THE LONGWELL FAMILY TRAGEDY
Art Longwell, a Table Rock boy who had moved to Corpus Christi described events poignantly to his stepbrother Dorr Tressler, a newspaperman who had once worked at the Argus. Dorr passed them along to the Argus. To begin the story of the Longwell family's tragedy, I start at the end with Art Longwell's words, describing the burial of his wife, two little girls, and his father:
I got four markers- one for each- and had their names and birth and death dates cut in, and across the top, 'Flood Victim'; I placed one for Rosalind, just as though she was buried there." |
Art Longwell's story is a detailed and tragic one. As you will see below, a hurricane was coming in, the family car was in the shop, they arranged for a car to be brought by and the family next door took it, leaving Art and his family to try to weather out the storm. The details are chilling: "My little daughter Jennie and I stayed in the attic until the house tipped over into the water." You will want to read it all the way through.
Thanks to Historical Society member Luella Hinrichsen, who scrutinized editions of the Argus to fully develop this story.
Thanks to Historical Society member Luella Hinrichsen, who scrutinized editions of the Argus to fully develop this story.
background: THE 1919 CORPUS CHRIST, TEXAS HURRICANE
A bad hurricane struck the coast and a tidal wave that it caused went through lower-lying portions of Corpus Christ, Texas. As many as 300 people were drowned. Living in Corpus Christi at the time were members of the Longwell family. J. D. Longwell and his son Art and family (Art's wife and two young children, ages 6 and 2).
the longwell family in table rock
j. d.
James D. Longwell, apparently always known as J. D., was a Civil War veteran. He and Jennie had three children -- a daughter Cassie (born about 1870), a son Arthur -- Art (born in 1876), and an infant son, Floyd (born in 1885). Jennie died in 1887, and so did their toddler Floyd.
After Jennie died, J. D. eventually married Mary Hollingshead Tressler. Her husband Will had died, leaving her with young children, including Edwin Dorr, who went by Dorr.
Dorr was living with them in 1900, at age 21, along with Art, 23. In 1912, Mary died. By that time, Art and Dorr were living in Texas. J. D. went to Texas to make a home with Art.
After Jennie died, J. D. eventually married Mary Hollingshead Tressler. Her husband Will had died, leaving her with young children, including Edwin Dorr, who went by Dorr.
Dorr was living with them in 1900, at age 21, along with Art, 23. In 1912, Mary died. By that time, Art and Dorr were living in Texas. J. D. went to Texas to make a home with Art.
j. d. and mary's son arthur (art)
Art's mother Jennie died in 1887. His stepmother Mary came to the household along with his stepbrother Dorr while Art was still in school.
Art graduated in 1897, one of the first graduating classes in Table Rock. In 1894, he had been editor of the school news column in the Argus; in one edition he and his co-editor Grace Clift headed the news with a poem, the last two lines of which were,
Art graduated in 1897, one of the first graduating classes in Table Rock. In 1894, he had been editor of the school news column in the Argus; in one edition he and his co-editor Grace Clift headed the news with a poem, the last two lines of which were,
"Keep watch, for the dark must assaileth; Flowers droop and die in the stillness of Noon."
In 1908, Art was the toastmaster for the alumni banquet.
Below is the town band (the high school did not have one until 1929). Arthur is in the middle row, 4th from the left. Photo 163.
Art was in the Table Rock mandolin band, too. Here he is in this 1910 photo -- back row, far right. Photo 192.
Art Longwell also had his place in Table Rock history as the first mail carrier for Route #3. As related in a 1966 history by William Vondrasek (1866-1966),
The first two rural carriers to work out of the Table Rock Post Office were Byron Wilcox on Route One and James Talbot on Route Two. Later, the Department added a third route and this was carried by Art Longwell. These routes were all carried in horse-drawn carts or buggies. A few years later, Art Longwell purchased a motorcycle and used that to carry his mail when weather would permit.
In 1910, Art moved to Texas:
The first two rural carriers to work out of the Table Rock Post Office were Byron Wilcox on Route One and James Talbot on Route Two. Later, the Department added a third route and this was carried by Art Longwell. These routes were all carried in horse-drawn carts or buggies. A few years later, Art Longwell purchased a motorcycle and used that to carry his mail when weather would permit.
