USA > Colorado > San Juan County > Pioneering in the San Juan; personal reminiscences of work done in southwestern Colorado during the "great San Juan excitement," > Part 8
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of Synod, and not until October 10, 1883, did we have a meeting of Synod worthy the name. Here- tofore a quorum was made by a brother joining a Presbytery merely to obtain its representation. In whatever Presbytery Synod met, that Presbytery was practically Synod. But on October 10, 1883, at Del Norte, lonely Santa Fe Presbytery had three delegates, two from Santa Fe and one from Las Vegas; Denver Presbytery came down in force, and Pueblo Presbytery was with us smiling all over. Rev. George M. Darley was stated supply of the Presbyterian Church of Del Norte at that time.
At this meeting of Synod, which was the first meeting of the present "Synod of Colorado," con- sisting by action of the General Assembly of the Presbyteries of Denver, Pueblo and Santa Fe, a new division was made. Instead of three Presbyteries, Santa Fe was left intact; but Denver and Pueblo were divided, Boulder and Gunnison being created. This was accomplished without trouble, as the neces- sity of the case was recognized. One pleasant thought was apparent in all-the desire of each Presbytery to possess actual home mission ground. None of them desired to lack that noble element of the Synod's ambition and glory, the conquest of the border land for God and Presbyterianism.
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Many questions of vital importance to Presby- terianism were discussed at the meeting of Synod and in the Presbyteries as they met for a short time. But the question of most importance was the loca- tion of a Presbyterian College. After propositions from various places were considered, it was decided to accept that made by the citizens of Del Norte, and it was determined to locate "The Presbyterian College of the Southwest" at that place.
When we think of the distance from any other institution of higher education, the delightful and healthful climate of the San Luis Valley, its great productiveness, untold agricultural and mineral resources, the rapidity with which the Southwest is growing, the intelligence of the settlers, their desire to educate their children, the benefit of the College to both English and Spanish-speaking people, there is no room for doubt regarding the wisdom of Synod in placing the College at Del Norte.
Josiah Copley, Esq., in an article published in the "Presbyterian Banner," has this to say for Del Norte and the Presbyterian College of the South- west: "All seemed gratified that Del Norte was successful, for a locality more beautiful, one com- bining the mingled features of beauty and grandeur, or one in the midst of so large a body of soil of
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extraordinary productiveness, could not be found in all the Rocky Mountain region."
A MEETING OF PUEBLO PRESBYTERY.
The Presbytery of Pueblo met in the First Pres- byterian Church of Colorado Springs, Friday, April II, 1884, at 7: 30 p. m., and was opened with a ser- mon by the retiring Moderator, Rev. H. B. Gage, from II. Tim., 4:1-5. There were present fifteen ministers and seven elders. Rev. Ruel Dodd was chosen Moderator, and Rev. H. Reynard temporary clerk.
The following being present, were invited to sit as corresponding members: Revs. Geo. P. Hays, D. D., Presbytery of Denver; R. C. Bristol, of the Arkansas Valley Congregational Association; A. P. Tinker, of the Presbytery of Detroit; S. H. Murphy, who has recently taken charge of the Pres- byterian Church of Trinidad, from the Presbytery of Mankato; S. A. Stoddard, of the Presbytery of Neosho; J. W. Moore, of the Presbytery of Ozark, Cumberland Presbyterian Church; A. W. Arundel, of the Colorado Conference of the M. E. Church; and Elder George W. De La Verne.
From the many items of general interest the fol-
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lowing have been selected. A call from the Del Norte church for the pastoral services of Rev. George M. Darley, promising a salary of $1,500, payable quarterly and parsonage, was presented and accepted, and the following arrangements made for the installation of the pastor-elect: Rev. Willis Lord, D. D., to preside and preach the sermon; Rev. E. McLane to charge the congregation, and Rev. J. W. Partridge to charge the pastor; the time to be arranged by correspondence with the church session and pastor-elect.
