The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1922-04-12
BRINGING RELIGION TO KNIGHTS
OF THE CROSSCUT SAW
BY CLARENCE N COOK

Probably not many men during
their life work have met with more
thrilling adventures and yet remain
ed unframed, than has David Crudcn.
AS boy he spent hours poring over
stories of adventure. While he read
OF deeds Of men in the Far West and
North, Of the mounted police and the
lumberjacks, he longcd in his little
home in Scotland for glimpse Of the
great and uncxplorcd territories with
which the tictionists seemed so famil-
Jar. Years aftcrward, Fate led Cru
den into many ST. ge quarters and
through hair-raisihg adventures. At
tackled ty n hlack hear and packs of
timber wolves, caught in The .mdst Of
Il log jam, surrounded in his home
came through mscratched
But these have not been the things
which have worried Crudcn most.
-Four children have come to grace the
Crudcn household. The first, David,
Jr, now II years old, was Dor in
England; Harry, 10, claims Scotland
rs his birthplace; Clifton, eight, was
born in Mcmillan, Michigan, and
Adela, four, was born in Canada.
when these four grow up and ar
various birthplaces | don't know
how l shall settle the disputes" said
Crudcn. "Probably the same God will
come to my aid who has carried me
through many another perilous place
Thcreupon hangs the story.
David Cruden decided early in life
to be a minister. Then he was mar
,cd and it was while finishing his
theological studies in England that
first child was born. He returned to
Scotland, later to America and finally
was assigned to the little town Of
Barwick, Ontario He took his sta
tion up north, "whcrc," he says, "thc
valleys are chock-full of silence and
crystal air is bathcd in pine scent"
There, several weeks ago, the Rev.
Mr.. David Y. Crudcn finished six
years preaching the gospel to the
lumbcrjacks.
His wasn't VIII ;c-colar job with
railing in front of the pulpit, a pipe
organ and choir. The Rev. Mr..
drive miles, pull into a lumber camp,
unhitch, feed his huskics at the
cook-sh door and deliver his ser
mon across 4 log.
'Somctimcs at meals, when the men
were all gathered around, we could
have n little song fest, or | might
be allowed to deliver a short prayer,
but out in that great open country,
with God all around, those men had
no time for Il peg with clothes on it
and a lot of fine words," he said.
"Thcy were men and had no time
fC any one who was not one Of them.
A minister had to go out and rough
it the same as the natives. He had
to give and take. II was continual
battle against the clements as well
as the devil
"Out 60 miles past the edge Of
civilization race Of men have grown
up who are honest and God-fcarinG,' -
continued the minister. at is part
of the unwrittcn law Of the timber
lands to respect thc rights and wishes
of the other fellow. The men are boil
atcrous, yes. They talk loudly, Ger
tainly. Swear? They do, but not
many times. | believe, in the way
that takes the name Of the Lord in
vain. The men I knew at the little
town Of Barwick were not bad lot.
In the phrascoiogY Of the country
arc expressive words that are CON
dcmncd in polite society, but it is
hard for me to believe that sin was
committed every time man said
damn
Not all the work done in the lumber
regions was actually in the camps
themselves, for the minister had a
church as Barwick When he first
went there he found no parsonage,
just the church. For while he lived
at hotel. Two hundred and fifty
claimed Barwick as their home. The
church was schoohousc on week
days. Later, a house was given to
him. Different camps near by donat-
cd the lumber, men came for one day
TO assist in the erection Of the frame
work. The remainder of the building
was done by the minister himself. He
painted the outside, two shades Of
green hiding it among the pines that
stood in the yard.
On the first New Years night he
spent in the Northand, the minister
came driving across the hills and
valleys on his return from assisting
at a religious service some 40 miles
from his home. The moon was down
and the northern lights shonc in the
sky. His horse champcd the bit in
eagcrness to be home, when suddenly
ahead there appeared from behind a
bush two balls Of fire. 1t was the
boldest Of q large pack Of timber
wolves. The lantern on the dashboard
Of the cutter showed dim form