Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-04-21
COLLAR AND ELBOW.

Before Father Ryan came quietly
into our rough mining town, we had
never observed any suspicious relig-
ious character mousing around for
gospel ranch. In fact, none OF as
ever 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 level spot on
one of the rock-fac hills surround
the town.
When we stopped On our way to
and from work, and asked, ssWhat'r
goin' to put up?'' the father, embrac-
ing his shovel handle long enough to
seem about to spit on his gloved
hands, stood up and replied:
ga small edifice to the worship of
God"
ooh! church, eh -
"Well, begging your pardon, hard
ly a church, but bit of a chapel.
just"
"What kind?''
"Catholic. And the father went
on 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 employment of his
time till sundown. By-and-by the
chapel began to assume the form of a
structure, which, like each of the va
rious holsing works, looked down
from its stony eminence upon the
town of cabins clustered in the hol-
low of the hills.
When the house was rooted in, and
externally complete, the irreverent
wits of the camp dubbed it "Purga-
tory H'istin' Works.
This new title coming to the ears
of Father Ryan, he smiled meekly
and said:
"Sure, it's not bad name at all,
and, 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 superfous. We had seen
our fellows sicken aud die, or die
without being sick; we had cared
for, nursed, or buried them without
the benefit of the clergy. Full many
a 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 into the treasury
of the Lord a small part of the hard
earnings, much of which otherwise
twas destined 10 cross the green
cloth of the gaming table, or disap
pear through the till of the bar-roou
counter.
The pay days in the mines in oul
camp were from the first to the fourth
of each month, but in the year wher
Father Ryan was building his chapel
two of the largest works announced
that ther mines would pay off on the
day before Christmas, and shut dowI
for repairs during the holidays.
| Now, about half way between these
shutdown mines and the town, there
was little swale in the hillside at ar
abrupt elbow in the road. In thi:
little swale and on level with tht
road-bed, an enterprising spiri
graded into the hill, forming {
smooth, level plane. On the from
half Of this level and occupying abou
half the space, the man of enterprise
erected what the papers call hos
telrie, that is to say place of re
freshment-mostly alcoholic and nlc
otinic-for the accommodation of th'
constant goers to and fro between
town and the mines.
1t was a rough log-on-end building
rooted with willows overlaid witt
rye grass, and weighted down with
coating of earth. The two end
fitted up against the rocky sides 0
the graded recess. The front was no
imposing as to architecture, and thu
rear was like the front, only insteat
of facing any road view, IT forme'
one side of square, unrooted thea
ter, the other sides of which wer
walled about by the quarried faces @
the natural rock. The real theate
had native rock flooring, quarrie
and Clipped smooth, for no othe
7 purpose originally other than for
place of storage for empty barrels
boxes, etc. But shortly after the in
auguration of alcoholic entertain
ment in the house. and before tn
yard could be dedicated to it's in
tended use, there was an imprOmt
. wrestling bout in this convenient bu
crude arena, and from that day fol
> ward the house and place becam
known far and wide among the silve
hills as the "Collar and Elbow"
On New Years day the "Colls
and Elbow" was dispensing free egs
nog to its patrons, and the low 10
house was full of noisy, brawny mel
talkirg, gesticulating, drinking
smoking and profaning the king
, English artlscally. Father Rya
< came beaming like stout cheru
y into the crowd, and taking off his h
said in a mellow, soft voice. as
laid his hat upon the end of Il
county:
"a happy New Year to you, ge
tlemen, one and all, and many hapl
returns of the same"
4, "Hello, padre, come up and tai
q drink with the boys" said sto
miner IN a rough yet kindly wa
looking inquiringly into the father
face, and laying q hand gently
his shoulder.
"Well," said his reverence, ''n
wishing 10 spoil eonviviality In mo
Grafton, I'll do it,
y ''Bully for you, old man. Y
q give the padre bumper of grog."
"No, if you'll excuse me-" ga
g the father, sits not egg-nog I'll TAX
but glass of wine. I've a po
head for mixed liquors" !"
IAN right, padre--anything y
like"
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