The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-03

hairy chest, arose from the last bench
and, holding out his hands, terribly
stained with the peculiar stain OF the
redwood, cried, Let's sing, Throw Out
the Lifeline
"As the first verse Of the familiar
hymn rang out over the little clearing
I noticed an activity down at the col
lection of bunk houses and cabins. Men
swarfned out OF the saloon and left the
hunks in which they had been idly
resting. They stood about in silent
groups. and as the song proceeded
some one Of them was moved to pun
off his hat. The example was followed
instantly, and 200 men stood bare
headed listening to the hymn that came
from the nearly demolished dance hail.
As I began TO preach many Of them
crept up within hearing distance. and
from logs and brush piles listened TO
the sermon.
when oil was struck at McKittrick.
in the San Joaquin valley. not long
since, hurried to the new field as rap
Idly as possible. An empty store build
ing was secured as a temporary meet
ing place. From a saloon across the
street I borrowed empty boxes, which,
with long planks. made none too com
Portable seats. Into the end Of the
boxes was burned the advertisements
Of the liquor firm which had sent them
10 the camp well filed. AS / preached
I could see the brand Of whisky then
being drunk IN McKittrick blazing forth
from the end Of every seat IT did not
lessen the effect of the service. how
ever, and il was only a few weeks until
we had a church of our own, with
whisky boxes barred
'In many OF the backwoods settle
ments where we are establishing sun
day schools which may grow into
churches later on we meet with chill
dren who have never even heard of
God except in the curses of the rough
men about them.
There was one little boy in small
Nevada town who heard of the death
of Christ on his first visit to Sunday
school. 1t affected him greatly. and
when he reached home he cried bit
terly. and his mother could not COM
fort him.
"The following Sunday the lesson
was on the resurrection. He fairly
clapped his hands, with JOY when it
dawned upon him that the one for
whom he had been sorrowing all the
week had risen from the dead.
AS soon as he could he rushed home
to his mother with the glad tidings.
and this was the striking way in which
he put it: oh, mamma, didn't Jesus
fool EN- fine?
up among the big trees of Mari
posa county. in the depths OF the Ser
ras. I was to preach one day at a
school house. IT was raining in tor
rents. and my guide was for staying
indoors. Not wishing to disappoint
any who might venture out I'm the
storms, I insisted on keeping my APP
pOintment.
I'm the sheltering doorway of the
school house we found an old Scotch
woman of 20 years. She was dripping
wet and covered with mud from head
to foot.
I was afraid you were not COM
ing she said, smiling. as we drove into
the yard. L have not been to preach
ing in eight years, and you don't know
how disappointed I'd have been. Ken
neth-thats my sOn-tried to keep me
at home, but 1 just wouldn't give in.
so he loaned me his rubber boots, and
you see got here all right
We went into the school house
started a fire and waited for the rest
of the congregation But there was no
rest. The old woman was the only one
who would brave the storm. 1 had no
heart to disappoint her, and when
further waiting seemed useless I arose
and preached 60 the old woman and
my guide, and the Lord was surely
with US that day.