The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-20
A MINISTERIAL WINCHESTER.
Harold I Cleveland In the Chicago
"a

Harold L Cleveland In the Chicago
Times-Herald.
1t was a custom Of the early inhabi-
tants of the now ohlfterated town of
Golfer, In the Dakotas, to haze every
newcomer to the settlement if in speech,
dress and manners he was at all different
from the brand of cattle then called
s'prominent citizens" This playful Gus
tom sometimes took the form OF duck
ing IL the Goose river, or of being
stripped of clothing, covered with red
paint and left to wander on the limttless
prairie over night. The performance was
considered to be as much Of a huge
joke as some of the antics of the young
sters at West Point or the colleges. The
victim was surrounded, without warn
ing by superior numbers, carefully ter
tured up to the time of the climax, ami
then left free to recover his nerves AM
equilibrium as best he might. When re-
stored to sanity he was cheerf0lly taken
into such society of the town as there
was and unless he showed disagreeable
signs of good breeding was eoIdialiy
invited to take part in the abuse Of
future subjects.
Golfer was without a minister for a
long time. The few who drifted i'll found
that goodness and claim jumping did not
flourish together, and that encouragement
for the establishment of a church was
wanting Golfer WAS sinful unto itself
hastily sinful, and proud Of the fat.
Golfer raced horses on Sunday. shook
dice, kept wide open saloons, maintained
Gamblers Row" and prided itself on
the absence of virtuous women. Co,tzr
was six months old, and if the railroad
came its way. expected to be permanent
fungus growth on the bosom of
prairie that was stunted with Wild roses
and bluebeIls. and OH which in patches
the wheat was beginning to show is
head It would not be easy for one who
was there to forget the day Rev. Amos
Evans, a disciple of the Baptist church,
calmly rode a piebald Indian pony into
the town and announced that having
heard of the unrighteousness OF Golfer
he proposed to stay. lie was short, thick
set, a believer In immersion, not over
choice in his use of language but de-
vout and sincere. He knew as much
of trail as his pony did, and, as Golfer
subsequently discovered, was quite as
good a frontiersman as any resident OF
the town.
The time was late in September. There
was thin ice on the nearby Goose and
the weather was raw and cold. Rev.
Mr.. Evans having put UP at the Inter
Ocean hotel, and dined, quietly calel
on the postmaster, one of the wickedest
spirits in the town, and said:
81 shall hold services at II O'Clock to-
morrow morning Sunday: You nave
hall over your place. VIII you let me
have it?''
The postmaster grinned and rcckoned
that the hail could not be had. Other
storexeepers refused their vacant places
in the same manner Coter nnmlstaha-
an intruder. But he did not take the
hint Finding he could not secure
ROOM he notified all he met that serv-
ices would be held in the grove On the
river bank and invited them to come.
Golfer. IN response, quietly decided that
Rev. Mr.. Evans should be haZed the next
morning; that ne should be ducked IN the
river and then be set adrift on the prai-
RE without hia horse.
"And he can walk"
town volunteered to overpower him at
the right time, and the rest Of the toWc
promised to be On hand to watch TIC
fun
s'I reckon" said the postmaster. "we'H
have the most cheerful iSiT:d OF a Sunday
what's turned up in e long time"
At Ii the next morning Rev. Mr.. Evans
was promptly at the grove. close By the
river. Somehow no one saw him go DOWN
there, but there he was. with a small
sateilel and a large horse blanket. that
seemed To be careiessly thrown on thu
ground The town received quick warn
q hidden trail to The grove, through
which they were goinG to- rush out or
the helpless divine. The river was not
over five fee! deep. but cold and icy.
The rest Of the tewr gathered on a snail
humInock pear the grove to overlook the
fun. Rev Mr.. Evans drew from his
satchal hymna1 and began TO sing IN
q strong voice:
Just as ! enI. without ore plea.
The eonspi-ators came pldngfng through
the grove. making a great noise. They
thought ne might run, but they we've
sure to eyer.Ake him. He vas Guarrisd
the same way as any other game. How
they did yett-th!s immortal tweive-as