The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-09-10
q ''''i ~ III :.
MISCELLANY.";::
FIRST PRAYER" At HANNEY'i

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needin'.'' Jealous men came up by
steamer via the Ishtmus, and seemed to
consume with their fiery haste to get on
board the vessel for China and Japan and
carry the glad tidings to the heather.
Self:sacridcing souls, gave. up home and
friends, and hurried across, overland, to
brave the Pacific and bury themselves
among the Australasian savages. But,
thoug h they all passed. almost in sight of
Hanney's, none Of them paused to give
any attention to the souls who had flock
ed there. Men came out from Frisco
and the East to labor with the Chinese
miners, who were the only, peaceable and
we'll behaved people in the mines but
the white-faced, good.natured, hard.
swearing, generous, .heavy:drihking, en-.
thusiastic, murderous Anglo.Saxons they
let severely alone. Perhaps they thought
that hearts in which the good seed had
once been sown, but failed to come up ill.,
to fruit, were barren soil; perhaps they
thought it preferable to be killed and eat
Ell by cannibals than to be tumbled into q
gulch Ivy revolver. shot. while the shoot
list strolled calmly off III company with his
approving conscience, never thinking to as
certain whether his bullet had completed
the business, or, whether a wounded man
might not have to fight death and coyotes
together.
At any rate, the missionaries let Han
ney salone. fany one with an unquehch.
able desire to carry the Word where it is
utterly unknown, digestion without fear,
and full-proof article of common sense
(these last two requisites are absolutely,
should be looking for an eligible location,
Hanney's is just the place for him, and
he need give himself no trouble for fear
some one will step in before him. II he
has several dozens of similar constituted
friends, they can all find similar locations
by bctaking themselves to any mining
camp in the Wes:.
AS Hanney's had no preacher. it will
be readily imagined it had no church.
With the first crowd VINO located there
came an insolvcnt rumsclcr from thu
Hast. He called himself Pentecost,
which was as near his right name as is
usual with miners, and the boys dubbed
his shop ''PenticoSt Chapel at once.
The name, somehow, reached the East,
for within few months there reached
the postoftice at Hanncy's document
addressed to preacher IN charge Of Pen
tecost Chapel" The postmaster went
up and down the brook in high spirits,
and told the boys, who instantly drop.
ped shovel and pan. formed line, and es-
corted the postmaster ard document to
to the Chapel. Pentecost acknowledged
the joke, and stood treat for the crowd,
after which he solomnly tore the wrap
o,1I ri cnln 4 .C
missionary society. Modestly expressing
his Qualifications at the honor, and his
unworthiness Of it., he moved that old
Thompson, who had the loudest voice in
crowd, should read the report aloud, he,
Pentecost, volunteering to furnish Thomp-
son ali necessary spirituous aid during the
continuance Of his task. Thompson
promptly signified his acquiesccnce, clear.
cd his throat with glass Of ambcr.color-
cd liquid, and commenced, the boys mean
while listening attentivcly, and comment
ing critically.
"roo much cusscd heavenly twang,''
observed one, disapprovingly, as one let.
ter largely composed Of scriptural ex.
tracts was read.
"Why the deuce didn't he shoot p in.
dignantly demanded another, as tale of
escape from heather pursuers was read.
"Shut up wimmen in a, burned dark
room! Well, PU be durned!" soliloquiz.
ed a yellow-haired Missourian, as Thomp.
son read an account Of Zenana. 'Reck-
on they d set an Internal sight higher by
wimmen if they was in the digsins six
months-hey, fellows?''
"You bet J" emphatically responded a
number of those present.
Before the boys became very FESTIVE,
Thompson finished the pamphlet, inclu.
ding a few lines on the cover, which
stated that the society was greatly in
need Of fands, and that contributions
might be sent to the society's financial
agent in Boston. Thompson gracefully
concluded his service by passing his hat,
with the following net result: Two re-
volvers, one double.barrelled pistol, three
knives, one watch, two rings (both home
made valuable: and fearfully ugly), a
pocket inkstand, a silver tobacco box
and forty or fifty ounces of dust and mug.
gets. Boston Bill, who was notoriously
absent minded, dropped in pocket
comb but, on being sternly called to OF.
der by old Thompson, cursed himself
most huently, and redeemed his disgrace.
i11 contribution with gold double eagle.
1.-The Webfoot,' who was the most un.
lncky man in the camp. had been 50
wrought upon by the tale of one mission.
airy who had lost his all many times in
succession, sympathetically Contributed
his only shovel, for which act he was en-
Enthusiastically cursed and literally treated
at the bar. while the shovel was promptly
sold at auction to the highest bidder,
who presented it, with staggering slap
. between the shoulders. to its original
owner. The remaining non.legal tenders
we're then converted into gold-dust, and
the whole dispatched by express, With a
grim note from Pentecost. to the society's
treasurer at Boston. As the society was
controlled By denomination which does
not understand what good can come out
OF evil. no detail of this contribution ever
appeared in print. But few months
thereafter there did appear at Hanney's
thin 'chested, largc.headed youth, with
a heavily-loaded mule, and announced
himself as duly accredited by the afcre-
mentioned society to preach the gospel
among the miners. The bows received
him cordially, and Pentecost offered him
the nightly hospitality of curling I'd to
sleep in front Of the barroom fireplace.
His mules load proved to consist lArgoly