Meeting an "Open Air" Meeting of The Salvation Army

When I worked for Charlie Miller, south of Ellis, one of his brothers had a suit of English clothes that just fit me. I bouth it for $5. A nice suit. I wore that suit even until I was west of Beloit [in north Kansas northwest of Salina and northeast of Hays] for the Olsens.

While I was working for them, I'd go to Sunday School with them in their nice, big limousine. Then I got started going to Sunday School within walking distance of where I was working in Solomon Rapids, several miles west of Beloit.

South of their farm was where they'd have church in a school house once a month, when a preacher from Beloit would come out.

I got a job in Hutchinson working at Swift Packing Company. I started eating at a little restaurant, Portland Coffee House. It was short order but I liked it. You could get a good meal for 15¢.

I got a room at 110 E. 8th St., the Rebard Annex Hotel.

One winter after I quit working at Swift (at Christmas) I took care of a sick man who needed help to get in and out of bed. Then I worked for Mrs. Richard Paine.

One Saturday at the Portland Coffee House one of the waitresses and I were talking about me getting a room and she suggested that the dishwasher, Dave Roberts, was looking for a roommate. I talked with him and when he got through with his job we went out together.

When we got outside, I heard some music, the beating of a drum and a cornet. I'd heard a Salvation Army "Open Air" meeting once before in Denver, so I said to Dave "Let's go see what that is."

It was outside the First National Bank. After having gone to the theater  I felt guilty, so I was drawn to the Salvation Army "Open Air." They announced there would be a meeting following. I tried to get Dave to go with me. He wouldn't go but I went anyway.

I felt right at home. They announced there'd be another meeting tomorrow. A man named Starkey was preaching.

I felt so much different I went back Sunday morning. They invited everyone back Sunday afternoon. I went then, too. I got to going regularly. One night I went to the altar; several others were there, too.

After a while, the officer felt it was time to enroll some of the young people as soldiers, to swear them in by reading the "Articles of War." One of the Articles, I've never forgotten, was "I pledge myself to live and die in the ranks of The Salvation Army."

I couldn't make up my mind to take that step. I didn't want to, but they kept calling me up so I went. And I still feel bad that I left the ranks, because it was so emphatic.

Ruth and Arriving in Hutchinson

Eventually Ruth wanted me to come and see her. She'd tell me about her boyfriend Bill and her cousin who was a good friend. She'd tell me about her and Bill going dancing on Saturday.

I'd write and tell her that it would be of no use for me to come, 'cause she had a boyfriend and he wanted her to dance, and I wanted to go to church and Sunday School.

She talked to her mother and her mother said that she would take care of Bill, while Ruth would entertain me.

So I took her at her word and quit my job and went to see Ruth. When I got off the train, there was Ruth, her mother, and her cousin. They took me way out in the country.

They entertained me well for a while.

On Thursday and Friday everything went well. On Saturday night, Bill showed up and wanted to go to the dance. When I said I didn't want to go to the dance, Ruth's mother made Ruth stay home.

After that, Ruth hardly spoke to me, and I wanted to get out of there. It was too far to walk, so I waited until someone headed into town to get a ride with them. I was pretty discouraged by the time I got a ride.

I knew I had a brother in Reno County, south of Hutchinson, so instead of going back to near Beloit I went to Hutchinson and got a job there and didn't have a girlfriend for a long time.

The first night in Hutchinson I went to the Home Theater, which was a vaudeville show. Some call them girly shows. I started thinking "What if one of those girls was my sister? Would I approve of her doing that type of thing?" So I didn't go back.

The next night I went to the City Amusement Park. They had different kinds of music there, but I still felt uncomfortable. That was a Friday night.

By Saturday I had gotten a roommate, a 17-year-old boy. I was 18 or 19.