The San Francisco call., 1906-04-15

But we aid not
understand. not all Of Us at least the
personality behind the story
For the authors name. A. B. Ward
awakened no recollection Of earlier
successes. though il was difficult TO be-
lieve that so strong book, one equai-
ing The Tirginian' and The SKY
PILOT in power and interest as all the
reviewers agreed, could be a writer
hrsr effort.
And now, when the novel il at the
hight Of its popularity. II is learned
rhsr the Sage Brush Parson in real
life is none other than George Whar-
TON James Of Pasadena. whose name Is
we'll known TO readers Of The Sunday
call
The chief incidents Of the story are
lascd uron his .'fc in the mining CAMPS
Of ->.vada. whore Ger seven wears ne a
bored a. a .Ic;hColst preaeAer me pa
son Of sage brush land
Tn talking Of his experiences while n
the East. an Amherst woman, Mrs Alice
Ward Bailey. a great friend Of the laJe
Bishop Huntington and Of H NJ Alden
editor o. Harper's. and writer whose
work was Well and favOrably KNOWN was
so interested in them that she asked 20
be allowed 10 write them The result was
that Afr James worked with her in the
making Of this book He filled her fuil
of the Nevada spirit; his vivid word pic
tu-es SO fred her Imagination that she,
wrote As though she herself had lived
among the scenes she depicted. He told
The stories of his experiences with COW
BOYS miners. desperadOes and saloon
keepers with a breezlness and snap tn9t
made them fun Of life. and this lie was
comnunicated TO the book. And the funny
ming is that some Of the Eastern review
ers know SO little OF Western life as 10
speak Of the absolute iTnprObability Of
some parts Of the book, naming those
that are strictly true
The hero Of the book is the Rev. Glenn
eat Vaughan. a young Englishman, who
came 10 Nevada for his health. He had
preached a good deal in England, but
had given up the ministry TO STUDY TO be
a uhrsician. But soon after he reached
Nevada. his sister who had married and
was living in a mining camp with her
family urged him TO return 10 his God
called work Of the ministry. After quite
. cou7fct he did so and the book Is A
record OF his life in the mining camp Of
Eureka OF course there is a great deal
Of romance woven into Mrs. Bailey's
clever story but the earlier part Of the
book Is based upon the actual facts that
rransDired In the life Of George Wharton
James who acknowledges the truth OF
this statement
T-his IS how Mrs. Bailey tells the story
Of how her hero, Clement Vaughan, got
q CONGREGATION He had preached for two
Sundays 10 about a dozen people This
did not suit the young and impetuous
Englfshmsn- He wanted a congregation
ard he meant TO have IL How was ne
70 get It?
The following Sunday he called on Jack
Perry. the leading saloon-keeper IN town,
and got him 10 persuade four miners 20
help carry his church organ 10 the corner
opposite. where the keeper Of the saloon
had consented TO allow the young parson
70 hold an outdoor service. Now TO the
hook: To hear music on the streets
Of Eureka was not unusual; guitars and
banjos thrummed merrily from open door
vays harps and violins sighed unseen,
q brass band now and then paraded nois-
flv. but nothing like this far-reaching,
voice at one with the organ,
had been heard before.
ssTVhat t'heIlr" cried one and another IN
Jack Perry's, and pushed their way out
OF the door TO look
sJackson's got some one sing1n' for MIN
70 draw" they said. Heads appeared at
windows Little groups Of men and wom-
en- strolled I'd the street.
Vaughan watched them Hymn after
hvran he sang, until they were near. Then
- s+ood IN before them and began to
plead his cause.
INV friends he said earnestly, ''you
are wondering why 4 am here. The rea-
son Is this: Ny church has sent me 70
breach me glad tidings Of life. liberty
z-d hardness TO every man, woman and e
-hfl6 Of this city Ny message has been
-eadv. rve stood down yonder at the
church ready 70 deliver It, but none OF
YOU came TO hear. So have come TO