Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-04-05
A RICH DJSTRICT.
Why Church Congregation Failed i'll
the Black Hills.
Brooklyn Eagle.

Why Church Congregation Failed i'll
the Black Hills.
Brooklyn Eagle.
There's really one great objection to our
country out there" sighed the Dakota man.
wiping his moustache and stretching out for
a talk. ITO my mind it is a serious objec-
ton. We can't carry on a Baptist church
with any kind of success"
why not" demanded the New trecht
farmer, who was particularly interested in
that denomination.
We'll, we tried hard for long time, re
piled the Dakota man. sizing up his victim.
We started in with good congregation
money in the bank, bell, organ, choir way
up in G, everything to gladden. the Baptist
heart, but we couldn't make it win any way
we could fix it,
II don't see why not" said the New Ut
recht man. down our way we only have
preacher and a mortgage, but we are garner
ing souls right straight along
"'The trouble lay in our tanks" continued
the Dakotian. "We would dig tank II
her up with water, start in to wash a con-
vert but they never came to the surface
again. Couldn't understand it for Il long
time. Down they'd 60 one after another
but we couldn't haul em up again. The
first Sunday we worked the first tank we
lost twenty eight head o. SOUL
, What was the matter 2" asked the New
Ctrecht man. .gel:
I'VE didn't find out till the next day when
we commenced skirmishing for the bodies
Then we found that in digging the tank we
had struck a rich pocket that the water
brought out strong, and every fellow that
went down saw the CLINT, and went for it,
Couldn't make 'em let go. They was all
after it, and they stayed right there
Curious" muttered the New Utrecht
man.
The second was worse than the first. We
dug new tank and had it assayed. There
weren't but 5000 to the bushel OF ore, and
we didn't suppose any one would 60 for that,
but the day we opened up we sunk 127 citi-
zens Yes sir! And they were dead loss
to the church. We never got hoof of 'em
back alivew
What was the matter that time p de-
manded the astonished farmer
why, it turned out that we hit the tail
of blind lead, and as fast as we dipped the
converts they began to stake out. We could
not do much for em that day because it was
Sunday, but the next day we fshed 'em out
dead: every mothers man of 'em"
Strikes me there must be lots of gold in
that country, mused the New Utrecht man.
There's where the trouble u.s." conceded
the other watching him carefully. But we
didn't give it up. That week we dug an
other tank, and we just cemented it all
around, so as to make sure of getting the un-
regenerated back, but we didn't fetch it,
Luck seemed all against us.
What was the matter this time?'
"We sent down fourteen for flyer, and
not man Cf em came back to explain what
kept him. Monday we went for that tank
again, and we found that the mud we had
used for cement was worth $500 to the ounce.
1t was the richest dirt in the Territory
The New Utrecht man tried to conceal5the
watering of his mouth, and the Dakota man
pretended not to see it.
"We tried it in every way we could think
of, but they caught us every time" continued
the man from Dakota. "Of course the
church made great deal Of money out of
it, because the fame of our tanks got out and
we used to charge from $500 to 81 900 a head
for baptism, but it didn't swell the congrega-
ton any. We was winner in material wealth,
but we didn't have enough people to divide
it among. At last we got to baptising each
other until there was no one left but me, and
I rented out the fourteen tanks we had for d
million apiece for a year and I'm travelling
to shake off my grief over our lost church
"And you still hold the plant - demanded
the New Utrecht man, eagerly.
For sure !" replied the Dakota man, indig-
nantly "You don't suppose I'd sell out my
church, do you?"
"Not to good Baptist who would like to
see if he couldn't fix those tanks so they
would hold the perishing souls that went
down into them?T
II hadn't thought o that" murmured the
Dakota man. "Are You willing to take such
a responsibility on your hands? I'll tell you
frankly that it's no use Of trying to make
a tank in that country that will hold Chris
tians and let 'em come up again. 1t can't be
done because the ground is too full Of gold"
Are you willing to sell the plant to man
who knows how to work it so that every
man that goes in comes out again ~ and the
New Utrecht mans eyes glistened and his
heart thumped hard as he put the question.
II might let you have one tank to expert
ment on" murmured the Daketa man, hesi-
tatingly. "Pd be afraid to trust you with
any more. Your scheme might fail and I'd
never forgive myself"
"Try mew yelled the New Utrecht man,
XlOW1uk dkk OtCA Will dutAC1t0eAVA" A/So AAAO
have that tank and see if don't carry con-
victi0n to the hearts of the unregenerate and
without losing 'em, eitherw
''I1l try you on one tank" consented the
Dakota man, after q long pause. ''You can
have one tank for three thousand. The figure
is merely nominal and put it in merely to
save the churchs franchise. Say three
and I'll let you try your hand ~
Parties desirous Of buying half an acre OF
rocks in the Dakota Bad Lands can find
seller by standing on the outskirts Of New
Utrecht and listening for the sound OF weep
ing and wailing and gnashing Of teeth.
The expenses of municipal government
are but little higher per capita in New
York than in Paris. While Paris has o
debt of $35O,0O0,O0O, that of
New York is less than $10O, ,0OO, 900. The
amount expended for schools in each city
is nearly the same, though the population
IF Paris is one million the most and near
" double that of New York. The latter
city pays three millions in State taxes,
while Paris pays none. New York spends
. million and a half on its fire depart
nent, and Paris scarcely anything. Paris
q million and a quarter more than