The Elk Mountain pilot., 1880-12-30

sustain it were brought in on the
backs of men, there were quite mum.
Der # citizens who remained here and
worked their claims. There also re.
manned seve. a. ladies, Mrs. Spencer,
and Mrs. George Thompson.
Except during the time when the snow
fakes filled the air, the weather ha.
been beautiful, many Of the day.
rivalling in balmy splendor the love-
hest Of spring. No excuse now exists
to prevent the working of our mines,
save the disinclinatlon of the owners.
CLIMATE.
Vita the exception Of the snow,
and that is no serious drawback when
one becomes accustomed to it, our
climate is even and pleasant. Walled
in by high mountains covered with a
heavy growth of spruce and balsam
trees, the fierce winds which sweep
down upon the towns in the valley,
have no terrors for us; for, although,
like the streams, they have their rise
in the mountains and broaden and
strengthen as they leave them.
So dry is our atmosphere and so
gradual the approach of winter that
those of our citizens who were reared
beneath the shadows of orange groves
and in whose nostrils even yet fingers
the fragrance of the magnolia and the
oleander, feel but little inconvenience
in the change, and participate with
delight in the exciting and exhiliar-
ating pastime of coasting down our
steep hill sides on Norwegian snow
shoes. We verify believe that every
man, woman and child in Irwin has a
pair of snow shoes, and we have been
told that Zach Sable has just finished
modelling some for the dogs, but we
do not publish it as being reliable in
formation.
RELIGIOUS.
Our religious denominations are
represented by the Presbyterians,
Catholics, Methodists and Baptlsts.
The Catholics have the ascendency in
point of numbers, their membership
being over two hundred. At present
they have neither church nor a
church organization, although part
of the altar parapharr ala has been in
town for some time, and the building
committee have on hand consider
able with which they intend to erect a
suitable building in the spring.
The Presbyterians have a thorough
ly organized church and hold service
every Sabbath morning and evening.
and Sunday School in the afternoon.
At present their meetings are held in
a large new building on Ninth street,
recently erected for use as store.
The treasurer, Mr.. Edward Copley,
has now on hand building fund with
which it is intended to erect hand
some house of worship at an early
day. The Rev. Chas. NJ. Shepherd
is the present pastor of this church,
and DR.. E. c. Reid, Edward Copley
and Walter Graves, trustees.
SOCIETIES
In this connection we deem it quite
pertinent to mention the Ladies Aid
Society, which, although it consists of
members of all the religious denomi-
nations, is practically controlled by
the members of the Presbyterian
church, and in fact we believe con-
stitutes no small factor of its popular
ity. Indeed, if we are correctly in
formed the society was originally or
ganized for the purpose of lending its
aid to defray the expenses incident to
the church meetings. Mrs. Walter
Graves, the secretary of the society,
by the request of our reporter, has
written the following account of its
history:
In the latter part Of September there
was organized among The ladies of r.
win an aid society. Though at the
time 1t was thought possibly little
more than promotion of sociability
among the ladies would be aecomp-
lished, that was not all, for immedi-
ately after the organization supper
was given which enabled the society
to start with $50 in the treasury.
Visiting the sick is included in the