Rev. J. J. Gilchrist was given power as evangelist to receive and dismiss members in the churches of Alamosa and La Jara until such time as these churches have a session. The same power was also given to Rev. E. McLane in the churches of his field where there is no session or where it is impossible to get the session together. Elder Jas. Fullerton reported as to his work in the San Luis Valley, and his fidelity was very much commended by the brethren who were acquainted with his work.
Manuel Sanchez was continued as a teacher among the Mexicans for four months. It was also resolved to ask the Board of Home Missions to com- mission another lady teacher to labor in Plaza Media adjoining Miss Ross' school; also to ask $500
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from the Board of Church Erection for the building of a school house at Guadalupe.
Rev. George P. Hays, D. D., informed Presby- tery of the action of the Synodical Committee on Home Missions in choosing Rev. T. C. Kirkwood, D. D., as Synodical Missionary, and the Presby- tery heartily voted its appreciation for the appoint- ment of this brother to the position, though very reluctant to give up his presence and counsels in the important places which he occupies in the Pres- bytery.
Dr. George P. Hays also stated that the printing press of Rev. A. M. Darley had been purchased, and that a Spanish paper would soon be published at Del Norte under the editorship of Rev. E. McLane. Rev. George M. Darley and Elder George M. Stewart were elected principal delegates to the General Assembly, and Rev. T. C. Kirkwood, D. D., and Elder J. C. McLung as alternates.
The committee on publication reported that the Board was in correspondence with Rev. A. C. Gil- christ, of Vineland, Ind., with reference to taking the work of a colporteur for the Board within the bounds of the Presbytery.
On Saturday evening an important meeting was held in the interests of Home Missions, and
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addresses were delivered by Rev. H. B. Gage and G. M. Darley. On Sabbath evening was held a popular meeting in the interests of Foreign Mis- sions, addressed by Rev. J. W. Partridge, of Canon City; Rev: S. H. Murphy, formerly of the Gaboon and Corisca Mission, West Africa; and Rev. E. McLane, formerly Missionary to Chile, South Amer- ica. These addresses were full of interesting infor- mation, and were listened to with pleasure by a large congregation.
About noon on Monday, Presbytery adjourned, to meet in Pueblo on the Tuesday evening preceding the next regular meeting of the Synod of Colorado, which also meets in Pueblo sometime in October, the date being not yet fixed.
After a pleasant and harmonious meeting, the brethren separated to return to their various fields of labor, but not without expressing their hearty thanks to the good people of Colorado Springs for their royal entertainment of the Presbytery.
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CHAPTER XXXV
A QUEER WAY OF LOOKING AT DEATH
"There is generally something that requires hiding at the bottom of a mystery." -Hawthorne.
Man is a queer animal-when left to grow up without care, uneducated, and trod upon in his youth and early manhood. A specimen of this kind called at my home in company with a girl that had worked for us. The poor girl was in great sorrow, and had been for several months. Her mother had been an invalid; her step-father was animal in large degree. One night the mother disappeared very mysteriously. The husband was arrested amid con- siderable feeling that was unpleasant for him. Three months after the disappearance of the mother, her bones were found in "The Great River of the North."
The coroner's jury held an inquest over the remains, after which the daughter desired the funeral services to be held at the undertaker's. She came to see about the funeral with a friend of the family who was the worse for liquor. Being a queer animal, he put things in rather a queer way.
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He was indignant that any "fuss" had been made over the matter in the first place. He said: "I yest tell you vat it tise, Mr. Darley, I believe dot ven any one vants to die like dot vomans did, it makes not difrence vich road dey go; by the river" (it was claimed she had drowned herself) "or by some other road. It vas yest so goot to go dot vay as any other vay; but before she go, vy don't she yest write somedings on a piece of paper, and say she vas going dot vay, and save all dis hell of a fuss?" The poor girl sat still, but looked as though the expla- nation was not just as she would have liked; yet the funeral services were held, and she seemed satisfied. The husband did not attend the funeral, but sent word that "some one had to stay on the ranch to keep the cattle from eating up the crop."
