The Minute Man on the FrontierPuddefoot, William George
History
The Minute Man on the Frontier
Puddefoot, William George
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); Missions -- West (U.S.)
And off he went with his family. In the winter his bedroom was often
so cold that the thermometer registered 20° below zero; and in spite
of a big stove, the temperature was at zero in mid-day near the door
and windows. One of his little ones born there was carried in blankets
to be baptized in the little church when it was 2° below zero. I used
to send this man small sums of money that were given me by kind
friends. All the money promised on this field from three churches was
twenty dollars a year, and part of that paid in potatoes. The last
five dollars I sent him came back. He said he felt it would not be
right to take it, as he had just accepted a call to a Presbyterian
church. He felt almost like making an apology for doing so, as he
said, "My boys are growing up, and they can get so little schooling
here that I am going to move where they can at least get an
education." And then he was going to have seven hundred dollars a
year. I sent the money back, saying that, as he was moving, he would
probably need it. The answer that came said he had just spent his last
two cents for a postage-stamp when the five dollars came.
I suppose there are at least ten thousand minute-men on the field
to-day, working under the different home missionary societies. Most of
them have wives, and with their children will make an army of fifty
thousand strong, the average of whose salaries will not exceed five
hundred dollars per year. And on this small sum your minute-man must
feed, clothe, and educate his family; and how much can he possibly use
to feed his own mind?--the man who ought to be able to stand in the
front ranks at all times, in order to gain the respect of the
community in which he should be the leader in all good works.
XX.
THE MINUTE-MAN IN THE MINER'S CAMP.
When the first minute-men went to the Pacific slope, they had a long
and dangerous voyage by sea round Cape Horn; and on their arrival they
had to live in a tent, pay a dollar a pound for hay, and a dollar
apiece for potatoes and onions. To-day it is a very different thing to
reach the mining-camps. No matter how high the mountains are, your
train can climb them, doubling on itself, crossing or recrossing; or
when the way is too steep, cogging its way up.
Not long since I sat in a nicely furnished room taking my dinner. My
host was talking through a telephone to a man miles away, and then,
with a good-by, came back to the table. I said, "That is a great
contrast with your first days here." He laughed, and said, "Yes. The
boats came up to where there are now great blocks of buildings; and
when I preached on Sunday afternoon, I always had a bull and a bear
fight to contend with around the corner. I remember one time," he
said, "when the bull broke loose, and ran down the street past where I
was preaching. I saw at a glance that I must close the meeting, and so
pronounced the benediction; when I opened my eyes not a living soul
was in sight except my wife."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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