformed MEM
bers of the state highway patrol, but
actually they must take the part of
modern good Samaritans, of diplo-
mats, even of family peace-makers.
Such, at least, is the story told by
the daily records of patrol activities,
filed in the office of Patrol Chief John
P. Arnoldy.
The patrol keeps record of what
every member does each day he is on
duty. The reports Of the men are
terse and to the point. No words are
wasted in fowery descriptions, but
the facts need little Establishment.
For example, this concise bit from
a report from a patrolman on duty
near Brainerd few days ago:
"Truck stalled on highway. Tire and
tube blown out. Man, wife, baby and
another child with their household
belongings. Family had not eaten for
16 hours and had no money. Bought
them food, second hand tire and tube
and helped them get started on their
way"
Just a few lines of type, but what
story of human suffering, hope and
compassion lies between those lines.
Another incident, north of White
Bear Lake: An elderly woman was
notified that her daughter in st. Paul
was dying. She had no means of
transportation, and each minute lost
narrowed her chance to win the race
with death. 1t was a member of the
highway patrol who finally took the
woman to main highway and saw
her safely aboard bus speeding to-
ward St. Paul.
One bitter day last winter, two
school children were caught in a
severe blizzard on the highway near
Willmar. Buffeted and blinded by
the snow and wind, chilled almost to
fatal numbness, they were discovered
just in time by two patrol officers in
their small closed car. The officers
overcoats were quickly wrapped
about the children and they were
rushed to their homes in safety.
A similar happening occurred near
Forest Lake in February. The patrol
found a man and his wife half frozen
from exposure in their broken down
car. They were destitute, so the Of
fcers helped them get to their home
with their car.
During recent floods in Southern
Minnesota, members of the patrol
worked as much as 81 hours without
rest, directing traffic and guiding
drivers safely through bad spots. In
some instances the water was so deep
that a patrol officer had to walk
ahead of cars in the swirling water
to show where the road lay.
In one of the last freezing spells,
when highways were covered with
slippery ice, a driver from south
ern state who was not used to north
ern conditions developed such a case
of fright that a patrolman had to
drive his car 20 miles to get him to a
town.
Between Bemidji and Walker re-
Gently, an automobile was adopted"
by three Indian squaws who had par
taken of too much ''fire water" They
occupied the running boards of the
car, and the man and wife in the au-
tomobile found it impossible to dis
lodge them by arguments, brides,
threats or force. It required the COM
bined diplomacy of two patrolmen
and a deputy sheriff to solve the sit
uation amicably.
In another case patrol member
came on man and wife who had
stopped their car on the highway
while they INDUCED in a quarrel of
threatening intensity. The officer
was able to give them some good
advice and send them away repent
ant and loving.
It's all in the days work for the
highway patrol.