In 1910, Art moved to Texas:
Two years later, Art was a happily married man. He had met a Texas girl, Katie Reagan. A 1912 issue of the Argus reported:
Mr. Arthur M. Longwell and Miss Katie Reagan were united in marriage at the home of the bride's mother, Mrs. Mary Reagan, near Calallen, Texas, on Tuesday evening March 12, 1912, in the presence of about 25 relatives and friends, the Rev. Alton White of Calallen officiating. They will make their future home at Wadsworth, Texas.
Former Nebraskans who were present, were as follows: Mr. and Mrs. George Sutton, Mr. and Mrs. Allie Horton; Mr. and Mrs. Dorr Tressler of Table Rock; Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Young, Mr. and Mrs. Merville Andrew of Elk Creek; and Miss Sadie M. Tracy of Omaha.
A sentiment, poignant in retrospect, closed the news article:
The Argus joins the many friends in wishing for them a long, prosperous journey through life together.
The journey of Art and Katie was not to be a long one. But until the hurricane, life was good. Art's father, J.D., came to live with them. The first of two daughters, Jennie, was born in 1913, the Argus reporting on August 1, 1913, "Word was received from Texas that Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Longwell are the proud parents of a fine baby girl." Rosalind was born in 1917, and news was likely related back to Table Rock.
j. d.'s stepson dorr tressler
Dorr worked for the Argus in 1909, at least, based on two photographs in which he is identified, one being above. He apparently knew how to run a press, but he also was an artist with words.
He was also a man of music. In 1902, "White City Waltzes" by E. D. Tressler (later in the article referred to as Dorr Tressler) of Table Rock was on sale. The Bryan (Ohio) Times posted a review saying that the music was "one of the best and compares favorably with Nordica and Zenda." A copy could be secured from the author for 25 cents. Dorr is listed by a Library of Congress listing of copyrighted songs as living in Corpus Christi, Texas. He wrote the music for the song, "If Love be One," copyrighted in 1914. In 1917, Dorr paid a visit to Art's household. He later would recall: |
Art's was a cozy bungalow and furnished as you, remembering Arthur and Pa, would imagine it would be.
Pa's room struck you as that occupied by a Godly man, the tenor of the household being the same, with little children playing with him, the one perhaps greatest pleasures of his being the love for children....
In 1919, Dorr was back in Nebraska, living in Wilsonville. He was editor of the Wilsonville Review.
the stage was set.
the tragedy of the longwell family during the 1919 hurricane
VIRTUALLY ALL INFORMaTION WAS PROVIDED BY DORR TRESSLER, WHO RUSHED TO TEXAS TO BE AT ART'S SIDE RIGHT AFTER THE STORM.
the first news from texas: ALL TABLE ROCK TRANSPLANTS BUT THE LONGWELLS WERE SAFE
The Longwell family was not far from other Table Rock folks. George Sutton, probably the son of pioneer William Sutton, a Civil War volunteer and enterpreneur who, amongst other things, had a successful cheese factory out by the upper brickyard. Edith and Bruce Woods also reported their safety, to her father, M. H. Marble. The Wood family (different than Woods) was also reported to be safe.
After the hurricane, the other Table Rock families reported in as safe. George Sutton was safe. Edith and Bruce Woods reported their safety to her father, M. H. Marble. The Wood family (different than Woods) was also reported to be safe.
At the time of the tidal wave, the Longwell family consisted of Art, who was 43; his wife Katie, who was 25; two young children ages 6 and 2, Jennie and Rosalind; and Art's father J. D. who was 74 and the veteran of a war that had ended over 50 years before.
After the hurricane, the other Table Rock families reported in as safe. George Sutton was safe. Edith and Bruce Woods reported their safety to her father, M. H. Marble. The Wood family (different than Woods) was also reported to be safe.
At the time of the tidal wave, the Longwell family consisted of Art, who was 43; his wife Katie, who was 25; two young children ages 6 and 2, Jennie and Rosalind; and Art's father J. D. who was 74 and the veteran of a war that had ended over 50 years before.
Right after the storm, Dorr sent a poignant communication to Frank Taylor of the Argus, which Taylor reported in the paper.
On Sunday and Monday of that week, Taylor reported that Dorr Tressler, an editor friend, had stopped in a Table Rock from Sunday to Monday afternoon. Tressler had worked for Taylor at the Argus, as evident from a 1909 photograph. Tressler was on his way to Corpus Christi. Tressler filled Taylor in, apparently, as Taylor was able to report that the hurricane hit in the afternoon and that the lower part of the city was "inundated." Taylor reported that the Art Longwell family was caught up in the water. Mrs. Longwell somehow made it onto a raft. The raft was almost safe but then hit a tree and she was killed by a "heavy timber." Apparently, the rest of her family was not on the raft, as the others of that party were safe. In any event, Tressler reported that Art, Art's two young children, and Art's father J. D., were missing. A few days after Tressler left, on Thursday, Taylor got a telegram from him. Art Longwell was alive. Tressler had gotten a wire from Tressler as Tressler went through Kansas City. Art's message: "Am only one left."
