The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-03-12
4 PLuckY PRIEST.
Before tho xuzxle Of . Winchester
Two Ruf6ans Say Their Prayers.

/ ~~~~SS
Of the toughest places in the state
though it is to-day, due to the rein
ing influence Of railroads, a vel
behaved town. 1t is situated or
the extreme eastern border of tht
Lone Star State on one side and or
the western border of Louisiana on
the other, with the Sabine River az
dividing line. 1t was then, as it il
pretty much now, essentially 8
numbering center. The timber OBJ.
tanned from the great and seemingly
inexhaustible fields to the north
was floated down to Orange, where
the several mills in the vicinity con.
verted it into lumber. These mills
gave employment to scores of men
reckless and daring set, whose
sanguinary deeds obtained for the
town anything bat enviable noto.
riety.
In 1879 the Louisiana Western
Railroad, now one of the divisions
Of the Atlantic system Of the South.
ern Pacific Railroad, was built
through Orange.
The mill hands looked with dis
favor upon the advent of the iron
horse and the section hands and
railroad employees were greatly har-
assed, nay their lives imperiled,
by the disaffected denizens of Or.
ange. These uncouth frontiersmen,
under cover Of night, Mould amuse
themselves by shooting at the head
lights of locomotives, and when
nothing less exciting presented itself
would wager among themselves as
to who would be most successful in
extinguishing the head lanterns
borne by the train crews. A freight
brakeman perched upon box Cal
with lighted lantern in hand was
target for dozen expert rifemen,
and the thing got to be so common
that the trainmen, to protect their
lives, would "douse the glim" when
approaching and passing through
Orange.
The respectable element deprs.
Gated these outrages, but as they
were at that time in the minority
it was as much as their lives were
worth to openly express their con-
demnation. A theatrical troupe
stopped off for a night at Orange
to entertain the rough mill hands,
when for some reason or other the
advance agent incurred their dis
pleasure. 1t is said that he remarked
in one of the saloons that the place
was Jay town. A dozen or more
of the reckless Orangeitcs induced
the advance agent to accompany
them off little piece, and at the
muzzle of revolvers compelled him
to disrobe. Then they plastered
him with flaming bills of his own
show and forced him to take the
railroad track out Of town.
The sheriff Of the town was a
courageous and energetic man, but
was powerless to prevent these out
RACES, and when finally he did at
tempt to check the lawless element
he was riddled with buckshot for
HE temerity.
Charles A. Burton, self-made
man in the truest sense of the word
was superintendent Of the railroad
system which traversed Orange. He
was determined to put down this
lawlessness, and, strange az it may
seem, he turned to minister of the
gospel to do it. Mr.. Burton was a
Vermonter and devout Catholic,
and he called to his assistance a
French Catholic priest who was
stationed at Denison, Texas. This
French priest, in the border town Of
Denison, in the north of Texas, was
respected, if not esteemed, by the
tough element, not only because he
was sincere in everything he under
took. but because he was known to
positively brook no foolishnees. He
was daring and fearless, was dead
shot, and would, when the exigency
required it, have no hesitency what
ever in handling either revolver or
a Winchester. He was known ev-
erywhere in the North Of Texas as
'the fighting priest
Mr.. Burton explained to the Den
ison priestthat there was not re-
ligious edifice in Orange and that
the town was practically under the
control of class whos had no re-
gard for either God or man. he
informed the priest that there was
a nucleous Of good people there,
however, who could, under proper
guidance and with time bring the
refractory element under subjectlon,
and frankly told the plucky father
that he wanted him to go there and
undertake the good work. The task
was a hard one, but the French
priest consented to give it a trial.
He proceeded to Orange, canvassed
the town and publicly announced
that he had come to Orange to So
licit subscriptions to build . Cath
ol,c church. The tough element
thought the man was crazy, but as
he did not modest them they allowed