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CHAPTER XXXVI
PICKING BULLETS THE PULPIT THE SABBATH FOLLOWING MOB VIOLENCE
"Extremes meet when expediency renders it desirable." -Round Table.
At Del Norte, years ago, we had some men who were not considered good citizens, and the county contained a few more of like character. One in particular was not loved by the ranchmen, because he was accused of counting more cattle for his own than belonged to him.
After repeated attempts to make him feel the force of law, and having failed every time, they decided to try lynch-law. The man was no fool and always appeared to me to be a perfect gentle- man. I do not think that his worst enemy would say he was not gentlemanly in his bearing. A stranger standing by while he talked to the minister would have taken him for one of the "pillars of the church," from the frequency of the words, "Brother Darley."
. He and a man who worked for him were arrested and placed in the lower story of the little old court
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house, which was also used as a jail. The upper part was taken for court, town meetings, church services and other things.
On Saturday this strange character decided that he would be lynched and made all preparations for it; that is, such as he considered necessary, even to the placing of his watch in charge of someone. Then he and his hired man waited for the coming of the mob. A strong guard had been placed around the building. Saturday night wore away, but no mob came. While services were being held Sabbath evening, guards were about armed with rifles. The audience seemed a trifle nervous; but the hall was well filled and the services closed on time. All knew that the mob would not fire into the building while church was in session. Monday night I heard the mob passing my house and listened to the first blow that was struck against the great clasp that held the jail door. Almost imme- diately the firing began and it was claimed that over one hundred shots were discharged. It was not the intention of the mob to do any shooting; they intended to take both men out quietly, as had been the "Lee Roy Brothers" in previous years, and hang them, possibly to the same tree.
The notorious one afterwards told me that it was
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like this: "When my partner and I heard the mob coming I said to him: 'Let us get right up close to the door, and the moment the lock is broke, let us throw the door open and run for our lives; put your head down and jump right into the crowd. You run to the left and I will run to the right.'" This they did, and it was not what the mob expected. The hired man was killed, but the other made his escape. It was a moonlight night, and he told me: "I could see where the balls struck my shadow."
He was afterwards shot in the leg, brought back, tried and acquitted. Then, in a few years, he was shot in the neck and chest. The sheriff used a shotgun at short range. This happened in the night, near where my boys were camping. But after he was shot the sheriff and his men did not dare go along the road, knowing the desperate char- acter of the man, and they were wise in their action. He waited to kill them, and finally took the saddle from the animal he was riding, saddled his own mule and rode some distance to a ranch, where he went to bed, and was found the next morning weak from the loss of blood.
The next night after the mob attempted to lynch both men and only succeeded in killing one, I
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picked up two bullets from my pulpit; they had gone through the siding and the plastering. Then they struck the ceiling and dropped upon the pul- pit. I have them now.
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CHAPTER XXXVII
A BURRO TAKES PART IN CHURCH SERVICE "The devil cannot stand music." -Luther.
It is often said that ministers' children are mis- chievous. I do not see why they should differ from those of other men, unless they be more patient because frequently compelled to wait a long while for what they need by reason of the fact that the salary of the minister is slow in coming into his possession.
I confess, however, to having one son who enjoys the ludicrous as well as most boys, and said boy at one time owned one of the most knowing and musical "Rocky Mountain canaries" that it has been my privilege to see or hear. If it could get loose from its lariat when the boys were out camping, it would eat up their dinner and then remain near the cart until they came for their meal; then look abused when punished for eating the "grub."
One Sabbath evening I noticed that the burro was hitched to a post near the back window of the church. I said to Ward: "Take that burro and tie
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it farther away from the church, for if you don't, just as soon as I commence preaching it will begin braying." Ward replied, "Maud" (that was the burro's name) "has been better trained than that." Believing in good training, I said no more.
