National Republican., 1884-11-05
FRONTIER PIETY.
euIties Met by the Parson Tn Organ
izing for Salvation business.
SldnIeg Hnnlev. IN Dr1ktls Magd:ine.

Ah Nbh1SSAtNAhb ~ new NhuASh Nuihbp hN
Bismarck, Oak, recently the managers
made mistake in omitting all reference
to tho start which religion made in that
town in tho flush times Of early days. As
a bit of history IL is important, and rs
revelation Of what pioneer preachers had
to confront II Is interesting.
Bismarck has otalways been tho law
abiding, peaceful city IL is now, and when
it was young-literally on wheels-A
class Of denizens crcpt in who were not at
all particular what color tho town was
painted as long as 1t was painted rod.
One of the chief industries of the village
was gambling, and tho Others were
getting drunk and impregnating the
atmosphere and fellow citizens with cold
lead. The pastimcs were raiding adjacent
Indian cam ps and tearing down tho local
opera house whom the performance failed to
como up to the literary taste of the audi
once. Thoro was dim, misty notion
that somewhere on the earth there were
people who practicod scheme called
religion" but how IL was DONE or what
the dividends were, found no oxponents
around Bismarck, wherefore 1t was with
great surprise that the busy village
learned one Saturday morning that par
son had arrived and was busily engaged
in perfecting arrangements to hold divine
service the next day. AS a now kind of
game they were naturally interested in
it, and all hands prepared to take hand
If they saw any chance of winning on tho
investment. There were some men in the
town who naturally believed that the
pious name concealed some new gambling
device, and they were anxious to be
posted that they might place sucker" to
tho next man who turned up with IL and
thereby win his money, while he should
think that he was dealing to now hands.
Tho question as to the place in which
the exercises should bo hold aroused the
town to unwonted activity. Whatever
they might prove to be they would Ger
tainly prove remunerative to the bar, and
every saloon was offered the dominic in
which to exploit himself, with the
assurance that the rent would not only
be free, but his personal rum would be
without any expense to himself Other
aud equally powerful inducements were
held ont until enterprise finally threw
itself into the form of finances, and the
competition bid high against each other
for the privilege of introducing the now
feature. To the hard-headed and
experienced merchants who saw nothing
but money in every venture, this aspect
was peculiarly satisfactory. They advised
the parson to hold offuntil the top notch
price had been reached, and even suggested
n Joint stock company in which they stood
ready to meet as soon as IL should bo
organized.
The bewildered preacher scarcely knew
what to do. He wanted money for his
church, but he shrank from taking "the
wages of SIM" as he called the profits Of
saloon keeping. The position was warmly
combated with much strength of gesticu-
lation and not little profanity. The
dominic was obdurate, and at the point
where riot was imminent gambler cut
the Gordian knot by offering his exten-
sive faro rooms for the approaching en-
tertainment. 1t was the easiest way out,
and the grateful parson eagerly seized
upon tho offer.
1t was q peculiar congregation that
faced the dominic tho morning of his
sermon. Not face displayed the slight
est curiosity for the audience was COM
posed of men accustomed to conceal their
emotions behind impassive visages. and
they did not propose that the str anger
should find tbem prepared for any ex-
hibition Of surprise by any kind of
show that he might open. The faro table
was offered him for pulpit; and spread
ing his notes on the Layout" he went in
spite OF some natural nervousness.
Parson Miller was man who had seen
good deal of tho world, was good Judge
Of men, and had the peculiar faculty of
adapting himself to his surroundings.
All this enabled him to proach sermon
that applied Immediately to the under
standing and appreciation of his auditors.
Whether it affected them or not could not
be gathered from their looks, but the fre-
auency of the applause testified that they
knew what he was talking about.
AT the close of his prayer the parson
announced that he wanted his congrega-
ton to select hymn and sing it, Per-
haps his object was to learn whether his
discourse had aroused any "reminiscences
Of carly youth and possible religious
training. But the effect on the audience
was startling. Natural politicians, they
straightway began caucussing, and 1t was
shortly apparent that there were factions
and factional disturbances. The dispute
ran high, but was wholly unintelligble to
the parson, who was not fluent scholar
in gamblers slang Committees were
appointed to confer, but no agreement
was reached, and the congregation finally
divided into three parties.
The dominic asked if they had made
choice of hymn, to which man arose
and explained that they had not. He
had eXpostulated with his friends but to
no purpose. There was one hymn he
would like very much to sing, and others
preferred to attempt other hymns, to
settle which they had agreed to hold an
election and accept the one chosen by the
majority. To that end he would put in
nomination one against which 10 breath
of scandal could be raised in his presence.
He had known it for years and respected
it. Now was the time for his friends to
stand by him, and he took pleasure in
nominating that standard and grand old
anthem, ''Villikins and his Dinah"
The staggered dominic was about to
protest when another man arose and said
he thought all enterprises were benefited
by an infusion of young blood. Ho was
not prepared to assault "Villikins and
his Dinah," but he felt that they could
not satisfy the people, and, therefore, he
should vote against them. He would
place himself in the hands of his friends
and nominate "The Son of a Gambolior I"
1t dawned on the preacher that the
exercises had passed out of his hands, and
he concluded not to Interfere.
A third man took the floor and an
nounced that never before had he bolted
nomination by the regular party, but
the time had como when he felt no longer
bound by party affiliations. and he should
show his manhood by breaking loose
from party ties and putting in nomina-
tion an independent candidate, that
touching and soul inspiring hymn,
"Whoa, EmmaW He admitted that his
faction was small, but he hoped to draw
enough votes from tho other candidates
to defeat them and thereby elect his
hymn.
The polls were opened without delay
and the balloting commenced. 1t was an
exciting time, and there were one or two
fights, but otherwise everything was
pleasant, and when tho votes were counted
had won by small majority, Then the