Cowboy Fun. Making a Tenderfoot Dance. Photo 1889. Butcher Collection in Nebraska State Historical Museum.
284
NEBRASKA HISTORY MAGAZINE |
285 |
Early Days at Buffalo Gap.
While holding a series of meetings at Buffalo Gap, South Dakota, I suggested that a canvass of the place be made and took for my section the outskirts of the place. There was a house quite a distance up the mountain side. Following the path that led that way, I noticed many cards of different euchre decks scattered along the way. I was satisfied that I was going to the home of a gambler. Reaching the house the mother and several children came to the door. Destitution was apparent. The children were poorly clad and the mother was hardly able to look after them. She said they did not have enough food in the house for another meal and that she had no money to buy. Her husband was gone, she knew not where, and sickness had so prostrated her that she was unable to earn means for a living for her family. It is needless for me to say that help was immediately furnished her and the children.
In the Church Shadow.
I related this circumstance to a congregation assembled in a church near a little town in Nebraska, and that I also found similar conditions in other homes within the vicinity of churches where no one had undertaken to learn of or find out their dire needs. I further told the congregation that I apprehended, should they make a canvass, that they would find a home just as needy, that the shadow of their church would fall on during the day. Two sisters, of the pastor in charge, thought it unlikely such a thing could be the case, but were determined to find out. They had been in the habit of going to and returning from the town just one particular way. That morning they took another route and reaching an occupied shanty, they found the mother at the verge of death and five children almost naked and nearly out of food. Tears filled the sisters' eyes and then while standing in the door the sun cast the shadow of the church across the house. They could hardly realize the fact.
Frontier Children and the Missionary.
Every missionary of the American Sunday-School Union if awake and faithful to his privileges, surely will find many a home in need and worthy of a helping hand.
| 286 | NEBRASKA HISTORY MAGAZINE |
Visiting the homes I found an opportunity to study human nature and noted as far as traits of character are concerned, that the children were pretty near a duplicate of the parents. For instance: A little five year old boy was swearing vehemently when his father and myself overheard him. The man called his child to him and took him in his store and closed the door. Taking the little fellow on his lap he said, "Willie, I heard you swearing so loudly. I am so sorry that I have sworn before you many a time, and you thought what papa would do that you could do so too". Then he told his child that they would kneel down together there and then and ask God to forgive them for taking His name in vain, which they did. That night at my meeting the father confessed the matter to the congregation and accepted Christ as his Redeemer, declaring that he would live right before his family thereafter.
Another time, I had gone to a neighborhood visiting the different homes, at one of which pausing for a moment, before a partly opened door, I saw a little girl playing, her doll fell off of a chair onto the floor. She grabbed it up and set it back on the chair and said, "Now you sit there until I tell you that you can get up". Growing more enraged, she took the doll by the nap of the neck and setting it down in a corner of the room said, "Now you sit there, you shan't have any supper nor can you kiss your mother for a week." I did not need to look in the black and snapping eyes of the mother to find out her vehement spirit uncontrolled.
It is truthfully said that "Children and fools tell the truth." Hundreds of times, children by their words and actions bespoke the influence and lives of their parents to me during my missionary work. On the other hand many a child, by word or act, demonstrated that they had godly parents, that were ever thoughful (sic) of their present and eternal welfare.
One evening in February, at the close of a meeting, I announced that I wished to go home with the person who lived the farthest away on the road that I wished to take the next morning. A young man arose and said he was
NEBRASKA HISTORY MAGAZINE |
287 |
the person. We traveled seven miles before reaching his home where he lived with his aged father and mother. Their name was Vroman. They were from Wisconsin and had moved to Nebraska late the preceding fall; they had filed on a homestead and with help built a little sod house 12x14 feet. They were without means to provide for the severe winter at hand. I remember they had nailed boards across one side of the room to make two beds and had divided the same by a footboard.
Corn Bread and Bacon.