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dorr arrives at the scene
Dorr reported his arrival in an October letter published in the Argus:
When I left Wilsonville it was with the thought that all had perished, but on reaching Kansas City a telegram came from Arthur saying, "Am the only one left." |
In a later letter published in November, Dorr gave a fuller account of what he saw, including the recollection already quoted above about how sweet the surroundings of the home had been:
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dorr passes along art's story about how the tragedy unfolded
an automobile reserved is taken by another family
j. d. stays to look after the home, while art with wife and children seek sanctuary
in a neighbor's two story house
roof blown off house and rests in water, wife and one water try to use as a raft and are lost
house tips over into the water, art and six-year-old daughter try to survive
In the October 10, 1919 edition of the Argus, Dorr Tressler gave an account "from the lips" of his step brother, writing from Art's point of view:
The storm started Sunday morning about 9 o'clock. We were all at home. |
art finds & buries the rest of his family
Included in a letter from Dorr Tressler was a transcript of a letter Dorr had received from Art. Frank published it:
Well, Dorr, the Red Cross are taking up all bodies that were not buried in cemeteries and bringing them to Rose Hill cemetery. |
As to J.D., there was already a tombstone in the Table Rock Cemetery awaiting the remains of J. D. when he should some day pass on. Both Jennie, his first wife, and Mary, his second were there. Apparently it was too difficult to get his body to Table Rock given the chaos in Texas. But a date of death was added to each stone. His date of birth is on the Table Rock stone, but not on the one in Texas.
The Table Rock post of the Grand Army of the Republic gave homage to Mr. Longwell. This appeared in an October 1919 edition of the Argus:
Dorr wrote a tribute as well:
When I was there, I stood on their vacant lot where but two years before when I had left them a happy family. |
what became of art longwell?
Art is buried in Inglewood, California, now surrounded by Los Angeles. He died in 1943 at the age of 57. The says, "Beloved Husband."
Luella Hinrichsen found a news article in the Argus that provided an update about Art's life after he went to Calififornia. It is dated February 3, 1933:
Luella Hinrichsen found a news article in the Argus that provided an update about Art's life after he went to Calififornia. It is dated February 3, 1933:
Dorr returned to his post as editor of the Wilsonville, Nebraska newspaper. From there he wrote to his old friend Frank Taylor at the Argus. Taylor printed the letter in the Argus on November 21, 1919:
Dorr Tressler received a wire from Mrs. Rua Longwell Tuesday saying that her husband, Arthur Longwell, had died suddenly at his home in Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday. Arthur was 56 years, 3 months and 21 days old. |
Family friends were sorrow stricken. Art had no family other than Rua -- and Dorr, who lived for another 40 years.
The following week, a short obituary was published:
The following week, a short obituary was published:
ARTHUR M. LONGWELL- |
And thus ends the catastrophic story of the Longwell family. Art was the last twig of that branch, a branch that had flowered and flourished but only for a few years.
The world had just gone through the great influenza pandemic, the worst of which was in the Fall of 1918. Hundreds of people in Pawnee County had been ill , some of the Table Rock illnesses and deaths reported regularly in the paper, along with notices of prohibition of public gatherings, etc. The pandemic was close to home and followed in the paper. How closely people followed this tragedy a year later is not known. Now it is so long ago that the storm itself is long forgotten, let alone the tragedy of this one family amongst so many.
Post script: Dorr Tressler, who penned the circumstances of the family tragedy for the Table Rock world, lived a long life. When he died in Oxford, Nebraska in 1975, he had just four years shy of a century of living.
And thus ends the catastrophic story of the Longwell family. Art was the last twig of that branch, a branch that had flowered and flourished but only for a few years.
The world had just gone through the great influenza pandemic, the worst of which was in the Fall of 1918. Hundreds of people in Pawnee County had been ill , some of the Table Rock illnesses and deaths reported regularly in the paper, along with notices of prohibition of public gatherings, etc. The pandemic was close to home and followed in the paper. How closely people followed this tragedy a year later is not known. Now it is so long ago that the storm itself is long forgotten, let alone the tragedy of this one family amongst so many.
