The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-09-10

fered by Snowman three hundred and
fifty dollars a week to enter into this
nefarious business of destroying the
boys of this country by teaching them
living tales of this wild and woody, but
glorious west. Rather than engage In
this, starvation will be my fate and OBJ
livion my destiny.
Many people complain that make
too much fun in my Christianity, and
slash around in a manner unbecomlng
a worker for the Lord. l don't believe
in that brand of Christianity that wears
a face as long as Texas steer, and
frowns on every effort to sprinkle sun
shine on religion. This is the amen
crowd that carries with them grave
yard sadness, which gives us all mel
ancholy feeling, and would have us be-
lieve that God placed us on earth for
the express purpose of creating all the
gloom we possibly can. This dismal
outfit, whose smileIess, iceberg visages
make a church as chilly as refrigera-
tor, will sit on the front seats and give
utterance to rasping, gutteral "Amens"
every time the minister ends sentence,
but when the collection box is passed
they suddenly develop near-sighted-
ness that never seems to affiict Chris
tians who are enjoying the life God
gave them. We are here to make each
other cheerful, not sad, and whoever
| brings the greatest amount of cheer in
to the hearts of the dispirited is the one
who is doing most for Christianity.
To better humanity we must cheer it.
Religion, without the sunny smile that
reflects the whole-souled nature, has no
charms for me.
With the knowledge have of wes-
tern life can look into your faces and
read the lines made by the all too freely
flowing bowl. The sanctimonious
white ravated fraternity, who under
stands the art of concealing their own
foibles and who have no knowledge of
the temptations, trials and hardships
OF the rough side of life, can never view
this failing with the sympathetic toler-
ance that is the surest way to reach the
heart of those who take kindly to the
Juice of the forbidden fruit. In camp
and cabin, on the trail or in the noun
tains, in peace or in war, in battle with
whites, Indians or "gringo-haters,"
have found that the bravest and best
hearted can yet be slaves to the bottle
Before my angel mother winged hel
flight to heaven, she exacted from me
the promise to never drink intOxicants
This promise l have faithfully kept
and if you will only think of your own
, sainted mothers, you, too, can foreg(
this vice.
Now, boys, l am with you here to
dav as one of you, not to view you a!
, / would the animals of menagerie
. but as brother who can feel and sym
6 pathize with you, and one who will
always be ready to offer you the RICH
hand of fellowship. l would infnitel.
+ rather speak to you than to tn
!, powdered noodles who dub themselve
E the upper ten In their ranks
;, might find more of what is called cul
9 ture and the manners that keep fool
at distance, but with you l find tru
manliness and intelligence, the stu1
q that has made this country what it is
!. The only difference l can detect be
3 tween you and the people down towI
is one of clothes. If these high-tone
! gentlemen bedecked in blue. who gov
~ ern you in your confinement, wer
70 dressed as you are, who could te
), which is which? Not 1. When ava
;. from this prison and again enjoyin
:, the liberty that is the heritage of ever
j.. American, remember to call on me
in the same town. Captain JAG
= will always be ready with smile
- greet you, and the open sesame to m
-, heart will be the magic name, Still
!, water. We are all brothers travellin
=, the trail of time. We cross the prair
~ of life into the grand canyon of tenn
a tation, across the Mojave of adversit
"a and into the forest of doubt, but tt
10 mountain peak of hope ever looms
q the distance, reckoning us on into tt
~ valley of contentment where we cam
~ in a common brotherhood to await tt
80 grand roundup that will at last brir
us into the heavenly ranch of o,
ID Father above.
of Captain Crawford's address was il
of terspersed with anecdotes and remi
70 isences of Western life, depicting Il
ct life and sterling characteristics of tt
es early pioneers. He entertained h
DIS audience with poems, delivered vii
b. the inimitable grace of manner al
| o.xsa.oaa;o,a that b 10