Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-06-24

TO understand. With the exception OF
hotel and general store, the busi-
ness houses were saloons. OF these
there were about dozen kept by
young men. They went in early but
were willing to wait for business to
follow. The hotel, located at the
lower end of the street, near where
the depot now stands, was built in
the same order of architecture as the
other houses. 1t was the largest build
ing in town, perhaps fifty feet In
length, but without partitions.
A fellow named Randall was the
accommodating proprietor. At the
farther end in each corner were two
small bedrooms inclosed with muslin.
One was occupied by the landlord
and his wife. and the other by the
new school marin, Miss Blair This
young lady, possessing the good quail
ties of refinement and education went
from Fremont county to teach the first
school in Grand Junction and Mesa
county. The good people OF the vii
lage had built small school house OF
logs and earth up the street. In this
crude hut she gathered a few children
to teach and guide their steps to fu-
ture usefulness. In course of time
she conceived the idea of organizing
Sunday school in the little school
house on Hoodoo street.
This announcement was made at
the dinner table at the hotel and met
saloonkeepers. They promised not
only to advertise the meeting on the
doors of their places of business, but
at the hour named would close up and
attend Sunday school. The Saturday
preceding was spent by these men in
hauling water to wet down the dusty
floor and making benches after the
fashion of those in the hotel. A
member OF the order ii Seventh Day
Adventists, who CHANGED to be IA
| miliar with religious duties, was Sc
| lected to conduct the official exercises.
| On Sunday morning, the teacher with
| her little flock appeared early and
nestled In a far corner. The saloon
keepers began TO come in, most OF
! them bringing small pocket Bibles
and hymn books. The rough benches
were soon all occupied.
In their zeal to thoroughly lay the
dust the day before, the boys had
overdone the watering. The alkali
soil like wet sugar had lost its power
| of resistance AS fast as the men
| took their seats each multiplying
weight would gradually sink the wood
en- pegs that supported the benches
deeper down into the wet, trecherous
soil, until they disappeared, leaving
the seats resting fiat on the ground,
| with the knees of the occupants stick
| ing up almost as high as their heads.
| The hymn books represented all de
nominations. In opening the exer'
| cises the superintendent, with hymn
book in hand following the old time
style OF lining out as practiced back
in the Ozark mountains announced
Page 1i6-long meter-'How firm a
foundation ye saints of the Lord
Please rise and sing"
| At the conclusion of the hymn he
knelt down on the wet earthen floor
and offered the same prayer he had
always said. 1t lacked in Christian
inspiration, was inappropriate, far
fetched and out of sight. His theme
was "The End of the World" leaving
Grand Junction to go as she pleased
Arising from his devotion with large
agricultural patch on each knee. he
declared the school open. The Sunday
following Father, Dyer, a pioneer
Methodist minister, preached the best
sermon heard in the place. 1t was
full of nspiration.-Field and Farm