The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-22

depot had been bui1t-the place is
now an important town in Wyoming
and the agent offered the waiting
room and the platform for our use in
lieu of a church building. One Sum
day night preached to a large group
of people occupying the room and
overlooking onto the depot platform.
The crowd was made up mostly of
men. There were few women in the
camp as yet for it was just being
opened up and there was great rush
of men. In front of me on a settce
was man who seemed to be decidedly
interested in my message. After the
service as he left he gave me a warm
hand clasp and said he would he
back. 1 did not quite catch on" be
what he meant.
There was no hotel in the camp and
the agent invited me to share his quar-
ters which l gladly did. We sat up
late chatting about the development of
the place when there was a loud knock
at the door. When it was opened in
rushed my friend who had seemed 50
interested in the service. in his hand
quart bottle full to the neck with
good whisky" he said, himself in
the same condition. Holding the bot
tie forth he said, ''Parson have a
drink, that was a rafting good SER
mon, have something on it." L did not
have anything on it and it was hard to
make him believe that I meant no
discourtesy. Finally he said, We'll
WE'LL guess you'll have to take dinner
with me tomorrow L did so and [
found in him a bluff hearty Irishman
with a great big heart and a love for
the finer things of life, who had
thrown himself into and almost away
in the reckless abandon of the west
ern mining camps. He became my
fast friend. and though not of my
faith he was generally at the waiting
room when religious services were
held.
Trail Over the Mountains.
L shall not forget that trail across
the mountains. 1 can see it yet. l
Some time in the night, then again
through the storms, then under the
glorious sapphire of the Wyoming sky
ever and anon the trail crossed by d
deer or an antelope and not in
frequently a wolf or a coyote send
ing a culver into the air; it was in
teresting and worth while.
Though the men are pretty rough
in the mining camps of the west there
is something innate which responds to
the appeal of simple worship. Pipes
and tobacco and the "quid" were at
the service but the men were reverent
and how they would sing and how
still they would be during the reading
of the Bible and with what patience
they would listen to the story as pre-
scented by the missionary. Whenever
a man would make a start there was
no disparagement of his efforts. Ev-
cry fellow in the camp was ready to
give him a chance. The motto was
fair play in religion as well as in a
fight. And sometimes what heroism
thew exhibited! An accident happen
ed. A pocket of gas and a lighted
lamp and disaster. But there was
never a lack for volunteers to go to
the rescue of a brother. There was a
subtle tie which knit them together
through the risk and the danger about
them. Harold Begbie tells the story
of transformations in the purlieus of
the cities but there is many mis-
sionary of the frontier who can
dnnIicate his stories and put into
them even more of a vital thrill.
The missionary of the Christian
church has made a real contribution
to the developing life of the mighty
Westi