A Klondyke Experience.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 154, 26 May 1900, Page 3

A Klondyke Experience.

'Unelar «tke i heading of ■" Truth Stp.nge.-a8 ITiction," Mr C. Lang Neil tells in the "Windsor for March J3ouae' stories -about desperadoes on the' American side of the Klondyke frontier, the 6hief of whom was a' saloonkeeper known as •' Soapy Smith," ( guilty of most .orirnes of violence and fraud. Here js one instance in hia career .-rA clergynaan'Came one day to Soapy and solicited 9, subscription >for the 1 local hospital. At first the scamp was,: SurucJs dumb at the mere idea of being asked to help in anything good and respectable. The parson proceeded a 1 fcjs9e nervously to poiat out what a g^oat help his name .at the head of the list _ ysrould be, seeing tliat ao ,ope fovj very shame could refuse to give if th«y s&w that sven-Soapy Smith had! contributed. ' l •'* Well," after an instant's thought,;i said Soapy, " J gueqs Til do you the, turn for once. Put me down for .fifty J dollars, and when you've been round come back #ndtell me how much good, good it's done .you." , Delghted beyond measure at lh\success, .the mini«f»r departed, ,»nd did a ,"U»rd " but successful day's: jvoi-Jd amongst ,^h« ,refeura«d miners >audi othw?. ,;PaithfuLto hia work he came back fto tejl~ Soapy of -,his godd" f ortiane; „ - - ""- 1 ' =" ] "Well, what lack, parspn ?" gi^ailedl Soapy,. , * • - ' %> ' • , • ■ "•Six. thauaand dollasf. , Not^, bad! day's,,work, thinks to'.yoo, «h ?"" "4 V No, not,sohad;;'jus i irhand.it>over'."« n d igtdQk v '".t» 'iligiitniyg Boapy's: Revolver, oovared .tH^»Jbea4.,^f J^je "&pkf.

This time ifr was the parson's rarnts dumbstruck, There was no alternative aad the six thousand doliard y/er^. transferred to Soapy'e pockets. " Good day ; you're the 4 best collector I ever had, parson," said the qoc& ,villaip, as vjeey sh&tqet'acbdly Ah^_, preacher passed ouL of the doorway, § sadder, and possibly. a wiser, man. v > - Soapy was shot, doadat a meeting oi cit.i7.ens, v/no cou d sti^ucl liis enormities no loager, a>id his comrade^ gent to penal servitude.