Post script: Dorr Tressler, who penned the circumstances of the family tragedy for the Table Rock world, lived a long life. When he died in Oxford, Nebraska in 1975, he had just four years shy of a century of living.
full text of some of the documents on which the above story was based that are not included in full above
september 19, 1919 - J. D. Longwell added to the list of the dead
Newspapers published lists of the dead, which they supplemented. The San Antonio Evening News added J. D. Longwell to the list in its September 19, 1919 edition.
october 3, 1919
TABLE ROCK ARGUS, Table Rock, Nebr. Oct. 3, 1919.
Dorr Tressler arrived from Corpus Christi yesterday. They found the bodies of all the family but the two children of Arthur. Arthur was washed away on Sunday, and did not get back to the city until Friday, and was in bad condition but will live. Fuller particulars next week.
Dorr Tressler arrived from Corpus Christi yesterday. They found the bodies of all the family but the two children of Arthur. Arthur was washed away on Sunday, and did not get back to the city until Friday, and was in bad condition but will live. Fuller particulars next week.
october 10, 2010
Table Rock Argus, Oct. 10, 1919.
Dorr Tressler in the Wilsonville Review gives the following account of the Corpus Christi flood, in which our former citizen, J. D. Longwell, lost his life, and his son, Arthur lost his wife and two children. The story is given as related by Arthur, one of the survivors of the disaster: Following is the story I got from the lips of my step-brother in Corpus Christi in regard to the tidal wave of September 14th.
When I left Wilsonville it was with the thought that all had perished, but on reaching Kansas City a telegram came from him saying, "Am the only one left", and then when I reached Corpus Christi and saw the desolation and havoc wrought by the storm I found that the press dispatches which we got in our northern papers had only given a part of it. The awful mess of it cannot be described; the pictures give but an inkling of the story. Of 900 homes nothing remains. Of all the North Beach property but three building remain, and they are skeletons and untenable. The city itself is 20,000 population and that part back from the bluff is damaged only by high wind; some buildings not being injured at all. With this preface I give Mr. Longwell's story as he gave it to me: "The storm started Sunday morning about 9 o'clock. We were all at home. My car was down town in a repair shop. The storm kept getting worse and a neighbor, Mrs. Mayfield phoned and told me to get a car and get out, so I phoned for one, giving name and a house number. Soon a car came and stopped across the street, and inquired for a number. These folks didn't know it, and told him it must be one of two houses across the street. Mayfield's or ours. The car then went to Mayfield's (their car having stalled and in the excitement it could not be started), and they called him to drive to the side of the house, where all, eleven in number; piled in and drove off in the car I had ordered.
We then decided to stay at home, thinking that it could not be worse then the 1916 storm. Just as we sat down to dinner the roof of the house north of us blew off and landed up against mine. Of course that scared my wife and she insisted on going to a neighbors house which was two story. We gathered up Jennie and Rosalind (six and two and one-half years) and left our house. Father said he would stay and look after things. We stayed down stairs in this other house until the water floated the beds, then we climbed to the attic. In a moment this roof blew off. My wife saw it lying in the water and concluded it would be a good raft, and she and Rosalind got onto it before I saw her. She called to Jennie to come, but it had gotten too far away; we were separated there, and I never saw her nor Rosalind again. This was about 5 o'clock. Jennie and I stayed in the attic until the house tipped over into the water. By that time the waves were running high- the soldiers who were in the storm and who had been overseas said the waves were higher on Neuces bay than any they saw on the Atlantic. The water was full of debris. I managed to get myself and Jennie onto a raft (anything was a raft that a person could ride) and we would ride a little while only to be turned over. Finally the raft went to pieces, but I kept the darling little girl with me for an hour or so and she never whimpered. After we had been thrown from another raft and I had got back onto it I saw her head near me and by grabbing her hair I managed to get her up with me. She said, "Daddy, I'm sleepy," and I placed her head on my knees. Just then the raft went over and we came up under it, and while under it I lost little Jennie. When I finally got out from under it I never saw her again. By this time all my clothing was gone. It was raining torrents, and with the terrible wind and waves and cold I thought I could not hold on much longer. After changing rafts a dozen times I finally got onto one with a neighbor, George Chalk. His encouragement is all that kept me from going to join the others, and with him I rode to shore, some time abut three or four o'clock in the morning. Mr. Chalk gave me his trousers, and together we laid down on the ground and slept fitfully until daylight, when we started walking toward the sound of the White Point gas well.
