Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-02-04

and wanted n priest. priest-and him
there in the woods eighty miles from any
man who was not ashamed to profess re-
hgion.
Il never looked to see Mike whine" said
one of his fellows, taking half humorous
view of the incident, as he told il In the
next wood camp. He'd die happy If he
just had somebody there TO talk a little
Latin over him"
Nobody remembers how it came about,
but in five minutes one of the woodchop
pers had started to where Mike was dying
He sent the others away, heard the poor
axmans confession. shrived him and with
the administration OF extreme junction
Mikes soul passed out among the pines.
lit did him just as much good and he'll
never know the difference" said the wood
chopper To those who had opened their
mouths In wondermeut to hear him sol
emnly deliver the rolling words of the
dead tongue.
Somehow they did not call him Father
Chris" or padre, for even Mt that time
there was IA general understanding around
that familiarity did not 20 with Chris
Evans
II was twenty years and more ago says
the san Francisco Examiner, that Chris
Evans came to Tnlare county. He came
with his blankets on his back He came
TO work He could do rough carpenter.
ing, knew how to handle horses, and was
generally just such man as would lie
needed about Il new community. He made
no pretense TO being anything more than a
laborer, though the words he turned with
just shgde Of the Canadian twang were
not sucras wandering farm laborers ordi
narily used
Evans was a good workman; he was
yuDng, strong, willing and contented. He
minded his own business, and whether he
prospered or whether fortune turned her
back on him he neither sulked nor exulted.
He vas quiet man-"a qunet mon,
he used To sny when he said anything
about H..
The story OF Mikes sdcathbcd-Mike had
another name Of course, but IL has not
come down with the rest Of the tale-trav
eled around among the woodmen, and on.
lay the boss asked Chris where he learned
to play the padre. II studied to he a priest
In Canada = said Chris, and that is all Ia,
ever said about 1t.
After Il time Chris got job on or near
the Rattlesnake ranch old Byrd's pace
up in the mountains in the Niger creek
country His industry had given him a
better footing than other farm hands, and
directly he became almost an elder brother
to the numerous sons and daughters on the
ranch. Quite naturally. when pretty Mary
Byrd grew up, and before other lovers ap.
peared. Chris made himself still nearer
one of the family he married Mary Byrd.
She was oula fifteen then but she was n
woman at that age. and she was good
wife 10 Chris Evans, and he was a good
husband To her.
Iynuz fuuI.4 Ipne.. r,pnav than ka hn1
made before. but he had others to care for
now aud there was not much to put aside
He did some farming over on Tule river,
but that helped Tim little Finally old
Byrd died and the widow moved down to
Nisalia. Evans got piece OF land next to
hers aud brought his family there. IL was
not pretentious houee-far from IL; and
the growing family were a bit crowded.
but on the whole it was comfortable
There Is biz OF an orchard there that
helped out and Evans could always find
work.
There was not much of luxury. but when
Mrs. Evans needed new dress she got IL,
and blue eyed Eva's froeks were as smart
as those of the other girls. Then John
and George Sontag came out from the
east. The! worked with Chris Evans and
he introduced them to his household.
Chris by this time a sturdy. middle aged
man, had established character In the
community. lie WIS solid mana man
Of sense and Judgment, and his friends the
soutags, were steady boys.
Everybody knew how il was between
John aud Iva. She WIS the oldest child
slender but strong slip OF a girl with
clear eyes .a9d fesoiute little mouth
The tall. gsiiet young man was waiting for