The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-02-08
BAPTIST MINISTER
HAD VARIED LIFE
New Winnemucca Preacher, Born an
Infidel, Has Led Life of Adven-
ture on Western Borders
and Canadian Wild

| ture ON Western Borders
| and Canadian Wilde
Rev. E. B. johnson, who has re-
Gently been appointed by the Me-
vada-Sierra Baptist convention as
district superintendent for this state,
will make his headquarters in VIM
nemucca and serve as pastor of the
local Baptist church until the church
is able to call man to locate here
permanently. Rev. Johnson arrived
here several days ago and will soon
be followed by his wife and children.
1t is Rev. Johnson's plan to bring
before the people of Winnemucca
'the truths of the Scriptures" he
says, in his own unique way that has
proved SO successful in the Dakotas
and in the mighty provinces Of the
Canadas, where he has held forth in
past years.
He is eminently fitted for this pc
culiar work, as he himself is the son
of an infidel lecturer and leader of
men. His parental home was the
headquarters of the Infidel Club,
where he as a boy took lively in
terest in the discussions pro and
con by the members of the self
styled Freelance Society, of the
great questions of the Bible.
Being raised on the frontier amid
the hardships of pioneer life, one of
the first recollections Of his child
hood was seeing his mother standing
in the center of the cabin with the
trusty old-fashioned muzzle-loading
rifle in her hand, protecting her
family from the swarthy Sioux who
had that day killed and scalped a
neighbor. The father was on trip
for provisions, the nearest trading
post being Fort Omaha, sixty miles
away.
Surrounded with such environ
ment as is usual on the extreme
border of civilization, the future
missionary became Injured to the
hardship that falls to the lot Of the
boys of the frontier, but with this
difference-the border lad was not
deprived of books, as the home was,
for that day and place, we'll sup
piled with literature.
The father being a great traveller,
both by sea and land, the only book
that was tabooed was the Bible.
Before the age Of ten the lad was
acquainted with Shakespeare, Dick
ems and other good books, and some
that were not as good, such as Vol
taire, Tome Paine and later Inger-
sol. Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill were
at that time carrying on their ac-
tivities not far from the home Of
the border lad. These heroics, with
the life of Kit Carson, were read
with interest. Compelled to leave
home at the age Of thirteen years,
he met with Christian people, and
from them received the book of
books, the Bible. This book soon
captivated the entire mind of the
boy. 1t was read with great avidity.
It was more interesting to him than
the classics, more interesting than
the border tales. Having run the
whole gauntlet Of infdelity, the
Bible stories were not new, but had
been heard from the standpoint of
the agnatic, now indirect study of
the living teachings of "Jesus, the
Galelean Prophet" light brake in. q
darkened soul that was longing to
know the why of things. From this
day the word of God was to the
poor wanderer the divine message
of hope.
Drifting here and there, some
times among Christian people, most
of the time the struggle for exist
ence, in the frontier towns, took
him among many kinds of lawless
people, or struggling for an educa-
ton, going to night school or pri-
vate study. The divine teachings OF
the Christ held him entranced. The
Bible was the very life and heart OF
. God, revealed to men.
At seventeen years of age he be-
came a preacher sent Of God with q
manly message to red-blooded men
At twenty Mr.. johnson was or
dained to the full ministry and be.
came pastor of one Of the churches
of Omaha, Nebraska. Later he fin
: ished his education at colleges il
Nebraska and Chicago.
But the call Of the wild luret
. him back to the beloved west ant
! north, and his life and adventures
among the grand old-time ranchmeI
!; Of the northwest, as well as with tn
I relocated mounted police Of Can
ada, is another tale.
Rev. johnson Is now here an,
8 plans to organize an inter-churcl
9 Bible class to study the Bible from
= the historical, philosophical and sci
b entific standpoint. The plan will b.
laid before the people in = fev
days