Maud gave me a decidedly friendly look as I passed her on my way to the church, as if to say: "Parson, I'll do what I can to help you out to-night." Sure enough, when I was well into my sermon, "Maud" began. First a solo-low, clear, penetrating, not altogether unmusical; then a kind of duet, the outgoing breath making one sort of noise, the incoming another. This was followed by a quartet, composed of the most hideous noises that it was possible for one of her species to make. By that time I had stopped; but "Maud," true to her nature, continued. The congregation could not contain themselves; for the burros of the neighbor- hood began answering, and I really think from the way that "Maud" then let out her voice that she thought it was an encore. The boy was in the con- gregation, and looked as though he wished that burro out of the country; for no minister's son would intentionally have his father interrupted while preaching.
At times the burro does as the owner wishes,
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again otherwise. "Maud" once took it into her head to cross the D. & R. G. Railroad track as the train was coming; and having determined to do so, her owners saved her life and theirs by jumping on the shafts of the cart and, by the use of one line and the long ears of the burro, guided her into a fence as the train rushed by within a few feet.
Burros are not noted for either brains or fear, unless it be fear of wild animals. One night during the early days of the San Juan excitement a moun- tain lion was prowling around my camp. The burro I then had was a big "jack," but he was so fright- ened that he would stand with his head over my body. By the light of the campfire I could see that he was trembling like a "leaf of a tree."
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CHAPTER XXXVIII
TWO MEN LYNCHED
"Death tarries not in its approach to the unfortunate and the abandoned." -Miss Annie E. Dickenson.
On general principles we condemn lynch-law; first, as being in itself a breaking of the law and a crime against good government; second, as setting a bad example to the rising generation; and third, as giving an excuse to bad men to take the law into their own hands that they may wreak their venge- ance upon men who do not deserve hanging.
Yet every man who has seen much of frontier life will, I think, agree with me when I say that hanging is the only thing that will make some men quit their cussedness.
Hinsdale County, of which Lake City is the county seat, had one of the best sheriffs that ever held that office in Colorado. A man as kindly in his disposi- tion as he was brave, as ready to assist the needy as he was to assist his own family-the one man who had helped me do a large part of the rough carpen- ter work on our first church over the range, free of charge. Mr. Campbell was a credit to our camp.
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One night he was murdered, while doing his duty as an officer of the law, by about as vile a specimen of humanity as could be found. This murderer, together with a pal named "Shortie," was cap- tured, tried in the minds of the people, found worthy of death, and hanged. So far as I know, everyone lynched in southwestern Colorado, during my residence in that part of the state for nearly thirteen years, deserved all they received. True, many were killed in a way that looked as though the law was taken out of the hands of the officers and put into the hands of those who went for the law- breakers.
This same sheriff once invited me to capture an escaped criminal. He asked if I was going over into the Animas country, a distance of one hundred miles, over as rough a trail as could be found in the Rocky Mountains. I replied that was my inten- tion. Said he: "It is a long, hard trip, and I don't care to go on uncertainties. I have information that a hard character" (who had escaped, giving his name) "is in that country. If you will bring him back with you I will see that you are well paid for your trouble; I know you can do it if you will." Ministers who are going through a country looking after the organization of churches in new settle-
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ments are not liable to spend their time looking for escaped law-breakers. I always went well armed, but not for that purpose. There was something that occurred during the height of the excitement of the first great rush that seemed absolutely neces- sary for the success of church work and good order; this caused the sheriff to make the proposition; but a work of necessity for a minister or a sheriff is quite different.
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CHAPTER XXXIX
A WISE WALK.
"The introduction of a discourse should be a rifle-shot at the theme." -Rev. W. M. Paxton, D.D.
The following sermon was preached by the Author in the Central Presbyterian Church of Den- ver, Colorado, April 11, 1893, as retiring Moderator of Denver Presbytery :
TEXT (COLOSSIANS 4: 5.):
"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without."
Because a command is difficult to obey it does not lessen its force or release us from our duty, provid- ing the command be given by one who has the right to give it. We consider it right to obey the com- mands of earthly rulers, when they are given for the good of the nation to which we belong. This is right, for it has the word of God for its foundation. "The powers that be are ordained of God," and should be obeyed.
