, 1875-06-06
FIRST PRAYER At HANNFY'S.

oogb onco feharked dnr1ng great lack OF mate
, ut had to keep On ueedin'.' Jealous ne
came up By steamer via the Isthuus, and seem,
to consume with their fiery haste to get On boa,
the Tessel for Chioa snd Japan and carry tb
glad tldlnrs to the heather. Selt-sacri6cin
souls gave up home and friends and hurtie
ACROSS, overland, to brave the Pacific and bur
themselves among tho Austral.siau savage.
But, though they all passed almost i
sight Of Hacncya, none OF them pause
to glve any attention to the souls rb
had docked there, Men cAms out fror
Frisco aud the Esst to lubor with the Chimes
miners, Who vese the only peaceable and wall
behaved peopte in the mines; but the white
faced good~natured, hard-sueariDg, generous
heary-df1nk1ng, enthusiastic, mutderous Anglo
sa4ons they let severely alone. Perhaps the,
thought that hearts in which the good soed had
ouco been sowu, but failed to come M into
1falt, were m barren sol; perhaps they thought it
preterab!e to be killed and eaten by capniLelf
than to be .umbled into n gu!ch by revolver.
! 6not Wnlle the shoo.ist stro]ed calmly of ia
company with his approving couscience, uever
thinking 70 ascertain whether his bullet had
| compieted the business. or whether q wounded
man might not have to fight death and coyotes
| together.
| At my rate, the missionaries let Hauneys
| a1one II anY oue wlth an unqrenchablc dealre
| 70 carry tho Word whera it is utterly unknown a
digestion without fear and fu!l-proof articIe OF
common-sense {theae last two requisites sre af-
so!ute). should b. looking tor an eligible 1oca-
tlon. Hanneys is just the place for him. and he
need give himself no trouble for fear some ono
"'l1 step IN before HIM. II lie has several dozens
Of similarly constituted Trends, they al find
similar locations by betaklng themsslve. to snv
mining camp in the West.
a. Hanney had no preacher, it will be readily
lm.eioed it bad no church. With the first crowd
WHO located there came an fnaoiveut rumseiler
from the East. He called himself Pentecost.
which vas as near bis right name Is is usual with
mlners, and the boys dubbed his shop "Pense-
cost Chapel" at once The namo someho1
reached the East, for within few months there
reached the Post-0fHce at Rauneys document
aa1ares1sd :, 70 PREACHER In charge Of Pentecost
Chapel" Tae Postmaster vent up and down
the brook IN high spirits, aud rold the boys,
who Instantly dropped shovel md pan, form
ed hne aud escorted the Postmaster
ana document to tbs Chapel Pentocost
acknowledged the joke and STOOD treat for ths
crowd, after which he solemnly tore the Wrapper
aud disclosed report Of certain missionary
society. Modesttv expressing his qualification ut
the honor, and his unworthiness Of it, he moved
that old Thompson, who bad the loudest voice
IN tic crowd, should read the report aloud, ,-he,
Pentecost voluntest1ng to furnish Thompson ali
necessafy spiiituoas aid during the continuance
OF his task. Tnompson promptly signided bis
ac1ulescence, cleared his throat with glass of
1u4oe1~eo+oIcu 1IulQ, anu ComU18Gcea, tQA pDy8
meanwhile listening attentirely and commenting
critically.
Toe much cuHsed heavenly twaug," observed
one. disapproyingly, Us one letter largely COM
posed OF eer1ptural extracts was read.
Why the deuce didn't he shoot7" int11s-
from he:thon pursnsrk WAS read
Shut up "immen in durned dark room |
We'll, ~ be durned !" eoliloquized yellow |
haired Missourian as Thompson read m account |
Of Zenapa. Reckon they'd set An Internal !
diegins si1 months-hey, fellows?"
:" You bet!" e1npaa:lcaly responded ma-
joritr Of those present.
