This incident comes to us from Doris Stensland, Robert Lundgren, and Donald J. Sneen, “Life in the New Land, 1859-1880: The Scandinavian Experience,” in Donald J. Sneen (ed), Prairie Faith, Pioneering People: A History of the Lutheran Church in South Dakota (Garretson, American Lutheran Church, 1981), 27:
The transition from rough rugged pioneer life to frame churches and more civilized ways sometimes necessitated changes in people's habits. Once the women of a congregation became brave and put up two signs in the church -- "Do not spit on the floor." The first Sunday it was especially difficult for one man who chewed tobacco all the time. He swallowed some, spit his mittens full, used his wife's hankerchief, and finally decided to spit out the window. He opened it and stuck his head out, and crash! it came down on his neck. The preacher stopped in the middle of the sermon and there was snickering throughout the church. Even an old Ellingianer who was never known to laugh, smiled that time.
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