The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-07-21
ANGELS.

ANGELS.
sNever heard how we got religion to
Angels, stranger? thought NV course
everybody'd heerd that yarn. Tell yerl
Why, sure; but let's liquor again, n I'll
reminisce.
"Yer see, twas afore Angels got to be
seoh big camp as twas later on, but it
was q rich camp n mighty wicked
one. There were lots nv chaps there
who'd jest as soon die in their boots as
eat, N every other house was a dance
house or a saloon or gambling hell.
Pretty Pete n his pardner, Five Ace
Bob, was reckoned the wickedest men
in the state. n old Bill Jones, what
kept the Golden West hotel, had ma
tional reputation for cussin.
"The idea of a parson striking the
camp never was thought NV, but one
day was playing bank into Pete's
game. when Five Ace came runnin in
n see: Boys, I'll be -, but there's an
ornery cuss Of parson jest rid up to
Jones'. He's got pardner with him,
N he lows he's goin to convert the
camp The = he is seq Pete. I'll
finish the deal n go down and see about
that.
80 we all walked down to Jones'.
N thar, sure huff, in the bar, talking
with Old Bill, wuz the parson, black coat
n white tie n all. Ho was big, squar'
shouldered chap, with black beard
n keen eyes that looked right through
yer. His pardner was only a boy Of
twenty or SO, with yeller curly h'ar, pink
n white gals face n big blue eyes.
We all walked in, n Pete he stands to
the bar n shouts fer all hands terdrink,
n to our surprise the parson m the kid
both stepped up n called for red Ticker
n drank 1t.
AFTER the drink was finished tho
parsou seq: Gents, as yer see, I'm a
minister of the Gospel; but | sec no
harm in a man drinking ez long ez he
amt no drunkard. l drank Just now
because want you to see that am not
ashamed to do before yer face what I'd
do behind yer back Right yer are,
parson, says Pete; put it thar n they
shook hands, n then Pete he up and
called off the hull gang-Five Ace n
Lucky Barnes n Dirty Smith n one II
all the rest nv EN-. Tho parson shook
hands with all Nv us, n said he was
going to have meet.n in Shifty Sails
dancehouse that night, ez twas the big
gest room in camp, n asst US all to come
n we sed we would.
when we got outside Pete seq, BOYS,
you mind me, that devil dodger'll cap
ture the camp, n he did. That night
we all went along down to Shifty's n
found the parson n the kid on the
platform where the fiddlers ust to sit
n every man in camp wuz in the au.
dience. The palson spoke first. He sad:
Gents, want to tell yer first off don't
want any Nv yer dust. I've got enutf
fer myself n my young friend. n there
won't be no rakeoif in this yer meetin
house, n I'm not here to preach agains,
any mans way O making Twin. will
preach ag'in' drunkenness, n l shall
speak privately with the gamblers; but
want to keep you men in mind nv yer
homes n yer mother n yer wives y
yer sweethearts, n get yer to lead
cleaner lives, SOS when yer meet 7elp
agin yer'll not hev to be shained,
n then he sed we'd hev song, n the
youngster he started in n played a
concertina n sang Yes, We Will
Gather at the River; n there wuzn't
one of us that it didn't remind nv how
our mothers ust to dress us up SUNDAYS
n send lis to Sunday school, n stand
at the door to watch us down street n
call us back to asst If we We're sure we
had our clean pocket Handkerchief, n /
tell yer, mister, thar wuzu't man with
dry eyes in the crowd when he'd finished
That young Teller had vice like
angel. Pete he sed it WIZ n tenner vice,
but Five Ace offered to bet him hun.
dred to fifty it wuz moro like fifteener
or twenty. Pete told Five Ace he wus
- old fool n didn't know what he
wuz talllin about.
We'll. things run along for about a
week, n one day Pete come to me and
seq: Look here, Ralters, this yer camp
amt no jay camp, n we've got to hey a
church fer the parson. He's a Jim dandy.
and won't ask for nothing He'd les,
natchelly go on prayin and preachin N
tryin to save a couple of whisky soaked
souls like yourn n Bill Jones', which
amt with powder to blow EN- to -.
n you'd let him go dom 1t in that old
shack Of Sails n never make a move.
Now I'm goin TO rustic round n dig up
dust enuff from the boys, and we'll Jest
build him a meetin house ash be a
credit to tho camp n in few days the
boys he'd good log meetin house built,
6oored n benches in it n eyerythin.
THE parson was tickled most to
death. Next they built him house, n
he n his pardner moved into it. Then
Pete said the gals must go; sed it wuz
dead, rank, snide game to work on the
parson ter hev to go down street n be
guyed by them hussies On they did guy
him awful sometimes, too); SO the gals
they went. Then Pete sed the church
he'd to be properly organized; he'd to
hey deacons N church wardens n sex
tons n things; so old Bill Jones n Ala
BAN wuz made deacons, N Pete n
Five Ace was church wardens.
In mouth every last man in camp
wuz worryin bout his future state. Old |
Bill Jones came into meetiu one night |
with his face n hands washed N an oil |
black suit on, n sot down on the anx
Ious bench n asst to be prayed fer
The parson kneit down n put his arm
around him, n how he did pray. Be
fore he got through Lucky Barnes, Ala
BAN n me wuz on the bench too, II
Pete showed his Chinaman up the aisle
by the collar n sot him down 1ongsida
D me. Pete said he was high toned
Christian gentleman himself, he'd been
born n raised a Christian IL was aenior
church warden to boot. N that he'd