The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-24

'copyrisbt 1911 New rescrrcdl
>>R i | were getting ready for my work again.
seH said the Rev. Francis Il. Higgins, II would take
lessons In boxing" He smiled good humorcd
U smile from pair of Irshblue eyes The
man that goes into the woods to preach to men
has To bc man first and preacher aftcrward"
He Is Higgins just plain Higgins, 10 thc saloon
keepers he has put OF business and the he
has awakened 10 their duty out in the numbering
towns of the Great Lakes. But to his pnriShoncrs,
the men who cut the timber he is "the Pilot" He
has church His sermons are preached In the low
dimy lighted bunk house of the camp, with It's double
tier Of straw llcd hunks and red stove around
which hang the half dry 'macknaws" and mttens of
the And with blanket covered barrel for his
pulpit the Pilot breaches in the lingo his hearers
Perhaps 1t Is the story of tho Prodiga Son
"Be got tired of living at home with the old man
boys he packed his turkey out to blow his
stake. Where did he landE You know. He ended in
the snake room. And there the old man found him
and took him home and sobered him up"
Committees, officials and public sentiment are con
serving the forests. Higgins, single handed is con
serving the lumbcrJacks He has no church. but he
has congregation of 10000 Irish Scotch French
Canadian. AmercaD-they wait for him.
The missionary travels all over the timber region
of Minnesota with his of dogs. Although Hig
gins Is who weighs than TWO hundred
pounds his beautiful team dogs carried him forty
miles, TO Little Fork, In six and onc-haf hours When
there Is crust on the snow he travel anywhere
IN the open timber. regardless Of roads He says his
team is worth $500 To him
Sometimes he Is caught out night and Is obliged
TO camp In the woods He has small tent md builds
are in H. cuts boughs and fixes bed on the snow
and With dog each side of him he sleeps com
fortaby and with conscious security He feeds the
Dcp n nj IJe
rabbit or two during the day. Sometimes he cooks
part OF one for himself and gives the dogs all they
eat of the meat.
Higgins Is the first preacher that has found his
WHY 10 tns forest where there is no person except
ing the sturdy pioneer that blazing the way for civ
lization and progress and first meeting WAS held
IN The cabin of the oldest pioneer man who has not
had sight OF civilization for more than ten wears
There were twenty homesteaders present at the meet
Ing aud to their credit said that rcvercntJy they
sat and quietly they listened to the first spirtusI
sage.
HIS territory extends from Duluth 200 miles west
south TO brainerd and north 10 the Rainy Rb-er
There are $50 camps in this region
lumoer camp has much the appearance as a
very small and rough looking village The foreman ia
The arbiter of almost life and death and beyond his
say so" there Is court of appeal The activities
OF tho camp begin with the first streak OF dawn when
The cook begins TO prepare the morning meal which
consists chiefly OF beans porlidge and hot tea sweet
eued with molasses. After breakfast the men are
assigned TO their days work the hewers often going
tnrce OF four miles from camp The tesmsters got
reaoy 10 haul the first logs the railroad or tbe
river The teams are often composed of four to six
o'S 10 urag the monster logs. dashed together With
neavy chains, over the rough places and I'm tbo
grades. - '
lne men work until sundown Then tbav bo,
an " camp 10 prepare for supper the principal meal
the day. ltusually consists Of potaloo r,..,,, -,