BEFORE tue bows became very restiye, Thomp-
son finished the pamphlet, including fen liues
greatly IN need Of funds, and that contributions
might ba sent to this Bociesv's financial agent in
Boston, Thompson gracefully concluded his |
srv1ca BY passing the hat With the following re-
suit: Two resoivers, one doube-barrelad pistol,
three knives, one watch, two rings (both home
made, valuable, and fearfuuy ugly), \ pocket
silver tobacco-box, and forty or ffty
ounces OF dust and nuggets. Boston Bill, who
VAS notoriously sbsent- minded, dropped in
pocket-comb, but. On being sterniy called to or
y. and redeemed his disgraceful contribution
With gold donble-eagle. ''.The Webfoos," vino
VAS the most unlucay man in camp, had been 50
Wrought upon By the tale OF one missionary who
~! !oss LIS Ill many 1tmee IN succession, Bym- |
'atheucally contributed his own shovel, for |
vhlch act he was enthusiastically cursed aud
lberally treated at the bar; while the shovel was
promptly sold At auction to the highest bidder
, no presented it With staggering slap between
ne shoulders to its original owner. Tbs re-
nso gold-dost, and the whole dispatched by ex-
'reBs. with grim note from Pentecost, to .the |
ociety treasurer at Boston. As tho society
Fas controlled by denomination which does
'ot understand how good can come out Of evil, |
10 detail OF this contribution ever appeared IN |
r1nt. But few months thereafter there did |
ppear 1t Hannoy's thin n-chestad, large-headad
outh, with u heaTily-loaded mule, and an
ounced himself as duly accredited by the
aforementioned Society to preach the Gospel (
ially. and Pensocost offered him the nightly
ospitaity Of curling up to sleep in front OF she
arroom fireplace His mule's load proved to t
onsist largely OF tracts, which he vigorously
ust in. He nearly starved while trying to learn ! c
, cook bis Own food. so some OF the boys took | d
i'm in and fed him. Hs tried to persuade the
oyh 20 stop drinking, and they good-na.uredly | =
ushed, but, when be attempted to break up
le "httlo game" which Was the only amuse-
ent Of the canp-the only STEADY amusement, c
Y fights we're short and irregnlar,-she camp I
Ne in lta wrath, and tho Toung man hastily rose q
ID went for bis mule. u
But, At the time OF which this story treats, L
iaS1oHuIy WOulQ NAVe 1ared oven WoTee, Tor tao
'ys were wholly absorbed BY very unr,ght- .
us, but still very daring, pleasure. a pair Of
taran knife7ssa. who mad fought each other at
sht for almost ten years every time they met | 81
ID again found themselves in the same settla-
ent and Hanney's had the honor to be that q
rticular settlement: 'Judee" Briggs, one Of b
. horoes, had many years before discussed With Il
? neighbor, Billy Bent, the merits Of two op- o
sing brnnds OF mining ehosels In the n
urne Of the chat they drank considerable "
famous whisky, and naturally resorted to y.
ives a. fnal Arguments. The matter might ! b.
ve ended hera had either gained decided ad- N
ntaga over the othar, hut both xere skillful-
:b inflicted snd receiyed so near the came p]
mber OF wounds that the wisest men in camp
re- unable to decide which whipped. Now, 10 b
eraee Cal1fornians in tho maues, this is most Dc
tressing state OF affairs; the spectators and be
ends of the combatants waste great deal OF AZ
49, liquor, aud blood on the subject, while the as
nbatants themselves feel unspeakably uneasy ct
The neutral ground between victory and de- | th
T. At Sonora, whero Billy and the Judge vi
their first encounter, there Was no an
dict. so the Judge Indignantly shook th
l..Ht from bis feot and went elsewhere. Ii
II BILLY happened in at the ea!ne place, and q Bi
:, occurred at sight, in which the average re.
not disarranged. Both men weat about for th,
lonth or two in q patched-up condition, aud ! ole
"a Billy toancd OF, to be soon met by the An
|ge, With the usual result. Both NET we're an
wn by reputation all through the gold regions, th,
the advent Of either ut any ''gulch." or Bill
ashin' was the best tadvertisementt the saloon car