(Where Mr. Longwell reached the shore was as near as we afterwards figured, twelve miles; he had been in the water nearly ten hours and his flesh was shrunken and joints swollen until walking was difficult) We became separated, I would walk a little ways and then lie down from exhaustion, only to have to move on when the big green flies stung me. Finally a farmer found me and took me to his house where I was sick for three days. When I got back to Corpus Christi I learned that my brother-in-law had found my wife's body, identified it, had it embalmed and buried in Neucestown, about ten miles west of Corpus Christi.
Father's body had been found and identified by papers on him and by friends who made up the searching party, and was picked up, his body had been in the salt water too long to stand moving. As for Jennie and Rosalind, I guess they will be among the unidentified until Judgment Day. I lost everything; I haven't even a little picture left. My car was down town in a garage and is in pretty fair shape, except that it stood in five feet of salt water several hours.
Rosalind, her mother, sister Jennie and grandfather, James D. Longwell all lost their lives in the storm of September 14, 1919. Her mother and Rosalind were on a piece of roof which drifted away from where Arthur and Jennie were. What happened after that is uncertain, Katie was found and her body buried by her brother in Neucestown Cemetery. Her father and sister Jennie were together on other debris, after getting turned over several times, Jennie was lost, the father coming ashore twelve miles away. A farmer found him and being so sick he was there for three days before getting back. Katie's brother had identified her body and buried her in Neucestown Cemetery. The grandfather was identified by papers on his body and buried in this cemetery. By the time the father got back his little daughters were probably already buried in this mass grave. Their father said,"As for Jennie and Rosalind, I guess they will be among the unidentified until Judgment Day."
Dorr Tressler in the Wilsonville Review gives the following account of the Corpus Christi flood, in which our former citizen, J. D. Longwell, lost his life, and his son, Arthur lost his wife and two children. The story is given as related by Arthur, one of the survivors of the disaster: Following is the story I got from the lips of my step-brother in Corpus Christi in regard to the tidal wave of September 14th.
When I left Wilsonville it was with the thought that all had perished, but on reaching Kansas City a telegram came from him saying, "Am the only one left", and then when I reached Corpus Christi and saw the desolation and havoc wrought by the storm I found that the press dispatches which we got in our northern papers had only given a part of it. The awful mess of it cannot be described; the pictures give but an inkling of the story. Of 900 homes nothing remains. Of all the North Beach property but three building remain, and they are skeletons and untenable. The city itself is 20,000 population and that part back from the bluff is damaged only by high wind; some buildings not being injured at all. With this preface I give Mr. Longwell's story as he gave it to me: "The storm started Sunday morning about 9 o'clock. We were all at home. My car was down town in a repair shop. The storm kept getting worse and a neighbor, Mrs. Mayfield phoned and told me to get a car and get out, so I phoned for one, giving name and a house number. Soon a car came and stopped across the street, and inquired for a number. These folks didn't know it, and told him it must be one of two houses across the street. Mayfield's or ours. The car then went to Mayfield's (their car having stalled and in the excitement it could not be started), and they called him to drive to the side of the house, where all, eleven in number; piled in and drove off in the car I had ordered.
We then decided to stay at home, thinking that it could not be worse then the 1916 storm. Just as we sat down to dinner the roof of the house north of us blew off and landed up against mine. Of course that scared my wife and she insisted on going to a neighbors house which was two story. We gathered up Jennie and Rosalind (six and two and one-half years) and left our house. Father said he would stay and look after things. We stayed down stairs in this other house until the water floated the beds, then we climbed to the attic. In a moment this roof blew off. My wife saw it lying in the water and concluded it would be a good raft, and she and Rosalind got onto it before I saw her. She called to Jennie to come, but it had gotten too far away; we were separated there, and I never saw her nor Rosalind again. This was about 5 o'clock. Jennie and I stayed in the attic until the house tipped over into the water. By that time the waves were running high- the soldiers who were in the storm and who had been overseas said the waves were higher on Neuces bay than any they saw on the Atlantic. The water was full of debris. I managed to get myself and Jennie onto a raft (anything was a raft that a person could ride) and we would ride a little while only to be turned over. Finally the raft went to pieces, but I kept the darling little girl with me for an hour or so and she never whimpered. After we had been thrown from another raft and I had got back onto it I saw her head near me and by grabbing her hair I managed to get her up with me. She said, "Daddy, I'm sleepy," and I placed her head on my knees. Just then the raft went over and we came up under it, and while under it I lost little Jennie. When I finally got out from under it I never saw her again. By this time all my clothing was gone. It was raining torrents, and with the terrible wind and waves and cold I thought I could not hold on much longer. After changing rafts a dozen times I finally got onto one with a neighbor, George Chalk. His encouragement is all that kept me from going to join the others, and with him I rode to shore, some time abut three or four o'clock in the morning. Mr. Chalk gave me his trousers, and together we laid down on the ground and slept fitfully until daylight, when we started walking toward the sound of the White Point gas well.
