The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1881-02-24

our rough mining town. ve hsd never Oh
served ssr ,u<iciuus religious charAcisi
rDousips round for gospel ranch II
fact. hone OF Us ever had any religion ol
sny kind; bot .hsn Ps,b.r Ryan esras
there be seemed TO tno~ al about IL liz
called the people Of his faith together OF
visited them one Al time, and among the
6rsi things ~c knew. be began uith his
own hands, assisted by others. TO grade q
,eyei srst on one Of the roci faced hills
surrounding the town.
When We stopped on our way TO and
from work, add asked, whai'r goin' TO
put upf the father. embracing bis shovel.
handle long enough 20 seen TO be about 10
spit on his gloved hands. stood mp and re-
piled:
A small edifcc for the worship OF God.
oh church, elf
Well. begging your pardon, hardly a
church; but bi, Of achapel, Just.
What kind9
Catholic. And ths father went on show
cling the loose earth and small rocks over
the side Of the grade, Is II he'd DO greater
concern 10 the matter than the employ
ment Of his time until sundown. Byand-
by the chapel began TO assume the form Of
a .tructure. which, like each OF the various
hosting works looked down from its stony
eminence upon the town OF cabins cluster
ed in the hollow Of the hills.
When the house was rooted in, and eI-
ternally complete, the irreverent wits OF
the camp dubbed IT "Purgatory H'istin
Works"
This now title coming to the ears OF
Father Ryan. he smiled meeily and said
Sure, it's not bad name at all, and,
glory be 10 God, I've great hopes I'll be
the means OF hosting many poor soul
into eternal glory.
II wa. no easy matter TO collect the mon
ey to pay for religions building in our
camp. because We had all been so long
away from what are called religious infu-
ences and free from the so-called restraint
OF divine grace, that we thought such no.
tions superhuous We had seen our fell
lows sicken and die or die without being
sick; we had cared for, nursed, or buried
them without the "beneft OF the clergy"
Full many harsh refusal and snub fell to
the lot OF Father Ryan, as be went
from mine to mine on pay-days in his ef-
fort TO draw into the treasury of the Lord
a small part OF the hard earnings, much OF
which otherwise was destined to cross the
green cloth OF the gambling toble, or dis.
appear through tho till Of the bar.room
counter
The pay y-dsys in the mines in our camp
we're from the first to the fourth Of each
month; but in the year when Father Ryan
was builhing his chapel, two OF the largest
works announced that their mines would
pay off on the day before Christmas, and
shnt down for repairs during the holidays.
Now about half way between these shut
down mines and the town, there was a lit
tie swsle in the hillside at an abrupt elbow
in the road. In this little swale and on q
level with the road bed. an enterprising
spirit graded into tho hill, forming
smooth, level plane On the front half OF
this level and occupying about half the
space, the man OF enterprise erected what
the papers call hostelrie, that is to say
place OF refreshment--mo alcoholic
and nicotinic--for the accommodation OF
the constant goers to and fro between the
town and the mines.
1t was rough log -on-end building, roof
ed with willows overlaid with rye-grass
and weighted down with coating OF
earth. The two ends fitted mp against the
rocky sides Of the graded recess The
front was not imposing as to architecture,
and the rear was like the front, only in
stead OF facing any road view, il formed I.
one side OF 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
1uarried and Clipped smooth, for no pur-
pose originally other than place OF stor- !,
age for empty barrels, boxes. etc. But
soon after the inauguration ofalcoholie en- !.
iertainment in the house. and before the
yard could be dedicated to its intended
use, there WAS An impromptu wrestling =
bout in this convenient but Grade arena,
md from that day forward the house and =
,lace became known far and wide among .
he silver hills as the Collar and Elbow. !"
On New Years day the Collar and e. !"
,ow" was dispensing free egg nog to its =
patrons, and the low log house was full Of q
loisy, brawny men, talking. sesticulatins,
thinking, smoking and proianing the a
.ing's English artistically. Father Ryan
anne beaming like stout cherub into the
rowd, and taking Of his hat, said in
below, soft voice, as be laid his hat upon :
be end Of the counter: '
A happy New Year to you, gentlemen, u
ne and all. and many happy returns Of =
he same.
Hello, padre, come up and take drink :,
nth the boys, said . stont miner in - ~
ough yet kindly way. looking inquiringly !" "
1to the fathers face. and laying hand -
entity on his shoulder y
Well. said his reverence, not wishing to :"
poll convivialiiy in moderation, I'll do il. -
Bully for you. old man. Yer give the
adrc bumper O. nog. -
No, il you'll excuse me. said the father
Is not egg-nog I'll take, but glass Of =
inc I've poor head for miIsd liquors 7. :,
All right, psdre-anything you like "
The barkeeper quietly passed the vine