The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-24

in SEEING tribal characteristics The
hfather is short and stout. and round
lab0ut. but not at all clumsy or an
wieldy. he has "A broad. fiat back,
short neck and square shoulders. His
fest are small and shapely, while his
1 hands are not only small. but soft as
an i5le womans. and he has soft,
fatherly way of turning those hands
one over the other upon his full chest
/ as though he were a very helpless,
amiable and kindly person.
Father Ryan's nard. square head is
set upon his shoulders as though it
were put there TO stay The back of
his head is a feature of great express
sion. and the meaning OF it is-war.
| Were IL rot for a face as fresh and
bland as the face of a blonde young
| female saint Father Ryan would pass
FOR belligerent person.
Before Father Ryan came quietly
into our tough mining town we had
never observed any suspicious reli-
| giCGs Chara rter housing around for a
/ gospel ranch. In fact none Of US ever
[ had taken thought to ask if any man in
/ the camp had any religion of any kind;
but when Father Ryan came there he
| seemed to know all about it, He called
| the people of mis- faith together. or Wis
| tied them one at a time and began
with his own hands. assisted by others,
to grade a level spot on one Of the
rock-faced hills surrounding the town.
! When we stopped on our way TO and
/ from work. and asked: ''Whatr goin'
to put up" the father stood up and
replied
a small edihce to the worship of
/ Coo"
! oh, church. eh?"
] We'll. begging your pardon. hardly
q church. but bit Of chapel just
Vt was no easy matter to collect the
money TO pay for the religious build
! ing in our camp because we had all
| been 50 long away from religious in
| fiuences that We thought such notions
superfuous. Full many harsh re-
fusal and profane snub fell t.. the lot
of Father Ryan as he went from mine
to mine on Day DAYS in his effort to
gather into the treasury of the Lord a
! small part Of the hard earnings, much
| 0f which otherwise was destined to
| cross the green cloth of the gaming ta-
BILE But his ''rfverence' abated no jot
OF his good humor, nor one iota OF his
perseverance. and he seldom il ever
went empty away.
ITS fearful atmosphere this. on
The lungs" he would say; lit makes
me puff like fat mar in fut-race."
I'll tell you what'n sure We of that"
/ Deed 1 wish you would then"
| Change shifts with me for a
month"
Deed ! would then If / could be
Iieve that either of US could do the
I work of the other it ought to be
done. I'd take your advice, and be glad
To do IT.
"Tm afraid you'd peter. padre. in
the lower levels. Mighty warm doTn
there
Evil well l know it's truth you re
| speaking about the heat and hard Ia
Dor down below" said the father. with
his kindIiest smile, ''and I know Tn
not equal to you i'm bodily powers: but
there is still a lower level. where it's
not TO say warm, but powerful not,
ana I'm striving my utmost to Keep
you out o. that"
.All right padre: If you can copper
hell we'll chum On the chipSF and the
hard hand of the miner passed his re-
Tffgicus contribution into The soft hand
of the priest.
Il cannot say that clearly compre-
bend your words. but your actions
have an elegance that moves me Il
nix Won now and forever
Thus ne went about tie hills. puff
fng, talking and gathering The soul
tax. The miners. with or without re-
gard TO his religious exertions. came to
like him in & pale, mild, moderate sor;
of way; but there came time at last
I wheE he developed traits-or. as the
miners say. "let himself out''-in such
q way that their liking became almost
enthusiastic.
When Father Ryan was building his
chapel. Two of the larger works an
nounced that their mines would pay of
Oh the day before Christmas and shut
down fer repairs during the, holidays.
Now about half way between these
shutdown mines and the town there
was little place of refreshments
mostly alcoholic and nicotian. II was
a rough log-on-end building. rooted
| with willows. Overlaid with rye grass
and weighted down wifi a coating OF
earth. The two ends fitted up against
the rocky sides of graded recess. The
rear formed one side of square. un.
rooted theatre, the other side of which
was walled about by the quarried faces
of the natural rock. shortly after the
Inauguration Of alcoholic entertain.
ment in the house. there. was an i'm.
prCmptu wrestling bout in this conve-
nient but crude arena. and from that
day forward the house and place be-
came known among the silver hills as
the collar and Elbow
The Collar and Elbow" thenceforth
became g sort of fierce gymnasium. al
which all feats of strength were per-
formed-mostly wrestling, lifting, box
ing and the like, with now and then a
square fight in dead earnest
On New Years day the Collar and
Elbow was Hospitality dispensing free
egg-nog 70 its patrons, and the low log
house was full of noisy. brawny men,
talking, gestieulating. drinking, smok-
ing and profaning. Father Ryan came
beaming like a stout cherub into the
crowd and. taking off his hat, said in
a mellow, soft voice, as he laid the hat
upon the end of the counter:
"A happy New Year to You. gentle
men. one and all, and many happy re-
turns Of the same"
'sHelle. padre, come up and take a
drink with the boys" said stout min
er in a rough yet kindly way.
Well" said his reverence. mot wish
ing TO spoil eonviviality in moderation.
I'll do it,
Bully for you. old man. Give the
padre bumper o. nog."
mo. il you will excuse me- SAID the
father, ITS not egg-nog I'll take, but a
glass of wine. I've poor head for
mixed liquors.