The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-01-27
COLLAR AND ELBOW.

COLLAR AND ELBOW.
A Wrestling Match in the Mines Of California
OH New Years Day.
Before Father Ryan came quietly into our
rough mining town, We had never observed
any suspicious religious character housing
around for gospel ranch. In fact, none
Of us ever had taken thought to ask if any
man in camp had any religion of any kind;
but when Father Ryan came there he seemed
to know all about it. He called the people
OF his faith together, or visited them one at
time, and among the first things we knew,
he began with his own hands, assisted by
others, to grade a level spot on one of the
rock faced hills surrounding the town.
When we stopped on our way to and from
the father, embracing his shovel handle
long enough to seem to be about to'spit on
his gloved hands, stood up and replied:
"A small edifce to the worship Of God"
ooh! church, eh?"
''Well, begging your pardon, hardly
church; but a bit Of chapel, just
''What kind?
shoveling the loose earth and small rocks
over the side Of the grade, as if he had no
greater concern in the matter than the en-
and-by the chapel began to assume the form
of structure, which, like each of the vari-
GUS hoisting works. looked down from it's
stony eminence upon the town of cabins,
clustered in'the hollow of the hills.
When the house was rooted in, and exter-
nally complete, the irreverent wits of the
camp dubbed it 'Purgatory H 'istin' Works"
This new title coming to the ears of Father
Ryan, he smiled meekly and said:
1>cl Ill.
glory be to God, I've great hopes I'll be the
means of hosting many poor soul into
eternal glory"
1t was no easy matter to collect the money
to pay for religious building in our camp,
because we had all been so long away from
what are called religious Influences, and
free from the so-called restraints of divine
grace, that we thought such notions super
fiuOus. We had seen our fellows sicken
and die, OF die without being sick; we had
cared for, nursed or buried them without
harsh refusal and profane snub fell to the
lot of Father Ryan, as he went from mine to
mine on pay days in his effort to gather in
to the treasury Of the Lord small part of
the hard earnings much of which other
wise was destined to cross the green cloth
of the gaming table, or disappear through
the till of the bar-roo counter.
The pay days Oh the mines in our camp
were from the first to the fourth of each
month; but in the year when Father Ryan
was building his chapel, two of the largest
works announced that their mines would
pay off on the day before Christmas, and
shut down for repairs during the holidays
Now, about half way between these shut
down mines and the town, there was little
swale in the hillside at all abrupt elbow in
the road In this little swale and on level
with the road-bed, an enterprising spirit
graded into the hill, forming smooth, level
place. On the front half Of this level and
occupying about half the space, the man of
enterprise erected what the poets call
hostelrie, that is to say, place of refresh
unanimously alcoholic and nicotinic-for
the accommodation of the constant goers to
and fro between the town and the mines.
It was a rough log on end building rooted
with willows overlaid with rye grass and
weighted down with coating of earth. The
two ends fitted up against the rocky sides
of the graded recess. The front was not
imposing as to architecture, and the rear
was like the front, only instead of facing
any road view, it formed one side of a
square, unroofed theatre, the other sides of
which were walled about by the quarried
faces of the natural rock. The real theatre
had native rock flooring, quarried and
Clipped smooth, for no purpose Or
iginally other than for place of storage
for empty barrels, boxes, etc. But shortly
after the Inauguration of alcoholic enter
tainment in the house and before the yard
could be dedicated to it's intended use,
there was an impronptu wrestling bout. in
this convenient but crude arena, and from
that day forward the house and place be-
came known far and wide among the silver
hills as the "Collar and Elbow"
On New Wars dow no o,,1 III
bow was dispensing the free egg-nog to
its patrons, and the low log house was full
OF noisy, b1awny men, talking, gesticulating,
drinking, smoking and profaining the kings
English artistically. Father Ryan came
beaming like stout cherub into the crowd.
and, taking off his hat said in mellow, soft
voice, as he laid his hat upon the end Of the
counter:
"A happy. New Year to you, gentleman,
one and all, and many happy returns of the
same
Hello, padre, come up and take drink
with the boys" said a stout miner in a
rough yet kindly way, looking inquiringly
into the fathers face ndlaying hand GENT
" on his shoulder.
"Well," said his reverence, mot WISHING
to spoil conviviality in moderation, I'll do
Bully for you, old man. Yer give the
padre bumper O nOg.'
mo, if you'll excuse me, said the father
cts not egg-nog I'll take, but glass of
wine. I've poor head for mixed liquors.
'*All right, padre anything YOU like"
The barkeeper quietly passed the wine to
the priest. -
"Now, gentlemen said Father Ryan, after
emptying his glass, aud with his hat still on
the counter, If you will kindly excuse me,
I have little business with each of YOU
"Well, we'll excuse you. What's the lit
flo b,1sinosS2"