Weekly journal-miner., 1915-12-29

To blaze the Trail of the Cross through the Western wilds and bear the Word of God unto the ulregen' crate of former generation running at large therein, was a mans job, and not every dominee who essayed the task, however willing he might be, made good. Those who did make good labored in a fertile field over grown with a luxuriant crop of di- versihed weeds.
 Broadly speaking, those priestly zealots of past era in the West, who tramped shoulder to shoulder with the pioneers in the vanguard of civilization, had neither parishes nor parishioners; and being unhampered by the confning bonds of the former and the exactions of the latter, spread the gospel of salvation impartially, without fear or favor, holding them selves accountable alone to the Mas ter in whose service they were en- listed. They were courageous and efficient chieftains of the Church Militant-veterans of many conflicts in which they smote the powers Of darkness, hip and thigh.
 Physically and mentally virilc and living much in the open, they read understandingly the rock-bound Book of Nature and found within its sunlit covers a promise as precious and a message as divine as any contained in the Bible that rested in the pocket just above their pistol holster.
 It was no purse7proud, holicr-than- thou doctrine they cxpounded-no charity, scrimped and iced, that fell from their open palms Humble min isters, they were comforted and sus- tained by sublime faith in the etern al goodness of the Almighty, and were content to do His work in low ly albeit sometimes riotous places.
 Being the sort of men they were, they commanded the respect and not infrequently the affection of the black sheep they shepherdcd. Any mem Der of the nondescript populations of the nondescript mining camps and frontier towns within their spiritual folds would if necessary have tough; to the death in their defense, and would as soon have bought chips in game that was 'brace" as have offered them insult The gamblers and oth CT denizens of that uncharted region known as the underworld called them square parsons" and boosted their game along" as they termed it, with the same cheerful prodigality with which they bought booze at honky- tonk dance
 Strange as it may appear to per sons unfamiliar with the free and easy social standards which prevailed in the West of the yesterycars, a spirit of camaradcrie marked the intercourse of the preacher with his ungodly flock-fnding its inspiration on the ono side in an esteem based upon a clean life free from frills, and upon tne other in an appreciation of the generous impulses hidden in the breasts Of the hard-swcaring, hard drinking men and women to whom he felt called upon to minister.
 Possibly the great need of these wanderers for spiritual help tended to strengthen the tie.
 Be that as it may, certain it Is that their confidence in the parson was i'm plicit and their association with him unhampered by that aloofness which, in what we arc prone to consider as more gentecl times, so often tends to set the preacher apart from his par ishioncrs.
 The simple-heartcd men who spoke the Word in those days had absolute faith in the underlying good of all humanity, be it clad in scarlet or in white and those among whom they laborcd never betrayed the trust.
 There is, however. all exception to every rule, and so it remained for the rngodly mining camp of Crcedc, Colorado. to demonstrate this eXcep- ton to the established order in its treatment of ono of the most thor oughly liked and respected ministers Of the period 10 which l refer. Still, after all, Crccde didn't treat him so badly, even if tho Lobster Kid, most unrcgcneratc individual, did purploin his pants and poke"
 It is not necessary, nor do l con sider it proper to write the clergy mans name here. The recording an- gel has undoubtedly written it large