Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-30
ANGELS.

Angels, stranger? l thought NV course
everybody'd heerd that yarn. Tell yerq
Why. sure; but let's liquor again, n I'll
reminisce.
Yer see, twas afore Angels got to be
sech 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 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 a ma
tional reputation for cussin.
''The idea of 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 sez: 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,' sez Pete. III
finish the deal n go down and see about
that
$50 we all walked down to Jones'.
d thar, sure 'nuff, in the bar, talking
with Old Bill, wuz the parson, black coat
n white tie n all. He was big, squar'
shouldered chap, with black beard
N keen eyes that looked right through
yer. His pardner was only 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 ter drink,
N to our surprise the parson n the kid
both stepped up N called for red ticker
n drank it.
"After the drink was finished the
parson sez: Gents, as yer see, I'm q
minister Of the Gospel; but l see no
harm in man drinking ez long ez he
amt no drunkard. / 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 n
all the rest NV 'em. The parson shook
hands with all Nv us, n said he was
going to have meetin 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 sez, Boys,
you mind me, that devil dodger'Q 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 parson spoke first. Hesed.
Gents, ] want to tell yer first off don't
want any nv yer dust. I've got enuff
fer myself n my young friend, n there
won't be no rakeof in this yer meetin
house, n I'm not here to preach against
any mans way O making hvin. win
preach ag'in' drunkenness, n shall
speak privately with the gamblers; but
want to keep you men in mind NV yer
homes n yer mother n yer wives n
yer sweethearts, n get yer to lead
cleaner lives, SOS when yer meet 'em
ag'in yer'n not hev to be 'shamed.'
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
ono of us that it didn't remind Nv how
our mothers ust to dress us up Sundays
n send us to Sunday school, n stand
at the door to watch us down street n
call Us back to asst if we were sure we
had our clean pocket handkerchur, n
tell yer, mister, thar wuzn't man with
dry eyes In the crowd when he'd finished.
That young feller had a vice like a
angel. Pete he sed it wuz a tenner vice,
but Five Ace offered to bet him hun
dred to fifty it wuz more like fifteener
or twenty. Pete told Five Ace he wuz
- old fool n didn't know what he
wuz talkin about.
"Well, things run along for about a
week, n one day Pete come to me and
sex: Look here, Ralters, this yer camp
amt no jay camp, n we've got to hev a
church fer the parson. He's Jim dandy,
and won't ask for nothing. He'd Jest
natchelly go on prayin and preachin n
tryin to save couple of whisky soaked
souls like yourn N Bill Jones', which
amt wuth powder to blow 'em to 49,,
n you'd let him go doin it in that old
shack Of Sails n never make move.
Now Pm goin to rustic round n dig up
dust enuf from the boys, and we'll Jest
build him a meetin house as'n be a
credit to the camp n in few DAYS the
boys he'd good log meetin house built,
aoored n benches in it n everythin.
"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 O
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
hev deacons n church wardens n sex.
tons n things; SO old Bill Jones n Ala.
bam wuz made deacons, n Pete n
Five Ace was church wardens.
I'm a month every last man in ca1nr
wuz worryin bout his future state Old
Bil Jones came into meetin one night
with his face n hands washed n an old
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
L~~.~ y. xx,a xxyr11 ~, +l,a sl,rx.<I.I -. -