The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-09-04
CHRIS EVANS OF TULARE.
M DOt'8KE mr. or 4 MIN UHO
nan S7GDTiD % PRIZES MOON.
The story oi - StnrIy fnrnrr who WINS
pTrnin Wtecacr and - Icsp-snio, hat for
Years tnsuSuer3rG- tt,u "-ryrd Eva Evnn-
nnd Her soyaty 10 sicr tint,nw ] over.

'''H NV " ~ ''' '''' "''
Mike was diving. lie knew 1t ana lie was
bravo about IL ut !irst. Whoa that Ill. Put shot
blew out ~. tho tree aud stretched him bleed
ing aud burn, and bin! he took it like n man.
hut two DAYS OF suffering in tho hot. rough.
wood camp broke his heart down and he cried
some and wanted a priest.
Nobody remembers how 1t came about. hut
In about live minutes onc Of tar woodchop.
tors had started out t. wl"ro MiSc was dying.
lie seat others away. hcn"l tho poor axe.
mnii's confession. sir we'd him. and with the
administrators of extreme JUNCTION poor Mixes
soul PASSED out among Tho pines.
1t did him iust as much good. md hoW
! mover know tho difference" said tho wood.
chuprct To- those who had opened their mouths
in wondrrmcnt 20 hear him ulcmnly deliver
the ioilin. words OF the Latin tongue.
Somehow ;hcy did not call him Father
Chris or padre, for uNcn ut that tiInc there
was a gcneral understanding around that IA.
| niiiiurity did not 30 with Curtis Evans.
1t was twenty years and more ago that Chris
Evans came to Taliio county. II" came with
lis blankets on his hack. lie cRme to work:
no could DO rough rarren'cling; knew how
a man as woui! I've needed nhout II new COM
munlty. lie made nn rrc,cncc to being any.
thin.. moro than II laHorci. though. the
word. Il" turned with jnc' u shade nf the
Canadian twang wrr" no, sorh as wandering
| AT II al''I'I 'i"'li''' ~ ''''' "''A
u mat rates himself mt - a ton in this coun-
try nobody is ."Ins ,o'aSc ham for n bonanza.
4 rctosniIr! t1rt "i ~" communities between
Firsnp and Laos Angeles.
and Why and wuenr" ii" anne, Chris. Evans
quietly said he hrd been WORKING on the rail.
fHS . :o ,@n 70 r"'"" RI l or" Ma. , nnh I' s sHmS into qI1s
railroad tlIon. and uo"nc questioned further.
IL. h],%nGht a lar'nrr Wien h, came; e rart,
IL IN ttiH Sarr trouble.
Tho story OF Mixes dcath,i,d- Mike had an.
other name. " course. bat it has not como
down with tho rcst of tho tnln-travelled
around among tho woo'lmrn. and one day the
boss asked Chris whore he l"arnodtop play the
rnirr. Il studied to To-. II priest in Canada"
saiL Chris. and that l. all he ever said about It.
After a time { hrs s3t \ lon on or near the
mo. ntains III tn" NiEs"r Creek country. Hio
Industry nnd giving Inn n better footing than
almost IN elder brother tothe numerous sons
and daughters On tho ranch. quite naturally.
other 'iNers nrpcarrI. Chris, made himself
stili nenler ono OF the fnlnily-,he married
was n woman a, that aG., and she was a. good
wifi. to Chris t.vens and lie was a good hus-
band to her.
Evans made more money than he had made
before. hut lie had others to care for now; and
there was not much t" rmt aside, He did 2
the wid"w'moy"i down, to Tsalia: Evans rot
u piece Of land rrxtt to hers. and brought his
fur from it. and the growing family were a bit
crowded snmeti!n"s fnt on tn w WI ,n, it t Tas
helped out. and Evans could always find work.
There was not much Of luxury, but when
blue-uyel Eva'S trocks were as smart as those
Of tn. other girls.
