The Omaha guide., 1942-06-27


The singing really sounded good.
And it wasn't singing like you hear
in these Omaha churches on Sun
day either. Those people were sing
ing and offering up a death prayer,
asking the Lord to Save Them.
They were in earnest. I shall new
er forget-during one of these sing
ing prayers an exceptionally strong
guest of wind blew in one of the
front doors, and everything in that
| section of the building blew from
one side of the building to the other
just like paper toys of some kind.
The sisters and brothers prayed and
sang louder and with more vehem-
ence.
I say, 1 shall never forget it.
| While they were singing and pray
ing, one hard-boiled old sea-farer,
| called the Captain took charge Of
everything. I thought he was sac
religious. He actually cussed those
praying and singing people out and
told them that If they wanted their
lives saved that they had better
stop their foolishness and get up
from there and go to work and save
their own lives. In the eyes Of the
| church people hat old Captain"
was a sinner. He was everything
that the church people despise but
when he got through cussing thero
out they were like babes.
He put everybody to work. He
| ordered the ablest-bodied men to
rush up, in the face of the wind,
and force the doors closed. To hol1
! them until other men would push
| heavy articles of furniture against
| the doors to hold them in place.
| During all this time the rain had
| been coming in the building in tor
rents. The place was nearly flood
| ed.) He ordered other men to take
axes and chop holes in the floor.
And he ordered the women to take
! brooms and sweep the water to-
| wards these holes. 1 had a job, too.
| He ordered me to cut down all the
| electric wiring. This wiring he had
| others to use in binding cleats a.
| gainst and across the barricaded
| doors So that we would be protected
| from the winds. And, in a relative
| ly short time, the place was safe a.
! gain for a while.
But for three days and for three
nights we remained huddled in that
| building and the Captain" was real
" the captain. What a man he was!
7 shall forget him. No doubt,
when he dies he will go to hell, or
migratory, or wherever sinners so,
| hut hat night he saved many a life.
That's just one story Of a storm,
10 G. You'll have to read my book
manuscripts to get many others.
So, why wouldn't I sleep through
a little storm that lasted only two
or three hours?
/ CON-
And. writing of sleeping, I must
record that last Sunday I was very
religious indeed. At least I thought
I was. You know, C. C. every since
| I've been in Omaha 1 have been 60
; ing to one, two, and sometimes
three churches on Sunday. Last
| Sunday. or rather Saturday night, I
| decided that 1 was going to rest en-
| the Sabbath Day. And 7 did rest,
too.
1 really got acquainted with my
| room, and my bed. 1 eve really
| appreciated my room and my bed
| before. I actually learned the bed
! language. You know, when you
turn over, sometimes the bed springs
will actually speak to you, Before
Sunday I thought it just a hideous
| noise, but not any more. The bel
was saying to me, I'm SO glad that
at last you are getting acquainted
| with me. We can be such pals If
| only you'll pay me a little atten-
ton" Well, / paid it plenty of at
| tention, Sunday.
I wouldn't have gotten out of bed
| all day except for the fact that some
| feminine character had sold me an
| other ticket during the week. The
| ticket was for a chicken dinner. /
| don't need to tell you that I love
| eating, and 1 love chicken.
Along about the middle of the af-
| ternoon I got up and went to toe
| chicken dinner. 1t was at a private
- Arc Tulia ION