Next morning, Grandma Vroman prepared the breakfast, which consisted of parched corn-coffee, cornbread and a little bacon. She tried to make an apology for the scanty meal, and with tears in her eyes she said that it was hard for her to be compelled to exist on the same diet from day to day. After relating some cheering incidents to her, I went out to my rig, where I had some groceries which I carried to give to those in dire circumstances. I gave her some sugar, tea, rice and other things, for which words cannot convey the expression of thankfulness which shone on her face.
On another occasion while camping in front of a house, my daughter, who went with me several years to play a telescope organ which we carried, cleaned out our grub box and threw on the ground some mouldy bread. In the meantime the man of the place and five of his children came out to our wagon. He was talking to me when the children spied the bread. They picked up the morsels like starving wolves and ate them. Upon learning of his distress, I gave him money to buy a sack of flour, also some eatables from our wagon. The man afterwards at one of my meetings many miles from his home related the circumstance and said that he believed that God had directed me there to visit his home and to render needy help to motherless children that, he on account of sickness and death of his wife so impoverished him at that time he was unable to provide for his family.
Giving the Bible and Testament.
No part of my work was more beneficial than the distribution of the Bibles and Testaments. It will not be fully
| 288 | NEBRASKA HISTORY MAGAZINE |
known this side of the Glory world the extent of the blessings and results of the hundreds of copies given to individuals, homes and assemblies. I am thankful to be able to note some instances:
Early one morning, crossing over from Dry Creek to Willow Creek in Pierce County, Nebraska, while driving along a cow-path in the high grass, I met a weeping lad of a few summers, far from any home. Stopping, he told me that he had come from (if I am correct) Illinois with a family who located in the Willow Valley; that they made it so hard for him that he had run away from the place that very morning. He told me his parents were dead, and my heart was touched with his story. I took a Bible, wrote his mother's name in it, his name and my name and dated the same and gave it to him. He said he could not read. Then I told him to follow my buggy tracks and it would lead him to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Forsythe, that they had no children and I believed that they would take him into their home, also that Mrs. Forsythe, I thought, would teach him to read the Bible. I wrote a line to Mrs. Forsythe as well, requesting that she would accept the wandering boy and gave it to the lad to hand to her.
I learned afterwards that they had adopted the boy and did for him as dear parents would do for one of their own children. Several years thereafter, while I was going to Montana, I changed cars at Crawford. A young man came to me and said, "Elder, I suppose you do not know me." I answered, "No". He then told me that he was the lad I met that morning along the cow-path and gave to him a Bible and sent him to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Forsythe; that they adopted him and sent him to the district school, and finally to the Wesleyan University at Lincoln, Nebraska, that he had graduated from there, and had dedicated his life to the Lord's work. Excusing himself for a moment he went to his valise and got out the Bible that I gave to him years before and told me he was then enroute for China as a missionary, where he hoped to teach the children of that people the love of Christ for them, from the pages of that Bible which he had learned to love and to work for Him.
NEBRASKA HISTORY MAGAZINE |
289 |
A Well Digger Pulled up to get a Bible.
One day while driving in the vicinity of Johnstown, Nebraska, I saw two men windlassing up dirt from a well which was being dug. I cannot account for it in any way but that the Holy Spirit directed me to give a Bible to the man who was digging at the bottom of the well, I did not know him, but later learned that his name was Harriman. Going to the two men, I told them I wished to see the well digger. They hauled him up and I asked him if he would accept a Bible. He said that he had been brought up a Catholic, that he could not read. Without any argument, I gave him a Bible and prayed God to bless it in his hands. He took the Bible, learned by the help of others to read it, accepted the Protestant faith and became a minister in the "Church of God" in that section of the country and won many souls to Christ.
Gospel Bread Upon the Water.
I gave a young girl a Testament which she took home but her infidel father forbade her having it. He took the Testament and threw it into a well but it did not sink, thus he saw it from day to day, when he watered his horses and cows and even when he drew water to quench his own thirst. At last he decided he would leave it there no longer and after getting it out, he dried the leaves carefully and took to reading it. It was not long before he realized the error of his way and accepted Christ as his Redeemer.
