The Nevada journal., 1858-06-25


ance. In September, the church was
done full and crowded house, met to-
gether for a joyful and delightful dedi-
cation. The same day the church was
organized, the first church north of Sac
ramento city. and perhaps the first in
the mountains and mines of California
The membership was 21. Ore lady,
the rest men. Of it, it may be said and
truly it was membership for the times.
A more harmonious efficient and exam
plary church, from the driftings of SO
many churches, could not l think be
gathered together again. In February
the entire debt was paid off chiefly by
the Ladies, who by their efforts raised
$2,7OO. In April '52 I was installed in
due form as Pastor. But all this time,
from my arrival to my installation, what
of the times : Indeed that year will
ever be long. long remembered year.
We worshipped till we had house of
our own, in the Dramatic Hall on Broad
street, by permission of DR.. Robinson.
The Theatre at night however had al
ways by far the largest crowd.
The Sabbath was the day of days not
for worship and spiritual refreshings how
ever. With the exception ofthe 4th of
July 1851. bull and bear fights, theatri-
cal exhibitions, circus performances, all
paid better on the Sabbath than any
other day. Merchants sold four times
as many goods, bankers bought their
biggest lots of dust, boarding houses
were literally crowded from morning till
night, washing and sewing in the cabins,
done up for the week, spreeing and ca
rousing kept in obeyance for the Sab
bath. The Sabbath was the set time fer
the pandemonium Of passion, pleasure
and gain, to train and tear. Dark, dark,
times indeed-times that tried mems
souls, that gave all men a chance to
shew themselves out to appear as they
were in fact. No wonder families did
not feel at home here, they did not wish
to bring up little children amid such hor-
rid degeneracy, and unblushing wicked
ness. Society was just divided into two
classes, those who were actually going,
and those who were intending to go away
as soon as possible. There was but lit
tie confidence i'll the mines, quartz was
set down as humbug, and placer dig
gings about used up. Men did not think
it worth their while to buy Sunday
clothes it was throwing money away,
white shirts were useless. 1t may seem
strange and almost incredible to those
who have been here but sdort time to
hear the narrative of those times. 1t
may cause such to inquire what could
have induced ,men to think of such things
as churches +? pay, what chances of
success, what ground of hope at all for
reformation or Civilization /?
Well, in that year, two churches were
organized and two church buildings ded-
icated. A day school and Sabbath
school were opened for the children, and
a press, the NEVADA Journal was es-
tablshed, and since then how many in
terests have risen up to mark our
progress, and how many have gone
down, some to show improvement,
some to show our feebleness or our
poverty compared with former years.
Another press, four churches, three
Sabbath Schools, 2 divisions of the Or
der of the Sons of Temperance, public
and private schools, eleemosynary soci-
cites, library association, hospitals
factories, mills, the triumphs of laws. and
the benignant presence of the religion of
the Gospel. There are houses now, cot
tages with neat and green surroundings
shew the longing of the heart for rest,
and its settlement into rest.
We have not the flush times of 81,
so and '53, neither have we the intense
waste and recklessness that characteriz-
them. We have not the thronged and
Illuminated saloons. The law has exter.
minated them, law that came with the
progressive pressure of moral feeling and
opinion; this backed up the law. We
have not the barbarous sports of Lovell's
ring; before the law passed the Legisla-
ture the miners raced poor Charley's
hopes, as the freshet wrecked and car
ried off his memorable Jenny Lind. We
have not the wealtbiest city in the mines,
we might have had but sac fires have
proved more than our match, five con-
sumed property, the last and sixth was
ted our confidence; it has done damage
more by breaking up our intentions, up
u