Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-10-18

lh"I was LIS udiue. eAplalneu 10 IN
that. having no money. that SCENE
the only way to get church. ii
showed us his own place. little shac
not unlike the others. but inclosed, an
planted with red geraniums. nastul
tiums and other bright things. '
AS far as | know" he told US, wit
pride, that is the first garden In Sal
Francisco" ,ss,....s-a .s.aa.s...
/ In the back yard he had inclose,
three chickens, two hens and cock.
81 paid SIS for them,' said he
| We looked ut each other in startled
establishment The sum appeared ;
/ tritie extravagant considering the jus
/ acknowledged impecuniosity Of tn,
church. He caught the glance.
Boys" he said quantity, San Fran
cisco Is very lonesome place for tn,
godly. The hosts of sin are very strong
and the faithful are very few. Morta
hesh is weak. and mortal spirit /.
prone to black encouragement Whei
bought those chickens bought SIS
worth OF hope. Somehow Sunday morn
ing seems more like the Sabbath with
them clncking around sleepy and lazy
and full of sum-"
We liked him so much that we turn
ed to at odd times and helped him with
his carpenter work. While thus en-
gagged he confided to us his intention
to preach against gambling the next
Sunday in the Plaza. We stopped ham
mering to consider this. 81.
! II shouldn't if l were YOU" said I,
The gamblers own the Plaza. They
are respected by the bulk of the com.
munity. and they won't stand any non.
sense. They, none Of them, think any.
thing of shooting man in their places.
don't think they will stand for it. |
am afraid You will be roughly han
died" - ~ g. a@--% '"+ Es#
More likely shot" put in Johnny
bluntly. AZ 40 r7-Fsrf@ssNr+ va
well. well, boys, Wen see" said
Taylor easily. .-.~ sS5
Nor could We move him in spite of
the fact that, as We came to see his
intention was real. we urged very ear
nestly against it. ~ &5#
We'll, if you will, you will,' johnny
conceded at last, with a sigh. Wen
see what we can do to get you fair
show" tk 1+ s$s
Now, that is just what don't want
you to do begged the old man ear
nestly. Il want no vain contention
and strife. II the Lord desires that I
preach to these sinners he win pro
tect me- a 48
In the end he eXtorted from us re-
luctant promise not to mingle in the
affair s. . 81 - -
Taylor arrived about 10 O'clock and
proceeded briskly to the pork barrel
that had been rolled out to serve as a
pulpit Hc, faced lowering. hostile
mob s r358k4 ssSg III 4
Gentlemen, said he,..if some means
Of communication existed by which
the United States could this morning
know, that street preaching was to be
attempted In the streets of San Fran
cisco. the morning papers, badly in-
formed as. to the temper and disposi-
ton OF the people of this new coun-,
try, would feel themselves fully justi-.
fed in predicting riot. if not actual
bloodslied. Furthermore. do not.
doubt that the greater dailies would
hold their forms open to report the
tragedy when news Of it should come
In. But we of the west know better
than that. We know ourselves rough
and ready. but we know ourselves also
to be lovers of fair play, We know
that. even though we may not agree
with a man, we are willing to afford
him fair hearing And as for riot
ing or ebloodshed, We can afford to
smile rather than become angry at
such wide miSconception of our de-,
cency and sense Of fair dealing" =
Having in this 'skillful fashion drawn
the venom from the fangs of the mob,
he Went directly ahead at his Sermon,
hammering boldly on his major the
sis. He finished in a respectful Silence,
closed his Bible with snap and strobe
away through the lane the crowd open.
ed for him. ESQ 2W DnH H2jGH n
Truth to tell. there was much in the.
sermon. Gambling. although co0aEl-
cred one Of the respectable amuse-
ments, undoubtedly did great deal
Of harm. Men dropped their last cents
at the tables. I remember one young
business man who had sold out his
share in his firm for $4,000 in cash
Ind three notes for $1,000 each. He
lad every intention of taking this lit
lie fortune back to his family in the
east, but he began gambling. First he
ost his $4,000 in cash. This took him
lust two days. After vacillating an
other day he staked one of the notes,
1t discount. Of course. This he lost.
\ second note followed the first, and
everybody confidently expected that
he third would disappear in the same
ashton. But Jim Rocket. who was
'ery good sort, took this man aside |
md gave him good talking to-. .,
You COMPOUNDED fool said he,
you're barred from my tables. My
dvice to you is to go to your old part.
lers. tell them what an ass you've
made of yourself and ask them to let
'ou have few thousand on that last
ote. And then you leave on today's
Panama steamer. And, say, if they
Won't do it, you come to me- fl. ..
The young fellow took his advice.
CHAPTER XXI, u
The Catastrophe.