Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1884 — SAYING GRACE IN MONTANA [ARTICLE]

SAYING GRACE IN MONTANA

[Bt, Paul Herald.] The other day a St. Paul minister answered a ring at his door-bell and found there a brawny frontiersman, wearing a buckskin suit and a white Mexican sombrero. He was invited into the study, and after seating himself, said: ‘Pardner I’m try in’ to case up a sky pilot to ladle out the savin’ grace to the boys in Raws on’s Gulch Montanny The barkeeper down to the Merchants’ Hotel told me you slung about the heftiest jaw in the holy line in St. Paul, an’ l thought I’d drop in an’ size you up.’ “If l Understand you, sir, lou desire to secure a pastor for your church out there.’ hat’s our little game 'ex* I actly, pard, and the boys con* ! sti tooted me an executive committee to come in ‘yar an’ run one down. " e want the best heavenly mouthpiece in the country, an’ we’ve got the dust to put up tor ’im.’ “Who was your last pastor!’ asked the minister. “Never had one. You see, the boys out thar never stood in much on the religious racket, but we’re -agoin’ to bank i big on savin’ grace in the future, an’ play ’er clear up to the

limit. Glad tidin’s o’ great joy s the winnin’ card at Raw.pon s from now henceforth an’ forever more, pardnur, an’ don t you forgit it*’

“You say you never had a minister? Wind, then, has caused this [sudden awakenings new desire for ‘l’ll tell you, card. li’s just like this. Thar’s a big rivalry at ween Rawson’s Gulch and Rocky Bar, about five miles furuder up the creek. The two camps liev bin fightiu’ fur the lead fur ayeer, an’ we’ve alia? s downed ’em on every p’int. Las’ week one o’ the boys went up thar an’ cum back an’ reported that the Rocky fellers had a preacher an that safvashun were a rimnin’ loose in the camp, an’ amazing grace war growm’ on the bushes. He said he heard the holy-bloke preachify ’imself an that lie dished up the livin’ word like a ten-times winner. Wal, that sort o’ paralyzed us, so to speak, an’ we call-

ed a meetin’ to see what war to be done. At fust it war perposed to go up thar of a Sunday an’ clean out the congregashun an’ hang the preacher, but we wan’t quite sure o’ the fightiu’ abilities o’ the meek air lowly worshippers up thar an’ mout get licked, so it war finally decided to tree a Gospel sharp, an’ that’s what l’m var fur now. The boys’ll treat you white pardner, an’ if you kin do up the Rocky Bar capper in the heavenly game, air put it all over 1m a soundin’ the glad tidin’s, yer fortune’s made. I like the cut o’ yer jib, paid, an’ I b’lieve you d shout salvation at us in a way that’d make the Rocky Bar galoots powiul weary.’

‘What denomination is in the majority out there! ‘None at'llil. You can play yer cards ter suit yersolf an’ come out jest as you think the hand orter be played. But say, pard, I reckon I wouldn’t ever give the boys a Baptist lay out to stay up to.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘ tVal, yer see, we ain’t much stuck on water out thar only from a business pint o’ view, waters all good enough an’ mighty vauable fur washin’ out dust, but aside from that tain’t much account. Still, if that’s yer lay, pardner, come right along, w e’l l take turns an’ keep you baptizin’ half the time, just to down them Rocky fellers. Thar’s a gang of twenty Chinamen workin’ a ulacef claim below us, an’ we kin run them up an’ let you souse the hull mob two or three times a week, if it’ll make the Rocky crowd think the good work’s movin’ right along.’ The minister was forced to decline the call, and the old man said as he rose to go: . ‘All right, paraner; no harm done, i’ll keep up the -hunt till 1 tree my man. We’ll down Rocky Bar on salvation if it’s in the pins. Good day, sir, an’ if you ever come out our way stop-off an’ give us a little wad o’ off-band redeemin’grace, an’ we’ll treat you squar. Goodbye.”