The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-01-12

country.
 My first appointment by a consider ate conference was in the lair of the bad men of the West" remarked the Rev. ". B. Wheeler, formerly pas tor here of the Methodist Episcopal church (South), to Gallatin correspon- dent of the Kansas City Times. "I guess they thought because I was big and brawny I could learn to shoot and fight when necessary to enforce peace at meeting. Los Cerrillos, N. M, in 1858 and 1884 was town of about five hundred strenuous inhabitants, most of whom didn't know what a preacher looked like till I came. There were two saloons, which ran twenty-four hours a day, including Sunday. I chartered a schoolhouse for services and began to get acquainted. Among my first Irlehds were the proprietors of the two saloons. The cowboys would ride in on pay day and shoot up the town. On one of these occasions I was passing down Main street and received a bullet nole through my hat. I took it off, ex- amined 1t and went on. A justice sug- gcsted that I might swear out a war rant, but I told him it was an old hat and didn't care about going to law over trifies. Somehow the bad men be- gan to evince sort of desultory inter- est Tn the services. They would always prlng heir guns along, but would nev- CT shoot 'em during meeting. l. never succeeded in getting more than four, members, but the congregations were fair.
 remember one day during services there was little ommotion in the back end. A tall fellow, Stewart by name, who had a splendid record as a dead shot, arose and said:
 Just stop a minute, parson, if you please J..
 "Then he and another man led a fel- low out. Presently they returned. ,4 All right, brother said Stewart; Toms just drunk little, but he won't bother you any more.'
 k They had taken him across to the tavern and locked him up in his room. ! "W. E. Willis, one of the most desper- ate men in the camp, came to me one day and said he wanted to be steward. . 'steward!' I. exclaimed. What would steward do?'
 Why he said, sit in the amen cor rfer an take up the collection. Give me - the job, parson, an you'll find healthy ante in the platt every Sunday
 "So I made him steward. He was as proud of is job as he could have been over brand new, Winchester. The collections were made in his piratical looking sombrero, and he always got results. I could hear his hoarse whis- per as he went from pew to pew.
 Damn you, shell out!' he'd say if a worshipper didn't show a disposition to contribute promptly.
 Sometimes 8 man would throw in a dime or a quarter, and if my steward didn't think he had put up as the Lord had prospered him he'd reach signifi- cantly toward is hip pocket and whis- per something that resulted in maer- ial addition to the church's revenue Col ions by the stewards persuasive system were always good, much better than I've ever had them since I re- turned to Missouri, and he uncontesti- bly demonstrated his fitness for the of flee. .2
 One day the presiding elder notified me he was coming to Los 'Cerrillos. knew he had never been up against the sort of moral atmosphere that blew over our valley, and I hustled around to get things in shape for a serious mind ed shepherd who might not appreciate the broad spirit of the citizens. I went first to 'Bill' and Ike who ran the two saloons and poker rooms, and said:
 .t'Boys, the boss is coming over to preach Sunday, and I'd sorter feel good if you fellows closed up during services and come out with your families
 "The two men eyed each other curi- ously minute, and Bill said as he hit his big fist down hard on the table:
 Damned if I don't do it, parson What say you, Ike?
 "'T'm in,' replied Ike, you can't get the bulge on me when it comes to 'li- gion!
 'They were both there, clean shaved and primped up like dandies. Every seat was occupied, and the steward made collection that did him proud. After the meeting was over the elder told me he had never addrssed a better behaved and more attentive crowd. He added the opinion that the reports of lawlessness out our way were greatly overrated A committee of the best cit izens, saloonkeepers, bartenders, poker dealers and; others accompanied him to the depot the next day and gave him a send-off that would have been an honor to a grand duke. could see it tickled him immensely. Within ten minutes after his train had gone the card ta- bles and bars were in full blast again.
 Next year was removed to Watrous, one hundred miles away, and only wis ited Los Cerrillos once a month to preach. One rough night when melt ing snow was coming down in great sheets I was waiting for the Santa Fe train to take me home. The train was tate There was no operator in the lit- tie station, and no place to go except the saloons to get warm. The train was somewhere down the line, only the winds and shelterless coyotes knowing its location. So I walked up and down 4, ~+,.oa+e shiverinp Once when