The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-07-27


The little town of NJ has a his
tory that run back to the days when
the southern edge of Kansas looked
put upon a vast unsettled tract Of In
dian land. For years this border
country had been the rendezvous OF
The cattlemen, who used the range
below, and Of the various outlaws and
criminals who had made the Indian
lands their hiding place.
A little branch ran down to c.,
; little town on the Kansas side of
The line, and at the time of the run"
some of the best citizens of c.,
anticipating the extension of the rail-
road into the new territory, laid out
} new town site on the Oklahoma
side of the line, OF a piece of ground
that was a far more convenient site
han the old Kansas town of c..
From the birth Of NJ there
was a keen and bitter strife between
The two towns. No less than three
men were shot down in the streets in
broad daylight in the course of the
Hrst few years, and several cases of
arson were supposed to have origin
ated in the rival town. The two sa-
looms in NJ we're kept busy from
The start, and C kept pace with
q joint and gambling den. The repu-
.ation of the two towns was known
tar and near.
About six years after the opening
Of "ths strip while on a visit to a
member oiour Salem church, We were
discussing the question of missionary
work, when it vas suggested that if
I were looking for a really typical
missionary field I should find it at
NJ. My informant had owned a
"claim" near NJ in the early days,
and his statements were so strong
that I was tempted to investigate at
once.
I found a busy little burg that
drew trade for more than thirty
miles, but there was no church in
sight, and I was informed that Sun
day was a "wide-open" day. Horse
races, foot races, drinking, gambling
were the rules. Sunday-school the ex-
ception, and all attempts at preach
ing had thus far ended in failure.
But I found, as is often the case, that
1t is darkest just before dawn. Even
the supposedly irreligious were dis
satisfied with conditions, and one in
dividual. reputed to be an atheist, Of
sered to donate SIS towards the
building of a church.
I could only discover three profess
ing Christians in the town, but de-
cided to commence permanent work,
and took up a regular appointment at
the school-house twice a month.
On my third visit I was sitting in
the hotel about seven o'clock on Sat-
urday evening. when l heard two
shots fired on the street and a good
deal of confusion and noise. In a
few minutes the hotel door opened
and I saw someone reckoning to me
to come out. Instinctively guessing
what was on foot. I asked my visitor
what he wanted. His answer was
that he wanted me to come over and
have a drink with him! I thanked
him politely, but told him that drink
ing was not one of my usual habits.
He then suggested a cigar. but again
thanking him. I told him I did not
smoke. Not to be outGone, he then
offered to compromise 10y treating me
to some lemonade at the restaurant,
AS I happened to know that the
restaurant keeper was one Of the
three protesting Christians OF the
town, ! readily acquiesced, thinking
that, once inside the restaurant,
should find some way to take care 0!
my generous friend. for it was evident
that he would need a guardian before
long. When we arrived at the restau'
rant it was locked. The proprietor
was justice of the peace, and had
gone in search of special constables to
-aulot tho