The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-09-12
CHURCH DEBTS.
And How to Pay Them-As Told by One Of
The Brethren From Montana
Anew Plan.

uHas Divine Providence inflicted your
ohurch with the blessings of a large
Jaht 81 asked a Brooklyn clergyman of
Of q Montana minister to whom he had
inst been introduced and who was see
mo the sights under the guidance of the
BROOKLYN dominic.
"We had a right smart of a mortgage
when we first started in,o replied the
western divine.
"They are great tribulations, but the
Lord is good,n observed the Brooklyn
man. For years we staggered under
the interest on a heavy mortgage, but
willing hands were finally found to help
us at last. How do you manage, with
Gods help, to arrange such matters in
YOUR neighbOrhood?"
eve had a pretty hard lick at first,
and we prayed around pretty lively for
some time, but didn't seem to get any
where. Everything was against us, but
finally we caught on, and when we got
a start we made that debt sick; now hear
me speak,"
"What was your course Of procedure,
brother, ?n inquired the Brooklyn min
lister, ratherstartled by the fervent speech
of his friend.
1.-THE first thing we did was to start
the Sabbath school out fishing on Sun
DAYS, and we kept the interest down by
sale of fish until we could get a whack
at the principal. Then we inspired the
gamblers of the town with an interest
in the church and offered them induce
ments to come, and they in turn taught
us the unholy methods by which they
made a precarious livelihood. Our
brethren were pertinacious and soon
acquired an insight into the mysteries,
and then we all lay in wait for suckers
and let 'em haveit as soon as they struck
our vineyard"
do [ follow you, brother?" demand
ed the Brooklyn clergyman in some dis
may.
IF you ever get into debt again you'd
better,n answered the other confidently.
It's the biggest turn in the wheel box.
We raised ten thousand dollars in two
months, and more than that, it was the
means of bringing q great many souls to
grace"
But | don't understand"
eve simply turned the gamblers
tricks against themselves. You see,
when a new man comes to town the
boys go for him and fetch him sooner or
later. Wehad our brethren out day and
night and we broke up gambling i'll that
village by ~monopolizing it. Our game
Of draw was never closed and the result
was great glory, the payment of the debt
and the garnering OF precious souls thai
otherwise would have gone down in in
iquity. AS soon as we busted a man, we
took him into the church and got him q
lob, and whenever he got a little ahead
and the spirit Of gaming grew upon him,
we prayed with him and then opened a
l;ttln ran,a To taaah him tho vanitV al
betting high on a low band.0
Am [ to understand that you support
your church by gambling"' exclaimed
the astonished clergyman. !,
And why not??" retorted his friend
from the frontier. "Why should the
gamblers be allowed to flourish in pros
perity and ruin the youth Of our land,
while the church lies groaning under a
heavy burden? We got the money that
otherwise would have gone to them and
teach the tenderfeet the way and the life
and not to depend on a pat straight
when one of our deacons held the deal.
1t was a good lesson for the young all
around, and when [ tell you that there
is not a professional gambler in u coun-
try, and that our church has a larger
membership than any on the from
tier and is the richest corporation ia
Montana territory and that I'm going to
Europe next month, you will admit
that our methods are recognized by grace
as the correct proceedings"
"But-'gasped the Brooklyn man.
"Would you refuse to take the money
of "a gambler if he dropped it in your
contribution box? We wouldn't and ii
the money is good in one way it is good
in another. Beside, we sanctified the
business by making it a church affair,
and between you and me, it is a much
more honest transaction than a church
fair, where you gamble for a stale cake
and rag dolls, because in our way the
stake is in sight and every man knows
what he is playing for. When you come
down to the pan u style is way ahead
of yours, for we give the victims some
show
"But the results commenced the
Brooklyn clergyman" !.
The results justify the whole thing
interrupted the Montana man. we were
threatened with foreclosure before we
commenced, and now we control our sec
ton of the territory. These are the re-
suits. Now, what argument have you
got against the principles ?"
But the Brooklyn man had none,
though he prayed long and fervently fol
his brother in the Lord that night
Bro1klya Eagle.