In our text we have a command given by one who has the right to command, and because we have found from past experience that there is difficulty
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in obeying, that does not lessen the force of the com- mand nor our obligation to try, by God's help, to obey.
"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without."
Like the church at Colosse, to whom these words were written, we are surrounded by many who do not believe as we do, who have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their ruler; but who say, "This man shall not rule over us." We come in contact with them daily; they are in our homes, among our associates; sometimes they are intimate friends, beloved because of their nobleness and generosity; often they are partners in life with those who are followers of Christ; thousands of them are the children of pious parents, while many are the baptized children of the church.
True, all is not darkness around us, nor are we surrounded with just the same class of people that the Colossians were; yet we find much that ought not to be passed by unnoticed. Occasionally we find dwelling under the same roof persons of such opposite tastes, views, and education, that to hear them talk you would suppose there were gods many and saviors not a few; and you are soon convinced that one follows the true God, while of the other you
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can truthfully say, he is a follower of strange gods.
We may say, this is not as it should be; this is not as we would like to see it; this shows that all are not walking in that straight and narrow path which leads heavenward; but on the contrary many are walking in the broad way which leadeth to destruc- tion. We should bear in mind that a dislike of what we see and what we know to be wrong in others will not convince them of their error. Our words and actions when coming from the heart and blessed of God, and not our dislikes, will lead those who are in the wrong to see their error and forsake their evil ways.
Of the many stubborn facts that we have to face in this world I have mentioned but a few. What are we going to do about all this? How are we going to help society? How are we going to elevate those who need it? We are told in our text to walk "wisely toward them"; not to shun them; not to treat those who are "without" as though we were better than they by nature; but show that we are better by grace, by what our acceptance, faith in, and association with Christ, love for, and com- munion with God, and the proper treatment of the heavenly guest, who dwells in our hearts, has made
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us. Paul acted wisely in his day toward those who were without. "And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ), that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."
"And this I do for the Gospel's sake." We see by this that Paul was willing, in all reasonable and right matters, to conform to the wishes of the people. It was not from fear, for Paul was a brave man; but for the "Gospel's sake," that he might lawfully benefit those with whom he associated, whether they were within or "without." Verily, he walked wisely.
By an examination of our hearts we discover that we are not perfect; and should this examination be with a view to bringing ourselves to see our duty toward those around us, we will see that it is wrong to allow dislikes to hinder us in our walk "toward them that are without." "Walking wisely" does not mean pharisaically, ostentatiously, or unkindly; neither are we to conclude that it means to pass by
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on the other side, as did the Levite, look at them, and then pass them by; but to walk "in newness of life," "worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called"; walk circumspectly, with one object in view-the glory of God and the good of our fellow men.
If we would "walk wisely" toward "them that are without," we must walk charitably toward one another; with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another. "Not minding high things, but conde- scending to men of low estate;" neither will we "be wise in our own conceit." But someone may say it is easier to preach than to practice; how am I to get the wisdom that will enable me to "walk wisely toward them that are without"? The true and only way is recorded in God's word: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him."
It is extremely difficult to tell just where we should draw the line that will remind us that we are to walk kindly, courteously, unselfishly and hospi- tably "toward them that are without," and at the same time carefully-yea, even cautiously-lest we be led to walk with them instead of walking wisely toward them, We, of ourselves, are not able to lay
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down rules by which to go, but God has done so in His word. Be careful and guarded in all your con- versation with the world, neither adopt questionable customs. For "evil communications corrupt good manners." Sit not in "the seat of the scornful," go not with the multitude to do evil. Be careful not to hurt the feelings of anyone, nor increase their preju- dice against religion; neither give anyone an occa- sion of dislike. Our object should ever be the same-to do them all the good we can. May our speech be seasoned with salt and our discourse be such as becometh Christians; not making ourselves and our religion displeasing to them; not forcing our religion upon them. Yet, "be ye always ready to give an answer to every man who asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."
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