The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-03-16
BISHOP TALBoT's WAY.
Canvassed Saloons for an Audience in
 Wyoming Mining Town.

Wyoming Mining Town.
 As I walked down the street, I saw advancing toward me an elegantly dressed gentleman with large dia- monds shining on his spotless linen, There were seven saloons in a row. As drew near my handsome young friend and was about to, extend my hand, he surveyed me, concluded I was a parson and might wish to interview him on some subject with which he was not familiar, and suddenly disap- peared into one of the saloons,
 Twice defeated, I went back to the hotel and asked Col Burns, the pro- prietor, to let me have some large writ ing paper. In bold hand I wrote out a few notices. I announced that, as bishop of Idaho. l had come to the camp and would preach the next morn ing, Sunday, at Il o'clock and in the evening at s; that both serices would be in the dance hall. All were cordially invited to attend. Then the colonel let me have some tacks. soon dis covered that my method of advertising was not likely to be successful. What more could 1 do? As I walked by the saloons, I observed that they were full of men. If only were not bishop, I reflected the problem would be easy of solution; for then l could go into the saloons where the men are and deliver my invitation in person; but how would it look for bishop to visit such places, even with the best of motives? At last I became desperate. 1 selected the
 first saloon in the row. I went in. introduced myself to tt1e proprietor. l
 told, him I was the bishop of Idaho and had come in to pay my respects to him. He met me very cordially. Why bishop, I am proud to know you, What
 will you have?"
 I thanked him and told him I should
 be greatly indebted to him if lle would kindly introduce me to those gentle
 men, pointing to a large room back of the saloon, where the men were
 gathered Do you mean the boys in
 the pool room?" he asked Yes pre- sume I do." Thereupon he came out from behind the counter, put his arm in mine in familiar way, as though we had been boon companions all our lives, and escorted me to the open doorway
 of the pool room. Boys he cried out,
 hold up the game Put up the chips
 just minute This Is the bishop right among us, and he wants to be in 1 troduced" With a politeness and courtesy which would have done credit to any drawing room in New York or
 Boston or Philadelphia, the men rose from their seats and welcomed me. l said briefly: Excuse me, gentlemen;
 I do not wish to interfere with your
 pleasure or your amusement. l have
 just come to pay my respect to you, l am the bishop, and am going to hold services in the dance d1all tomorrow morning at Il and in the evening at &, and I shall be very glad to see you
 there" l remember that one of them, evidently speaking In representative capacity, thanked me for letting them
 know, and asked me again the hour,and
 assured me they would all be present. In this way I visited all the seven | saloons in the row.
 l Coming out of one of the saloons, I
 suddenly encountered on the street my | little friend Brother May, the new minister in the, camp He gave me a
 look of comminged surprise and pity, and with it slight touch of scorn; but
 no words were exchanged between us,
 When, after my visitation of the saloons. returned to my hotel, I found Brother May with his face buried | in a newspaper. He hardly deigned to speak to me. He had been greatly
 shocked at seeing me emerge from a l saloon. His ideals of the episcopal office had received terrible blow. l asked him some questions. He hardly vouchsafed reply, I tried him again. At last he put down his paper, and, | looking at me with much-aggrieved | expression. said Look here bishop l didn't see you coming out of sa- | loon?'
 "Ye, Brother May, you did; and if
 you had watched me you would have | seen me coming out of seven" well"
 he continued, "all have to say is I am
 sadly disappointed in you. My heart
 had gone out to you, and I was thank ing God for sending you to this awful
 place. and now to think of bishop goA l ing into one of those ls!"-Harper' s
 Magazine.