The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-03-17
Tne Prodigal Son.

The superintendent of Sunday school
out in the Black Hills happened to be
visiting some friends in Brooklyn, and,
on invitation, attended the school service
of one of the popular Methodist churches.
Invited to address the children, he de-
clined at first, but finally consented, and
to illustrate the welcome of the sinner to
repentance related the following anec-
dote:
"I reckon most O. you young ones
have hearn about thet old feller in Egypt,
which was wellsfxed fer kids. The old
man was heeled clear tohis neck, and thar
wasn't dip nor spur he wasn't onto,
and you bet he had his squar dose O.
sheers in every pay dirt claim on the di-
vide. He was good old man, straight
as q rifle barl, and without knot, rot, or
woodpecker hole from root to crows
nest. For long time he'd been full
owner o an eighty stamp mill, and trav-
elers in them parts seen the smoke rising
from his chimney pretty steady, and they
knowed quartz was grinding and the
dust was good. Thar warnt no funny
business about the old man. He knowed
prime wash from salt by the color, and
it warn't long afore the boys quit steal
ing his mules and set right down to the
levels and picked for trade. They
knowed he'd straddle any blind, but he
dealt fair, and they respected him.
Well, children, the old man banked
heap O quartz. He had big ranch,
and the sheep on it was as thick as
miners tents. Thar was antelope, and
prairie chickens, and jack rabbits, and
black-tail deer till you. couldn't rest.
And thar was lots of wheat and i big
shack, built O logs, with parlor in one
end. Now, tell you, that thar old man
| was fixed up to the trap, and don't you
forget nothing But one O. his sons was
kind O. restless. He wanted for to pros
pectfor himself. The old man give him
the racket straight from the hip; told
him not to make dog-gone fool of him
| SELF Stay where he was. Thar was
more money in stamp-min than there
was in mines, and he advised the kid to
locate right thar Why, children, thet
| thar old man knew from the fust sour
thet the short didn't have no show, even
for tailings, and whats tailings, even if
he played to win, to a squar divide on
the regular wash?"
| q" But the kid wanted long grass, and
| and so the old man started him, and gave
him his blessing, and told him for TO al
| ways deal level with the table and never
let man get his elbow behind his kid
ney on him, and so the boy got away.
Fixed straight to his hair. All the dust
he wanted Best advice a boy ever got.
What-do you think he did? He went
broke. I never knew whether he got
into game whar they played straights,
or whether some fellow held over him on
square deal, but he went clear to the
bottom o. his sock and struck bedrock.
Clean up dead gone. The yield didn't
| pan cent to the ton. Gulch dried up.
Dips crossed his angles. Blind leads
fetched the only vein he had, except one,
but that he didn't know of. He was
digging for yellow. in black rock and
couldn't see the glory that was only
waiting for him to assay and coin. Yes,
you bet. Thar tibet poor boy, without
honey enough to buy box O. matches,
was driving whar thar wasn't even pyrite,
while all the sky was pouring out the
best color ever panned, and he couldn't
get onto it. Wall, thar was only one
thing to do. Prospecting was no use.
So he went down on a ranch and told the
ranchmen he'd keep the coyotes off the
pigs. You know what an ornery derned
thing pig is. You've got to kill him
and smoke him and throw him away be-
fore you can eat him, and yet that thai
young man hived right down with them
| pigs and drawed when it was his turn,
and if he got fair hand O shucks he
was goose ON his luck. Bimeby the
racket got too stiff for him, and he
kicked. He made up his mind that he
would flock back to the mill and strike
the old man for another stake. Did the
| II l.. No11 IL r.
coin? Did he say he wasn't hiring any
new hands, but the kid might get onto
work at Hamilton's Hollow FL reckon
not. Says he, Put it here, pard, an6
he just fell clean over him.. Thet's style
Thet's trade from the origin. Thet aim
all. Thet thar old man fetched out 6
shirt, and some buffalo boots and camp
in. Eth? How's that? Citing you now,
am L? Begin to hook on to my racket
Know who the old man was? Yes, you
and be fitted out and started in the
the ti-ra-lu and hooked out from under
saved. For I tell you children, the
lower level gets awful hot, sometimes,
and if you can do placer work with the
sky right around you keep away from
the tunnel business, for thar's no draw.
ing after bet.
'tTd like to have you sing hymn fol
me that we sing in our Sunday-school,
Baby Mine;' do you know it?"
And to the astonishment of the local
superintendent. they did know it, and he
couldn't stop it.