East. They worked witt, Chris Evans. and he
introduced them to Lis household. Chris. By
this time II sturdy. middle:aged man. had es-
tal,li-lled u character in the community. He
was u solid mana man OF sense and Iudg-
ment and his friends. tho Sontags. they were
Everytody know how It was between John
and Eva. She was tho oldest child. a slender.
man was waiting for her. The neirhbors
amy inE Of i CHRIS '"n SEX HVans's Girl. Tor who in the town
but liked tho s,endy farmer?
wreck pss am, and r"fts s." W. W" young %nss men u had f BEEN
slain by the plunderers. F4&'h.rapl Jonn were
a th.v w when lii il H az tnn sI(ul M c1ime ' ht yi reItsrned
Th. robbers had escaped aud the country
was full Of men hunting them. The young
secured the valley. Naturally they went to
Evans.stcady. cool. COURAGEOUS Chris; the
NO: chris would not 60. Others might see
their way clear TO- risk tleir liy.s. but ne had
did not find tho robhHrs. put the crime gave
the people much to talk about. Chris Evans
particularly discussed it in all its lights, From
that tim.. on the robbery OF trains and banks
wns his favoritc tonic. II" did not pretend to
n vast degree OF horror Mt such crimes. for
Chris Evans was. never sanctimonious. but it
WAS 'supuosin'I was TO rob II train. DO you
think they would ever get mo. and me know:
il they found me do YOU think I'd ever lot
them bring mo back alive
And people used to laugh at the idea OF Chris
Evans in any such role.
One day there came news of another train
robbery. The robbers had, shot II man and
had Carried nway bill, and money away up
into the thousands. and again the, country was
covered with mnn;huntrrs., and the ,pretty
astoun,ieI when the trail Of the robbers was
followed right INTO it, streets, PEOPLE looked
steadfnst mcn. OF the town sought to find the
villain $, and Evans consulted with them and
gave his advice and rs opinions. -
1t blew over after IL time. Clris Evans and
Modesto. They. started = livery stable. and
iustry. Two mon WHO could save enough
money for ,uch an "n'Irlt!ss ana support a
lahorers deserved to succeed.
The stable burned down. bat it was insured.
And the tw" irl"nds t" nI In th =" ' nainhho 80
and u credit TO the town,
Evans was not n religious man. hut no went
with his family on Faster and Christmas md
Mary saw .tHnt tho children attended sunday
school Evan. was good rii!zen, put he pre-:
up his family well. and Il" drank his .occa-
bipnal beer, and was none the y"rs. for #
One vice. an! uuly one, could either Evans
or lis prospective spn-in-Iaw ,r charged With
They IAmhi"d; AMI r'nnirI nenyily. Sill;
they never went btyp!Il ll'IT IuohuS. anu Win
crisp biI, settled their losses.
Chri, did not work much. now. Hs had .
timber claim and "A min" M in Inc mountains,
and these. with tn" little orchard and what
lad to be upGo ,ti"uut tho house and the barn.
took w ali Of his tine.
He and John and George we're away at the
min when there was another robbery. 1t was
n Cores. md u railroad detective was shot
through the thrOat.
Tier" rnmnatimn when John and George
wanted to visit their old home. They had
work"l hard and wore entitled TO q holiday.
tt,.ylIt, md JIhu SDntuE and Chris lIyAOR
went away from CALIFORNIA. George and John
Iouant and Charlie, Norton appeared in Wis
cousin. nnd there was II bold assault on O train.
ti""iE" and John s'ontag and Chris Evans
r~euiImurcd in California. Tie townspeopl0
Welcomed back the two young men and their
older friend. now u man %; 10. IL bit bent and
bearded. mt II sturdy lBan.
There WAS spmu troihle about that settle.
mont OF the stable business Mt Modesto. a
unsat!si!"l note nr something of that sort. a
inai's first ,!nty is L. lis family. and Evans
decided over ms timber calm aud all else that
lover, made over al! his little fortune to Eva.
So ihys went on. One morning q neighbour.
inE housewife pushed open the door OF Lyans'a