Bisbee daily review., 1908-03-03

EXPERIENCES
Of SKY PILOT
Sole Minister of Gospel In New
Mexico Coal Mining Camp
Tells of His Work and the
Methods Employed.
(Ry Rev. Kenneth BROWN


(By Rev. Kenneth BROWN
DAWSON, N. NJ, March 2.--For the
past twenty months l have been the
sole minister of the gospel in this
busy coal mining camp in the noun
tains of New Mexico, $500 feet above
the level OF the sea, nearly forty miles
from the nearest brother minister.
with a population of 5000 souls, and
about as many tongues are were pres
emit at Jerusale mon the day Of Pente-
cost, to reach with the gospel
The Dawson coal field is located in
Colfax county. New Mexico, at the
present terminus of the Dawson divi-
sion of the FL Paso and Southwestern
railroad, and also reached from Ration,
thirty-eight miles away, by the st.
Louis. Rocky Mountain & Pacific rail-
road by transfer at Vermejo. SIX miles
distant. 1t is owned and operated by
members of the Phelps-Dodge COM
pany, who have expended vast sums
OF money in develoment and the intro
duction of improved machinery and
methods during the past two years.
This has brought great, surging, un-
settled population from all over the
globe. The American or English
speaking people constitute probably as
much as onelffth of the population.
the Itlians and Mexicans each one
fourth, and about twelve other nation
alities may be found in the remainder
of the population Of the camp.
About a year ago was called upon
to conduct the funeral Of a Mexican
who had been suddenly killed by
lightning. He was a Catholic, but
some of the family had attended one
of our mission schools and the fam
lily had thus formed a friendship for
the Protestant church. A few months
after this, while making a census of
the camp, / happened 70 arrive at the
home of this same family at the time
of a marriage feast. The priest had
performed the marriage ceremony be-
fore departure Of the morning train,
and the whole day was occupied with
the fetivities OF the occasion. ] was
accorded the honor of being seated at
the first table with the bride and
groom and was much impressed with
the hospitality of these people and the
novelty Of the experience.
Not long ago l rode on horsebaci.
dL LuS hCdu VI lOuS Ol
Italian miners to the music of band
as they accompanied the mangled Te
mains of a brother who had been
crushed in the mine to his desolate
final resting place among the hills
These foreign people show great re-
spect to their dead. and we try to
help them by giving every man who
dies in the camp Christian burial.
The first funeral / was called upon
to conduct after the completion OF on:
church, was that of Japanese miner
and the audience was made up of
about forty Japapese, who entered in.
to the service with as much reverence
as have ever seen in Christian con
gregation
We have distributed tracts and gos-
pels in Spanish, Italian, Slavic, Japan
csc and Chinese. which is about all
that we can do for these foreigners
without being able to speak their Ian
guages. My wife and have had fea
helpers in the work Besides oIIr
main Sabbath school in the church,
we have had two other schools at the
extremities OF the camp, which were
largely attended by the ofreign chill
dren.
l have been addressed as parson,
elder, father, preacher, minister,
brother. doctor and micter, and the
last l like best of all.
In the latter part of the summer "a
prominent man OF the place asked me
if Iwould attend barbecue" or
boys were going to have a short
4 se4a 4h.a 4ol
the invitation with appreciation, and
was present at the time appointed.
The young veal filled the evening air
with saYory odor az 1t roasted over
the hot ashes. The first expression of
courtesy on the part OF the host was
a most earnest invitation to come OF
to one side and have drink. There
were bottles of soda water for the
temperate and beer and whiskey for
those who preferred them. After f1u-
ishing my. soda water the host ap-
preached me looking a little embar-
assed, and spoke about as follows:
Now it is not our usual custom, but
we would like to have you offer a
little prayer before we eat" and then
added, You might just pray the Lord
that the whiskey may do US no harm"
And another poor fellow who seemed
to enjoy the beverage more than was
good for him, added the requedt,
that it may never run out" ] sug-
gested to him how much better it
would be if it would never ru1 In, to
which they gave their unanimous ap
prevail. After this incident the host,
who was an ex-cowboy and a typical
western character, made little
speech TO the boys" in which he sug-
gested that if any OF them were in the
habit of using bad language he would
ask them to 'cut it out" a. they had
the preacher present with them. l
like these western "boys," there is
often more good bsnea'h their rough
exterior than they receive credit for.
How much better it would be II they
"cut out their bad language and whis-
ky drinking for good and realize that
there is always One present who is
more deserving of their respect than
the preacher"
Not long ago I was calling upon
patient in the hospital, a convelescsn.
from pneumonia who expected TO go
back TO his work IN a day or two. He
told mo that he haI he,rsa hrofarsff nm