Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-05-31

| serious question arose. s'where shall the
meetings be held There was no room
large enough in the place, but to the as
constituent of all, the keeper of liquor
saloon and bowling alley came forward
and offered the free use of the latter
place for the meetings rs long as might
be necessary. The offer was accepted.
Rough board seats were arranged across
| the alley, and the billiard table at one
end formed the desk for the speaker;
| and there | stood every evening for a
| week or more and proclaimed from that
novel pulpit the gospel. the balls aud
pins being collected and deposited in a
barrel in one of the corners behind me.
the business of the saloon going on ut
the other end in room separated from
us by Il rough beard parti-
ton. where we could hear the sound of
the toddy-Stick occasionally in the M
tervals OF worship. The results of these
meetings were the conversion of NUM-
Der Of persons, including the son of the
owner of the alley, and the speedy or
ganization of a Congregational church,
as the records show, in that very alley.
subsequently a neat wooden house of
worship was erected.
At Elk Grove, there being no room
large enough to hold meetings in, thcv
were conducted in large barn, the
speaker and part of the audience occu-
plying the main floor, and the others be-
ing accommodated on the hay-mows adj
joining. There were here many inter-
esting conversions, including thirteen
heads of important families. A church
was formed ere long, house of worship
built and minister secured
At Mineral Point the meetings were
held just in the breakingup of spring, and
the streets of that town were so muddy
that, in the absence of sidewalks, people
could hardly get about on foot. Some
gentlemen, therefore, employed several
four-horse teams, with large wagons,
and sent them from house to house to
collect the people, and thus, for nearly
two weeks, a crowded congregation
was secured and powerful work of
grace was enjoyed. | remember once,
when holding meetings IN Fairplay, in
the dead of winter, | preached evening
after evening in a crowded house, near
q red-hot stove, and at the close of the
service going to lodge in the best house
in the village, and sleeping in q room
without fire, which was SO open thatI
could see the moonlight through the
cracks and the thermometer at twenty
degrees below zero. My breath froze
on the bed clothes And yet, miracu-
lousy, almost, as it seems TO me, nv
health did not suffer. And here | am
reminded of Il fact that illustrates some
what the state of things in the mining
region.
When Mr., Peat and | first visited
Fairplay, we learned that Mr.. Kill
bourn, wealthy farmer, near there,
had offered to give a considerable sum
towards the erection of meeting house,
if the necessary balance could be raised.
MIR. Peat took the subscription paper
and went through the gambling houses,
and found ready response from those
present, to his solicitation of aid, and |
remember seeing the gamblers lay down
their cards and sign the paper on the very
table where they were playing.
But | must not dwell longer on scenes
indelibly impressed on my memory.
You, who reside there now, can realize the
moral, social and religious changes that
have taken place in the Wisconsin lead
mines, and especially those who were
there in those early days of which |
have spoken | must ask YOU To excuse
the apparent egotism of my commune
cation, but you asked me for my recol-
lections of the mining region, and have
given some of them. | hope they may
add little to the interest of your ami
versary. | should like to bear my tes-
timony to the self-sacrificing devoted
ness of the early ministerial laborers in
your region, several of whom have
ceased from their labors, as Bros Lewis.
Stevens, Warner and Bradford. The
first named remember particularly as
one of the most loveable of my acquant-
ances, gentle, amiable, scholarly. and q
most earnest worker for Christ and his
cause. Bro. Eddy still survives in Il
green old age, and having completed
fifty years of pastoral work, is about to
resign his charge in Detroit. ! recall
also my very agreeable associations with
yourself, also your very able parish
Toner, Judge Mills, and / ought not to
forget to give tribute of praise
to the wives of the heroic men
who did so much for your Sec
ton of the state in early days. Let
me congratulate you, also, on your very
long and useful passionate in Lancaster,
and express the hope that it may still
be prolonged and be still fruitful of
good to the people of your place. May
you have pleasant anniversary.
Would | could be there.
Very truly yours,
JNo. G. HoLBRooK.
Senmor TABOR ana tie drummer.
They tell good story now on SEN
ator Tabor, of Colorado 1t is related
that, when Tabor was on the Kansas
Pacific train going to Washington to
take his seat, lie met Hebrew drum
mer who had known him some time by
reputation. 70 pass the time they en-
gagged ii a game of seven-up. The
play was even until the close Of the sec
ond game, when the drummer received
four kings and an eightspot A queen
was turned up.
Great Hoaven" said the drummer.
"Mr. Dabor. | visht it vas boxer. If We
vas blayin' boxer | would bet Won my
whole bm-dell."
How much is your bundle?" asked
the noble Senator from Colorado.
Two hundred and fifty tollar," re-
piled the drummer
well" replied Tabor, "if you give
me the queen which is turned, / will
60 you"
"Tun, said the drummer, and Tabor
picked up the queen.
dot ees a shnap," whispered the
drummer showing his hand to man
in the next seat
/ should smile" answered the man
laconically
Wood You like to bet some more,
Meester Dabor? - asked the commercial
tourist with an insinuating smile.
Yes, said the noble Senator, II have
fair hard; 1 will make it $500"
81 hat only fiftey," replied the drum
mer. and he made the bet good for $500.
"Wllat haf you got, Meester Dabor?"
-Four aces, answered Col0rado's IA
vorite son, showing the fatal one-spots.
The drummer was perfectly paralyzed,
and unable to speak, while the noble
Senator slowed the pot in his toys.
Slowly drawing a cigar from his pocket,
Colorado's fayorite was about to light
up and Withdraw, when the drummer
recovered his sense of speech Lean
ing forward he said, "Eet ish all right,
Meester Dabor: you haf won the money
square; but great Heaveni Mr.. Dabor,
vot had der g-veen to do NIT four aces?"
Gxran,s slim and FuoIiSh (aYrt,lpxiors