(Where Mr. Longwell reached the shore was as near as we afterwards figured, twelve miles; he had been in the water nearly ten hours and his flesh was shrunken and joints swollen until walking was difficult) We became separated, I would walk a little ways and then lie down from exhaustion, only to have to move on when the big green flies stung me. Finally a farmer found me and took me to his house where I was sick for three days. When I got back to Corpus Christi I learned that my brother-in-law had found my wife's body, identified it, had it embalmed and buried in Neucestown, about ten miles west of Corpus Christi.
Father's body had been found and identified by papers on him and by friends who made up the searching party, and was picked up, his body had been in the salt water too long to stand moving. As for Jennie and Rosalind, I guess they will be among the unidentified until Judgment Day. I lost everything; I haven't even a little picture left. My car was down town in a garage and is in pretty fair shape, except that it stood in five feet of salt water several hours.
Rosalind, her mother, sister Jennie and grandfather, James D. Longwell all lost their lives in the storm of September 14, 1919. Her mother and Rosalind were on a piece of roof which drifted away from where Arthur and Jennie were. What happened after that is uncertain, Katie was found and her body buried by her brother in Neucestown Cemetery. Her father and sister Jennie were together on other debris, after getting turned over several times, Jennie was lost, the father coming ashore twelve miles away. A farmer found him and being so sick he was there for three days before getting back. Katie's brother had identified her body and buried her in Neucestown Cemetery. The grandfather was identified by papers on his body and buried in this cemetery. By the time the father got back his little daughters were probably already buried in this mass grave. Their father said,"As for Jennie and Rosalind, I guess they will be among the unidentified until Judgment Day."
November 1919:
Dear Frank,
In this letter I will try to give you further particulars about Mr. Longwell, as I know you are interested in knowing anything concerning him and the tragedy at Corpus Christi.
It is probably wondered why no obituary was printed; I have wondered, too, but I think it is because Art and I have both been too busy to fix it up. However, at another time after I get the date of a few events in his life will send you a short article in that form.
From letters to me of recent date Art says:
Well, Dorr, the Red Cross are taking up all bodies that were not buried in cemeteries and bringing them to Rose Hill cemetery. |
Arthur is now in Los Angeles where he expects to make his home.
Dorr's letter then turns from Art's report to his own memories of what he had seen when he went to Corpus Christi to be by Art's side:
When I was there, I stood on their vacant lot where but two years before when I had left them a happy family.
His was a cozy bungalow and furnished as you, remembering Arthur and Pa, would imagine it would be.
Pa's room struck you as that occupied by a Godly man, the tenor of the household being the same, with little children playing with him, the one perhaps greatest pleasures of his being the love for children,-"for of such is the kingdom of heaven"; that is the way you would picture him, with little children, and he taught them about Jesus, the one he followed all his life. Wwe know he is with them now and has earned the reward that was to be his for being faithful; and Arthur is a christian man, and the little family will all be together-some day.
And as I stood on their lot that day, which was vacant but for the brick fireplace, which lay piled as the house tore away with the rushing waters, it seemed that away off toward White Point, and coming in over the rippling surface of Neuces Bay, were the sound of voices, and they were not the voices from terror and suffering; but those from a peaceful world where sorrow and suffering are unknown.
Out into the bay, deposited by the fury of that storm of but a few days before, and as far as the eye could clearly see, were bedsteads, ruined automobiles and other articles which were in shallow water where water was now standing that had never before been, and the bay was full of debris, household furnishings and family records were destroyed which will never be found .
From this chaos,the aftermath of a terrible visitation, we have the memory of a man who was God's man; a man who in the years I have lived as a member of his family, was my ideal of these things that are worth while and that mean so much.
in all those years I have never heard him utter one word that bordered on the vicious and unclean; his mouth was as clean as his heart.
As a boy I used to step in his tracks in the snow; I wish I could follow his footsteps now.
What I might say in this little tribute to Mr. Longwell, you would say, for you loved him too.
He was one man you never heard a disparaging word said against-and what a joy it must have been to him to know he was living among so many friends.
Dorr Tressler