River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-09-02
A FRONTIER SERMON.
Advent of the Gospel into Dane Goun-
~, Wis----traphie Account os the
First Sarutau

three or four famllleS, some thlTiN or
forty workmen, more or less on the
basement of the capitol, and IA few
transient guests. There had never been
any religious services held in the county.
and nothing distinguished the first ddg
as different from all others, unless per
haps the gun was more frequently
heard and the ducks and prairie
chickens We're more abundant at light
than en- any other day during the week.
Unfavorable as this stat. If society
may be looked upon in after years The
truth must be told, and so it was that
while the Gospel was being preached to
the heather III the ''uttermost parts Of
the earth,
THE sound ofthe Church going bell
These lakes ami these hills never heard
Ne'er sighed at the sound of a knen
Or smiled when Sabbath appeared.
In early autumn il was announced
one Saturday afternoon, that the Rev.
Mr.. K, n Methodist minister, from
Illinois, had arrived, and if some CON
veinent place could be had, he wpuld
preach for the benefit of this benighted
people at 10 O'Clock, Sunday morning.
Arrangements were soon made, and the
coming morrow promised to be the
grand era of new departure.
After breakfast Sunday morning the
Rev. Gentleman discovered with great
amazement and sorrow that his horse
which he had been compelled to ride
without its having been shod, had from
gravel in the foot, become so lame as
to make further progress on ms journey
for some days apparently impossible.
As Mr. John Catlin and myself had early
made his acquaintance, he naturally
came to us for advice and assistance.
We owned very servicablc pony,
though not remarkable in appearance,
while the lame beast of the Dominic
was evidently one that would command
II good figure in any market, after n
few days rest and little care of the in
iured foot.
He was very anxious" to proceed to
Fort Winnebago at once, and should re-
turn il three or four days, and the only
thing practicable seemed 10 be for us
to lend hmm our pony, and keep his
horse until his return, he paying Us for
the use of the pony and the care of his
beast At length Mr.. Catlin said: sap
pose we trade horses. how would that
suit yOu?" At this proposition, his
downcast eyes were slowly raised, his
sorrowful countenance frightened mp,
and he meekly admitted that it Would
be the best thing to do, if we could
agree upon terms.
Negotiations commenced and lasted
some time with but little prospect of Il
favorable result / almost blush to con-
fess that it looked sometimes as if my
partner was driving a sharp bargain,
but as | knew little or nothing about the
good or bad points Of horse (Which
the honest Parson modestlv showed of,
or adroitly concealed as occasion re-
quircd), | did not attempt to interrupt
proceedings by any impairment inter
ference.
The trade was finally completed, Mr.,
Catlin paying him Sl5 us the agreed diff
ference between the present value of
the animals, secretly calculating, bow
ever, prospective profit OF at least
$40
Soon after the consummation of
the trade, we Joined in escortinG
him, with a borrowed Bible under
his arm, to the place where di-
vine service was to be held. His
congregation was of course the entire
population. and some of the "bOys'
who had not entirely forgotten the
hymns learned Of their pious mothers,
helped out with appropriate music.
when, however, he arose and read his
text in the following words, Il was II
stranger and we took me in" the reader
may readily imagine that at least two
of his congregation 'to0k in the sltua-
ion" at once The sermon OfcOurse waS
eloquent and full of interest, and he let
us off easy, making no pointed alluslon
to having been badly cheated that
morning in Il horSe-trade. That we
might not be lacking in the amenities
and customs of more advanced COM
munities, Col Bird passed the hat and
we all "chipped in, making up stake
of about twenty dollars, which was
empticd into his pocket, to swell the
honest earnings of the mornings work.
Meeting being over, he was in great
hurry to depart, because twas ''neces-
sary," and as no reason was urged why
minister of the Gospel might not travel
from one place of preaching to another,
or at least part of the way on the Sab
bath, he mounted his pony after dinner
without opposition and went on his
way, Sowing tie good seed which
should spring up and bear fruit, some
sixty fold and some n hundred fold.
The sequel is soon told this desirable
animal that we had 50 fortunately o.
tanned, by reason of founder or some
other cause that escaped observation,
was a confirmed and hopeless cripple
not worth half the boot money paid to
say nothing of our valuable pony,which
had carried the good man forever from
our sight The development of disease
in the poor Lrute took an unfavorable
turn, and in less than three days he lay
dead at our feet, an awful warning
against the wickedness of trading horses
on Sunday, unless it is done by n good
man, in aid of a good cause, and rs q
travelling necessity.
Such was the inauguration of the
Sabbath, and such was the introduction
of the Gospel into the county of Dane