The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-04-08
A GOOD ONE.
Deadwood Sunday School Superintsndent's
Parable of the Prodigai Son.


Last Sunday afternoon the superintendent
BIZ Sunday School out In the Black Hills
happened to be visiting some friends in
Brooklyn, and, on invitation, attended the
school services of one of our popular Metho-
dist Churches. Invited to address the chill
ien, he declined at first, but finally con-
s.nted, and to illustrate the welcome of the
sinner to repentance, related the following
aiecdote
81 reckon most o. you young ones hearn
about that old feller in Egypt which was
we'll fixed for kids. The old man was heel
ed clear to his neck, an there wasn't dip
Of spur that he wasn't onto, aud you bet he
bad his squar dose o. sheers in every pay dirt
claim on the divide. He was a good old
man, straight as rife bar'l, and without
knot, rot or woodpecker's hole from root to
crows nest. For long time he had been
full owner o. an eighty-stamp mill, andtrav-
elers in them parts seen the smoke risir'
from the chimney pretty steadily, and they
knowed quartz was grIndin' and the dust
was good. There wasn't no funny business
about that old man. He knowed prime
wash from salt by color, and it wasn't long
before the boys quit stealing 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 A HEAP o. QUARTZ.
He had big ranch and the sheep on it was
as thick os miners tents. Thar was antelope
aud prairio chickens and jack rabbits and
black tail deer till you couldn't rest. There
was lots O. wheat, and big shack built o.
logs, with parlor at one end. Now 1 tell
you that thar old man was fixed up to the
trap, and don't you forget nothin'. But one
o. his SONS was kind o. restless. He wanted
to prospect for hisself. The old man gave
him the racket straight from the hip; told
him not to make dog gone fool o. hsself !;
stay where he was. There was more money
in stamp mills than thar was in mines, and
he advised the kid to locate right thar. Why,
children, that thar old man knew from the
fust sour that the short hadn't no show even
for tailings, and what's tailings, even If he
played to win, to squar divide OIL regular
wash? But the kid wanted long grass, so
the old man started him and gave him his
blessing, and told him for to always deal
level with the table and never let man get
his elbow behind his kidney on him, aud SO
the boy got away. Fixed straight to his
hair. All the dust he wanted. Best advice
a boy ever had. What do you think he done?
He went broke. Inever knew whether he
got into game where they played straights
or whether some feller held over him on
SQUARE DEAL,
But he went clear to the bottom Of his sack
and struck bed rock. 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 VEN he had, ex-
cspt one, but that he didn't know Of. He
was digging for yellow in black rock and
couldn't see the glory that was waiting for
him to assay and coin. Yes, you bet, that
poor boy, without money enough to buy
box Of matches, was driving where thar
wasn't pyrites, while all the sky was pouring
out the best color ever panned, and he
couldn't get onto 1t. Well, thar was only
one thing to do. Prospecting was no use.
So he went down to raacb and told the
ranchmen he'd keep the coyotes often the
pigs. You know what an ornery darned
thing pig is. You've got to kill him and
smoke him and throw him away and forget
him before you can eat him, andye that thar
young man lived right down thar with them
pigs and di iawed when It was his turn, and
if he got a 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 to flock back to the mill and strike the
old man for another stake, Did the old man
90 back on him? Well,
NOT FOR COIN.
Did he say he wasn't hiring any new hands,
but that the kid might get onto work at Ham
ilton's Hollow? reckon not. SEE he, Put
It thar, pard,' and he just fell all over him.
That's style. That's trade from the origin.
That thar old man fetched out buckskin
trowsers, an antelope shirt, some buffer boots
and camp hat and drawed that young one
right in. Eh, how's that? Citing you new,
am l? Begin to hook to my racket? Know
who the old manwas9 Yes. You bet your life
and he's waiting for you to pass out on
bobtall and for you to come to Him and be
fitted out again and be started in the stamp
mill again like you never hoped tiralu and
hooked cut from under the family umbrella.
Let up aud be saved; for tell you,children,
the lower level gets awful hot sometimes and
you can do no placer work with the sky right
around you, for thsr's no drawing after the
bet. I'D like to have you sing hymn for
me that we sing in our Sunday School
. Baby Mine;' do you know it9" To the
astonishment cf the local superint endent,
they did not, and he couldn't stop.-Brook-
lyn Eagle.
A STRANGE STORY.