A SERMON UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1136, 8 February 1884, Page 4

A SERMON UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

(pVemthe Portland (Oregon) Neva) JPort Gamble has distinctive features o-«n. The town site, hotel, -store, and mill are owned by the Mill ■Company, •■and no business c«n ‘be '-ojieney "without their consent. The -'onehdll is used-for sclioolhouse, church, -and theatre. Nearly all companies fhat play the "•circuit take in Port 'Gamble. The Company’s hotel is run " ■y a “queer as “ Jim,” burly 'big Missourian •df 61t Sin, -*2sT6lb, and a squeaky, thin falsetto’ ■-voice. He is far-famed for good nature, -wit, and eccentricity ; is everybody’s “friend among the bovs, whom he! 'effectually leads by the noses. A; tfS*attle minister once had a notice nutated about the town that Divine -service would he 'held on a certain ‘Sunday. There are few women in tthe place, and not a soul-climbed the •schoolhnuse hill to be saved- The (•minister waited three-quarters of an lour, then wended his way to the . ilmlel. The office, bar, and billiard iroom were crowded with mill hands • and loggers, rough in dress and speech, all smoking, swearing, drinking, &c. -'Just inside the doorsat Jimata poker gome, To him the minister comSplained that no one had come to near lbim.preach. Jim was in for fair play ut once. He said to the sad-faced de•vine; “ All right, -stranger; jest you *2O back up hill, and I’ll make these -lei lows come up an’ give ye a show. “Jest you Shinny right along an’ don’t ■ tret;-an’ I’ll tote ’em up tharquicker’n ■greased lightin’.” His reverence retired, and Jim called out: “ Say, all, yyon fellers, hold up. There’s a gospel i- ! urp up to the meetin’ house says ’(taint fair.; we ain’t give him no show. (1 ’low’taint neither, bein’s he’s served ( notice on -us two weeks an’ come on tf'om Clamtown (Seattle) ’cording to • contract. Come on, now, all you ■ duffers, an’ tote yerselves upthar. Put 'up them dice, you fellers; bar’s shet xjill after meetin’ house Come on, -Soc Hawks; you’re the worse old sin‘wn in this camp. You need mendin’ i-iuove’n any of us, I recon. Stop them ■'billiards yander. Oought to be •■■'ashamed of -yerselves, playin’ when ( 1 here’s a preacher in town March out '■o’ here! Git! Lock the door, Bill, an’ jymt see you come rigeon up, too. lake ■'■• tiff that apurn first; and none o’ your ‘dn ned cuttin’ up in meetin’, or you ■won’t sling no more drinks over my "bar, I tell ye I” He drove evey man • our, befor him like a flock-of sheep, up rJtn-hill to “ meetin’ house,” where all «-of them had been to see the show the ■might before. When he arrived he t-headed'tlie gang of loggers and roughs • ---and walked up to the minister. ■ •■“ Hlogins, cant’t youset down, or have ; ye got a bile 1 Set down, I tell ye ! | . Now Mister, you let go at ’em. They’re -a lot of onery crittets, anyhow, and ye just go for the whole-possy.” And ; w not a face wore a smile. The good un-.in read a chapter and said a prayer, but couldn’t sing. He timidly asked i-smae of the brethren to read a hymn. IN-one of the brethren responded, 'bir all looked at Jim. He was equal ‘• to the occasion. “ Frank Harris, you Skin ■ sing. Shell out rome o’ them ■ songs o’ yourn.” Frank Harris said, I -only know ‘Nancy Lee’ and Olango was his name.” ’ —“ Well, them -•songs aint no good fora meeiin’ house, Elietser loggia’ camp, T reckon. Tom £Kerrish,T ’low you more about hymns, 'Vein’s most Scotch fellars is church Hoiks. Sing out now, and all you •differs as kin, jine into the chorus,” :ar.d Jim began beating time vigorously. ‘T<m Kenish hemmed and coughed to • clear his throat, and started in with Auld Lang Syne.” Jim nodded to (the “fellers” here and there until the entire crowd, one by one, “ jined in -th.fi chorus ’’ lustily. When the last, ‘verse was reached everybody was singling, and at a sign from Jim Tom rstarted iit again, and they sang the ’whole song through twice, beating •Gme with their boots and keeping perfectly decorous. At the close the irr,impressible Jim -spoke out, “ Now give tit to ’em, 'mister, red-hot, but *cut it •short. Most of’em has to git back to vtlip, woods in the mom’ an’ wants to flinish the’r games this evenin’.” The (Minister did “ give it to ’em,” and the -and the men listened with respectful attention. When through, the spokes ' •man again officiated. Can’t none o’ yym sainyors sing no morel Well,! Vow ye kin put up if ye can’t sing.' •Give us her tile, mister,” and taking tlio divine’s hat he proceeded to levy -contributions from each man. “ Come •down now all you dufters; a man can’t «c mie from Clamtown tor nothin’ to ifiavp her onery souls. Dan Higgins, y >n old sinner, you won the last not ■t -lay ; sling that fiver, lively. Tom Kcrrish, you kin git off with‘four bits, ■’l l) it was a right good hymn o’ your’n. Still, ’low you don’t get cffless’ntwo! an’ a half, bein’s ye git more free •drinka’n any feller here,” and soon all; <n>uud, until every man had “put up,” sold the bat was full. Putting a lOdol sT«>ld piece omtop, he banded the tile l aok, and said, •* Well, mister, we’re •fiti.iged. I reckon the boys has done •‘be "square thing. I’low you don’t, tt ke in no sudh pot as this every day. doetin’s out, fellers. Good day, (mister ”; and the entire crowd, without further ceremony, went back to surds, billiards, and drinks, as though •nothing had happened. This is not a i. Vs tern yam, but an o’er true tale. It really happened not three months ;»' , and “ Jim” is still alive, as fat in .flush and as thin in -voice as then.