Among the Indians, I gave to the boys and girls, young men and young women, many copies which were gladly received and prized. One day an old Indian on horseback followed my wagon several miles. I concluded that he wanted something from me. Asking him, he told me that he wanted a Bible for his daughter "Wenona". After giving him one for her, he thanked me and returned home.
There is one other case in this line of thought which I gladly repeat, to-wit:
An Icy Bath in the Rushing Niobrara.
One day in October I organized a Sunday school in Rev. Blakely's home near the Niobrara River in Keya Paha
| 290 | NEBRASKA HISTORY MAGAZINE |
County, Nebraska. Rev. Blakely wished to know what time I could return and help him hold a few meetings. I gave him the date, the following February. As the appointed time drew near, I went from Neligh to Long Pine on train and the next day, on foot, started to go the remaining twenty-five miles. A Chinook wind was blowing, cutting the snow so that water ran from every source, and by the time I reached the Niobrara River melted snow water covered the ice several inches. Near by at a deserted shack I found a grub hoe and with it cut down two willows for poles to be used in crossing the stream. Taking off my felt boots, rolling up my pants and tying my song books and Bibles to my person I started to cross the river. The cold water so chilled me even to the marrow of my shin bones that I could not help crying aloud. After reaching a little island in about the middle of the stream I stood for a few minutes in the rays of the setting sun and then ventured on. I found an open channel probably eight feet wide next to the bank on the opposite side. Backing up, I thought I could jump the channel, but in the attempt I found the ice was too thin to bear my weight, thus I went into the channel head over foot, changing me instantly from a Methodist to a Baptist, at least outwardly, and drenching me to the skin. I saw a house up the river not far away. I ran to it on a "high lope" and upon my arrival I told the lady of the house my befallment and asked her if she could give me some hot coffee and something to eat, which she kindly did.
Having dried my clothes partly by the fireplace, I determined to go on to the appointment, yet seven miles away, even though it was dark by that time. I knew there was no road, that my way would be over steep hills, through brush and in canyons, but I had promised Rev. Blakely to be there and I could not fail him at the last moment.
A Mother and Her Two Boys.
Rev. Blakely told the people who had gathered for the meeting that he was positive that the missionary would come. It was nine o'clock when I reached the place of meeting, the people were singing and we had services. At the close of the meeting two boys, ten and twelve years
NEBRASKA HISTORY MAGAZINE |
291 |
of age, came to me and told me that their mother was very sick, and that she so desired that I would come home with them. I told the boys that I was very tired and that I felt hardly able to go two miles farther that night, but they insisted and I went with them. On arriving at their home, I found their mother, Mrs. Ford, seriously ill (a tuberculous sic case). I sat down by her bedside and said nothing about her troubles, but talked about the meeting and on cheerful subjects. Next morning as she sat up in her arm-chair I told her that it was my opinion that the heavenly Father would spare her awhile longer, likely until the coming May, meantime she had an opportunity to do special work for her two boys, Elmer and Eddie. There was no Bible in the home, although she said that she had had a Bible in Missouri, that in moving to Nebraska it had been misplaced.
I called the boys to her side and gave each a Bible. She wrote their respective names in each copy and hers also, then I wrote mine and dated the same. Then I told her to have the boys come to her each day as long as she was able and have them read a portion of scripture to her and for her to explain it in turn to them and have prayers together, which she agreed to do.
When the meetings were over at the Blakely home, I went away to other sections of my field. The next June on returning to the settlement and calling at the Ford home, I found the boys lying on a bed reading their Bibles. Asking them about the matter, they told me as agreed, their mother would daily have them read the Scriptures and she prayed with them. Finally when she was unable to sit up, they would lie beside her and read and she would pray. This she continued to do until her voice became so weak that she could only pray in a whisper. She died during the month of May but ever since, at the hour of her death, three o'clock in the afternoon, they laid down on her bed and read their Bibles and prayed together. They then took me to the grave of their mother and I saw at the head of the little mound, they had planted an evergreen tree.
Two years later while passing that way, I noticed instead of one mound and one evergreen tree, there were two. I
 |
 |
 |
|
© 2004 for the NEGenWeb Project by Ted & Carole Miller |
||