THE PREACHER FOOLED THEM.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1984, 16 April 1906, Page 2

THE PREACHER FOOLED THEM.

fORTY years and four months in Call fornia ! This takes in » generation—and a margin What a crown o£ events have jostled each other in that time, and what a multitude gone to a final repose ! The distinguished and talented have. metaphorically speaking-, joined hands with the unlettered and osbcure in their solemn march to the grave. There are passages in the career of eacli—seriocomic, impassioned,scdate.orotherwise left to be recounted of the actors; and I remember one, including parties of more or prominence in the community at the daV-a of which I write, and who, without under-going-suspicion to that effect, were at timed and on suitable occasions disposed to indulge freely in the harmless spirit of waggery. The parties to whom I allude were James Anthony, of the Sacramento Union newspaper, and Ferris Forman, postmaster at Sacramento. The latter, I am told, still survives, and is a resident of one of the North-Western States. These two gentlemen in the year 1556 or 1857, fitted out a hunting and fishing expedition to the skirting valleys of the coast range foothills. The party consisted of five persons, including a cook, and was complete in all its appointments for the enjoyment of " a good time." They crossed the Sacramento river into Yolo county ; thence to Stony Creek, their objective point, in the Northern part of Colusa county. Stony Creek takes its rise in the coast range, and flowing through a generally fertile region, empties into the Sacramento on the wast side. It is now numerously populated, and is the great wheat-growing section of Colusa county. In 1857 perhaps not a dozen settlers could be found within a circuit of fifty miles. Camp was selected and the capacious tent of the party pitched on the banks of the creek, near the crossing to the foothills beyond. Within five hundred yards of the spot was a farmhouse, surrounded on two sides by immense stacks of hay, denoting the procurement of abundance of forage for hungry animals, which expectation was fully realised in their case, as the party found the settler accommodating and good-natured, who kept the camp, in addition to forage, well supplied with fresh eggs, milk, and such like other farm products as the appetites of the party demanded. Game, especially rabbit and quail, was abundant and within easy reach. In the afternoon of the second day's encampment the party, after a fatiguing hunt, were lying under the surrounding shade trees resting, when a deep voice resounded on the air with a hymn, ttie burden of which proclaimed the singer a probable religionist. Aroused by this unexpected salutation, the campers beheld a large man, mounted on a medium sized mule, which was drinking at the ford. When the animal had been sufficiently refreshed, the rider urged him into the camp, where he was courteously requested to dismount. This he lost no time in doing. The cook led the mule off to the corral. The intruder was a preacher, so he said, "on the circuit." At the supper-table he asked a blessing on the food, and then demolished it. The rest of the party had canary-bird appetites compared with him. After supper he prayed, and before going to bed be sang hymns, and read six chapters from the Bible. This kind of thing continued three days, and the wandering preacher's mule never missed a trick in the corral or his master a meal in the camp. On the fourth day the postmaster declared himself. "We did not come here," said he, " to hold a camp-meeting, but to hunt and fish. We must get rid of this pious nuisance." A plan to that effect was agreed upon between the postmaster and editor, which developed itself at lunch. "You tell us you saw an elk yesterday, and could have killed it if you had your rifle instead of your shot-gun with you," said the postmaster to the editor, sneeringly. " I don't believe a word of it." "No?" " Not a blamed word." "Gentlemen, gentlemen !" interposed the man of peace, and his eyes rolled heavenward. " Then I'm a liar, I suppose," shouted the editor across the table. " That's what. There hasn't been an elk seen here for five years." "You lie." Bang went the postmaster's pietol loaded with blank cartridge, and bang went the editor's similarly charged. At the first shot the preacher ducked under the table and drew a revolver as long as a walking-stick from under his coattails. " Gentlemen," said he, slowly but firmly, as he took in the duel with his weather eye above the festive board. "I'm teetotally opposed to violence, but if there's agoin' to be any serious shootin' here, I'll take a hand myself ; " and he swung his murderouslooking weapon towards the practical : jokers, who, it is needless to say, went through the tent carrying the whole side with them, and not stopping till a mile out of pistol-shot. When they deemed it safe to return and peer through the tattered canvas, they saw the preacher kneeling piously at the side of his couch saying his evening prayers, which having finished, he placed his pistol tenderly under his pillow and went to sleep.