Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-05-18
ROAD PATROLMEN
GIVE MUCH HELP
Do Anything From Wade I'm Water to
Settle Family Quarrels While on
Highway Duty.

Officially the gray uniformed men,
bers of the state highway patrol are
traffic officers, but actually they are
Good Samaritans. diplomats and even
| family peace-makers. This is all indi-
Gated in the daily records of patrol
activities filed in the office of patrol
chief, John P. Arnoldy.
The patrol keeps a 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 flowery descriptions,
but the facts need little embelish-
ment.
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 an
other child with their household be-
longings. 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"
a
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 a 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 Sc
we're 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
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
ficers 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 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, driver from southern
state who was not used to northern
conditions developed such a case of
fright that patrolman had to drive
his car twenty miles to get him to
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
automobile found it impossible to dis
lodge them by arguments, brides,
threats or force. 1t required the COM
bined diplomacy of two patrolmen and
a deputy sheriff to solve the situation
amicably.
In another case a patrol member
came on man and nifo uyho bod
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 repentant and
loving.