Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-09-11
ScOtty Briggs Bible Class.
How HE TOLD T=za TIE STORY OF THE PRoDI-
CAL SON.


his pioneer small-fry il language the
understood. 1t was u large privilege,
month before he died, hear him tell tn
beautiful story of Joseph and his brethrel
without looking in the book leave it t,
the reader to fancy what it was like
Marx Ticdin.
VIRGINIA CITY, March 10, 1874
Mr.. Editor Of the National Sunday >choo
Teacher, ChcGgo:-
loved that man Scotty Briggs. | wa.
one of his Sunday school "small-fry," and he
was the best kind of teacher for such
young Cubs as we. He wasn't what YOU
would call great scholar-not much-but
| reckon he would put some of your high
toned gentlemen into a regular gallOp u
keen up with him. | have been down to
Chicago and prospected around amongst
your nobhy Sunday schools, but there was
so much broadcloth and plug hats, and vel
vet and feathers, that did not feel quite at
home. The mission schools were my best
hold, and every time saw bilin of Young
gutter snipes with their heads all ducked
down close to some man with good square
gospel face onto him. and they all 50 still
and gentle, as if their dead mothers We're
stroking their hair, seemed to see my old
teacher-he is dead, too-and | thought
how good it was of the Lord to show such
men as him where the pay dirt was, when
50 many people dig the Bible all over ard
never strike it rich. Now don't want to
come down on them fine people, but you
| know when Jesus came down from the place
where they have everything nice, he didn't t
/ bring any Of his fine clothes with him, 50
reckon he won I be ashamed Of his friends
| out here in the gulches who sometimes wear
| patched shirts and ragged trousers, and hats
! that let in the rain.
Seotty Briggs could show a man the way
out Of the devils country into Gods coun-
try by the shortest route-he had travelled
it himself, and never forgot it-and it made
him tender like, when he found some poor
fellow who had lost hi way. to tell him
how he once seen fire himself, and had
smell Of birthstone, and then TO put him on
the airline route to glory which the Saviour
staked out when he was through here on his
way to death and back again.
Mister Twain, who was out in these dig
gins about fifteen wears ago, SAYS he heard
our teacher tell the story Of Joseph, and
maybe he has told it to some Of You, and
maybe You would like to hear more Of them
Bible stories as | remember scotty used to
tell them.
One Sunday morning Scotty came up
smiling and rubbing lis hands, and he says
1T beats the world, hoy-. bat, last night,
struck trail in the book of Luke which
looked A. if had Travelled it before, so |
followed it NJ till began to think some
body had been telling Luke about me. They
say he used to be portrait painter as well
aS a doctor, anl-anyhow. when | got
through with lis story, | says to myself,
Scotty Briggs, says |. that's gou.' And
who knows but the good Lord told
him to put my pictur into the Bible to wait
till shoud come along and want to see it ?
And this i how i, was
There used to be nice old gentleman
down in Massachusetts Luke didn't say it
was there he lived, bat know it was), who
had two sons one Of en- was 4 steady g
ing lad, who could be good and never half
try: but the other was 4 small tornado in
Jacket and trousers-a regular wild colt,
whose legs were 50 light and timber they
were all the time Running away before he
hardly knew it, The old gentlemen loved
the little fellow past everything, and was
ready to p his whole pile on his turning
out senator, at least, if not a president of
the United States. The young g,loot was
all the while getting into some scrape or
other. and he could have plagaei his father
worse if he had used his eyes for marbles
and his heart for football. Bat it seemed
as if the dear old man loved him all the bet
ter for being such an uncertain chap. Well,
when the lad comes of age he prances up to
his father and says lie j, going out west.
"'What lor?' saws the governor.
''To make my fortune, to be sure. says
the boy. as saucy as if he knowod where to
dig it out of the ground in lumps as big as
potatoes.
''IIe had heard about the gold diggings,
but he hadn heard about the whiskey shops
and gambling tents and dance halls which
used to be plenty as backberries around
here. a dozen years ago. 50 the old gentle
man fitted him out regardless clothes, tools,
shooter, $1,000 in his pocket. all the good
advice he thought the boy would carry, and
then started him OFF for California.
''lle was as lively young back when he
struck Frisco Is ever You laid eyes on; and
his >tunnin' outfit and pockets iull of rocks
lust set all the gamblers and fancy women
after him like hawks after a chicken and
they made awful short work of him,
especially after he began to drink forty rod
whiskey lie sloshed round uncommon
while his pile lasted, and when he was fiat
broke all his pals went back on him-them
fellows with the pasteboards and ivory chips,
and them dancing girls, always drop their
friends like hot potato just as soon as
they re cleaned out-and then he was the
sorriest duck you ever saw. Pawned all his
styli-h duds for board and drinks, and at
last actually sold his boots and went bare
foot for a bottle Of tarantula juice. The
poor fellow hadn't the grit to 20 to the
mines besides, he had drunk his tools no
money, no friends, no spunk, no muscle
teetotaly busted used to lie around the
whiskey mills and sleep on the groand with
out blankets. lie came awful near feeding
swine one night. Lying dead drunk in
back alley some rooters came nOsing around
him, and actually begun to chaw him up.
That kinder reused him, as he climbs up bv
the fence and begins to inquire of the pork
ers if they knowed who he was and who he
belonged to and the porkers said they
didn't, but they reckoned he was plunder
for them, bein' as he was lying around pro-
miscuous.
''As quick as he began to get n little
steady on his pins he started for home and
when he got to the street corner he leaned
up again a lamp-post to try and think where
his home was. He could just remember
nobby saloon with lodgings over it where he
used to hang out in big style; and then
he remembered Notwithstanding house
where they had kicked him out and threat
ened to shoot him if he ever showed his ugly
mug around there again and then it came
] J.; oil hot hos
| in all California he had a right to lie un-
der?
"Ah. my lads, home means heap to a
/ poor fellow who hasn't got any
pretty soon along comes one Of them
high-toned sporting men, and he says:
Hello, stranger, rather cold business prop
ping up lamp-posts such night as this p
Then another of the old gambling friends
calls out Steady, there, old tanglefoot.
And 50 the night and the colda the laughs
of his pals sobered him off considerable.
THE next morning was Sunday. There
wasn't many churches in Frisco in those
days, but the poor chap stumbled into a
crowd where Father Taylor was preaching
cut Of doors. He was telling the story of
the prodigal son, and when he got along to
where the prodigal was dead broke, and was
hungry enough TO eat along with the PIGS
That's me, says the poor fellow, right ont
loud. So, after the preaching was over,
Father Taylor hunted him up and gave him
square meal, and told him to break for
old Massachusetts, on the double-quick.
80 But the old gentleman will be ashamed
of me, says the prodigal.
"'Not half 50 much as he will be sorry
for you,' says Father Taylor.
''.But am such bad boy, and have
given him heap of trouble, says the prodi-
gal.
"'Bat you're his son all the same says
Father Taylcr.
$50 the prodigal begun to pony up lit
tie, and actually put out to foot it back to
his father. Somehow, when he once got
started on the right track, things worked
round to help him along, till at last, in one
way and another, he came in sight of the