The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-01-27
a MINING CAMP PREACHER.
1hniLlISa EXPERIENCE IN THE cAv

presence in Colorado is Rev. Tomas A.
uszel. He was pastor of th Methodist
church at Leadville duringfe great car
Donate excitement and " experienced
more Of the wild aud rydged scenes of
life than probably any preacher in the
He was born at Lbanon, Illinois, IN
ls4s, and was a viii reckless youth. He
,sas a great dancer horse racer, and when
attending camp Mee,ings would fill his
pockets with cofRand peas TO throw at
the worshippers. AT the, age of ., he
? changed his minncr of life. bW, could
mother read lor write and HIS only earth.
~ possessions were a span of mules. In
1875 he was graduated from Ashbury
university, Indiana. The first four years
at college he sawed wood for his board.
and the last two years he made his ex-
penscs by using u razor, Us he was later
in preaching and handling the toughs in
the mining camps. He was eraesnat by
Bishop Simpson in 1876 and sent to Fair.
play, Colorado, in tho fall of 1877. He
went to Lcadville, that mining camp then
having about 800 inhabitants, and was
just bcginning that wonderful excitemen,
thai attracted the attention of the whole
world. The rush was just beginning and
The young parson that first night in Lead
vile slept in a dry goods box.
The next morning he started out among
the saloons and gambling dens. inviting
the inmates to church. They We're polite
but they laughed at the idea of roinp to
{ church. They Invited him to Iake n
hand at poker Or try a deal at FAM. and
some wanted him to be social and ta,e n
drink. Put there was a csNwlcd audi.
ence' III thcl little impmvtsed cabin church
the. night, the ceiling of which was only
Six feet high, IN speaking of the event
Mr.. uzzell said to the writer: Every
seat was taken. The rear of the cabin,
the alsles up to where stood were filed,
M when thch hat was passed for the col
lection 1t was passed through Il rude win
dow to the large crowd on the outside to
give them an opportunity to put in soaae,
thing. There had been preaching before
in California Gulch, but this was the first
sermon in Leadville afterltbecome known
by that name. Men were standing I'M
within W feet Of me; and right in front.
where could lay my hand on them. stood
two barly lrishmen smoking their hibes.
l made some reference to Mr.. Beccher's
theology, %wherenpon one of the Irish.
men, nudging his friend and ruffing a,
his pipe, said, Hist Pit, he be after vel
MON Tor It would Seem that Pat was ar
admiref OF MI. Beccher. 1 quietea them
uowi, and again touching OH the same
topic, the lrishman again nudged his
iriend, saying. ''Eh, Pat, look out, the
parson is after yer moin agin.'
The ncSt day Mr.. Uzzell went agair
amons me miners to raise money to builC
. church and met with a liberal response,
but he wanted more and again started fol-
the gambling dives. Saloon men, gam.
blars, sporting women-All gave some
.hlng; In one saloon the proprietor sale
.hat ne would donate a ten-gallon key OF
me whisky, the proceeds of which coulc
go to the proposed nav church, anG
seemed a little ciagrinned that Mr.. Uzzel
would not accept the gift. But quite /,
collection was realized in this saloon,
Whercupon one of the nuyAhef, who was
about half drunk, invited Mr.. Uzzell to
take a drink. Mr.. Tzzell refused. Tho
gambler BECAME offended and said, "W,
nave done the fair thing by the parson,
and now he must drink with u.s. The
gambler then threatened to fight, and Jus,
us MI. uZzell was in the act of pulling of
his coat to defend himself the bnrtende,
leaped over the bar and swore that, if
necessary, he would take a hand in tho
affair himself, for IF Mr.. Uzzell didn't
want to drink he needn't and uuict was
again restored.
One of the Most notorious dance hall
men, said Mr.. Uzzcll, was shot in 1875
ana was called to attend the funeral.
wa afraid | had not preached plain
enough to the people OF this class hifher.
to, although had always tried to do my
dnty as n christian minister, and on this
orcasion preached square at them. As
was customary on such occasions all the
gambling houses were closed, and there
we're about one hundred and fifty of thu
sporting clement Mt the funeral. AT. the
close OF the ermon | expected 10 have. a
little trouble, for | laid down the cospe]
pretty hard IN them. But imagine my
surprise when the partner of tho dead
man came up, in the presence OF them all.
and with tears flowing down his face
said, Well, Tom, you gave us HI, but
guess we needed it. Here's a ten dollar
During the same year, while attending
a funeral gu Fryer hill, whisky was served
quite freely. and as the crowd was begin.
ming TO feel quite Jolly and became bois.
ferrous, Mr.. Uzzcll's sermon was cut
short by having to'interfere and hid in
quelling a general fight which was takinr
place.
MIR. uzzeii had many amusing incidents
marrying people, and as the marriage
Jaws Were loose, but little was required in
she way OF questions to make everything
satisfactory. One day a German, with
fasher q good looking iddle-aged woman
leaning on his arm, entered the preacher
study.
y have just been let out of Jail" sale
The man, and borrowed n saw and bucl
and went inscarrh Of work. When asked
.bls woman here by my side for a jol
she sara she had no money 10 hire a man
oeihg a poor widow Woman, | told her
would saw the Wood and take her for nav
ana she SAID, all right, and here we arr
now 10 gel married, but Ihaintno money
paison. to pay the bill"
MI. uzzell married The couple and pait
,he recorders fee out of his own pocket
On another occasion n gambler ant
sport named Charley Smith, and a fortune
teller known as Nine. La Prue, who ha,
made quite n fortune in that line of bust
ness, entered his study to have the mar
rlage ceremony performed. After th,
usual questions had been satisfactorily
answercrcu he requested them 10 stand
md then turning to the woman he said
wit thou have this man to be thy law
ful and welded husband. and wilt tho,
love. honor and keep him
Hold on, parson,'' exclaimed the VIC
mar, J II be dernedif I'll keepmy man.
Mrsslzzell then explained to her that
meantthat she should love her husband
take care of him in sickness and rave
general explanation of the marriage vows
But she was obdurate and refused to b
married unless the ceremony was pc,
formed after her own wishes, which NJ,
Uzzell refused to do.
"Parson. you have lost just $50 by nc
marrying me the way / wsnted.'' e,
claimed the weman as she ordered be
carriage and drove away. The man wa
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