Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1905-02-18
CHAPTER l.

events which began in my fourteenth
year, l must glance back at the carrier
years Of my childhood, and at those who
influenced it.
My earliest recollections are of Tab
ernacle House; previous to those, all Is
dim and shadowy. Tabernacle House
was an establishment kept by the Rev.
Obadiah Porter, for the reception OF
some half dozen boys.
The reverend pedagogue was a man
whose satyr-like face greatly belied ms
professions of profound piety. could
not understand, child as l was, how II
ever came into his head to set up as
TUTOR, or how parents or friends could be
induced to confde the education or emil
dren to the care of a man deficient III
the commonest rudiments of learning
His original occupation was that OF
shoemaker, and his hands still retained a
coarse grimed look. His bullet-shapeo
head was covered with a thick mass
of hair, which had a shaggy, ragged APP
pearance from being cut in irregular
lengths, or rather chopped away III
pieces. His forehead was very low. lie
had thick, shaggy eyebrows, and small
snake-like eyes. In stature he was Snort
thickset, bull-necked; his arms were re-
markably long, his feet splay and Ill
shaped.
Obadiah Porter was widower, with
one daughter. SO powerfully have terri
BILE events engraven her after-image upon
my mind, that l can scarcely recall It's
first impressions. l think she must have
been about fifteen or sixteen, L being
some five or six, when l first saw her.
She did not bear the slightest resem-
bance to her father; she was tall, thin;
her hair was bright red, her complexion
pale, her eyes large, her features dell
cate. and sharply cut. To this young
lady was handed over the tuition of her
fathers pupils.
There were five besides myself. There
was a strange bond of sympathy be-
tween us all-not one of us knew any
thing of our parents. One knew an
aunt, another an uncle, third a grand
mother, or a grandfather, or guard
ian, but no father or mother.
1t was a popularity of Mr.. Porter S
establishment that he did not take boys
who had parents. His advertisement in
the newspapers ran thus: 1.-The Rever-
end Obadiah Porter undertakes the cFre
education and religious training of or
phan boys from the earliest age. I'm
discretion will be given. n. B.-No hol
idays."
1t Is not my intention to linger upor
this period or enter into any minute de
scriptions of our uninteresting, monoton
GUS life. The years crept on, and were
almost wholly passed within the pre-
cincts of Tabernacle House. 1t was I
fine, old-fashioned dwelling. 1t had large
gardens back and front-the latter be
ing screened from the road by higl
wall-besides an extensive orchard an'
a paddock Altogether, it was quite
gentleman's house. But rents are won
derfully low in these parts. Mr.. Por
ter was very well-to-do. His boarder
alone brought him in a respectable in
come; his chapel was well attended; AM
he numbered many of the most prosper
GUS Mawworms of the town among hi
congregation, to one of whom-a Mrs
Humphries-this house belonged
BY and by there were changes. On
boy left, and then another; but other
took their places. Grim looking person
came to take them away; but, except i
one case, we knew nothing of their FL
ture destiny or destination. and the
dropped out of our lives completely.
upon the world. and ought never to hav
been born.
The exceptional case / mention wa
that of a boy named Josiah Cook, whoI
Mr.. Porter had transferred from HI
care to that of a printer in the town, g
an apprentice. l little thought thi
Cooks transference to Bury would s
materially influence my own future lii
that out of that event would spring q
incident destined to shape it's whole fl
ture course.
There was one large room at the tc
of the house, in which we six boys slep
two in each of the three beds. Coo
was my bed fellow, and we were ia
friends and companions. He was a Dol
venturesome boy, and on the last rigl
of his sojourn amongst us he propose
the daring plan of some night paying
secret visit and relating all the "a
ventures" he should experience in
new home.
81 can easily climb over the gard
wall from the next field" he said g
look out, boys; if you hear sto
thrown up at your window, it will
me-"
Six months passed away and
heard nothing more of Cook. He W
rapidly fading out of our thoughts, vile
one autumnal night we heard sha
crack az our bedroom window. The DO
est Of our number gently lifted the sa.
and peered out. 1t was a bright moe
light night, and he saw, standing in I
garden beneath, the well-known fgl
of our old companion.
The back of the house was cover
with fine old pear tree. 1t had
been pruned for several years, ahd h
thrown out its wood somewhat wildly.