The Lumberjack Sky Pilot

amps added considerably to its business interests. The Presbyterian Church at that place was weak, and when Presbytery sent the young Canadian th

sides were the camps crowded with men who felled the forests during the winter, and i

er drivers were at work on the Kettle River drive. It was spring. The ice-locked lakes and rivers were once more open, and

f the loggers are called "riverpigs," were at work. In midstream the men were sacking logs with peavey, or directing with pike pole. From log to log the skillful drivers leaped, now riding on the huge ti

was near when the visitors arrived at Kettle River; the journey had been long, so the disturbing blast of the cookee's horn was a welcome sound. In response to the call the rivermen hastily made for shore, and headed for the grassy place near the wanniga

ng request, coming from such a source, for the river drivers looked and acted as if they cared not for these things. The preacher had heard their fluent profanity as they directed the logs, and when they asked for the gospel he could not veil his surprise. But the request was in harmony with the hour. Natur

ed heartily in the song, "Jesus Lover of My Soul;" they sang until it seemed that the sunset joined in the praise and the trees of the field clapped their hands

The Light of The World, and the men sat wrapped in thoughts of things they had forgotten or never known. Recollections of the home tree came back to some, and the sweet lullaby of a mother stole into

e a voice from another world came the benediction to the group about the bright glowing embers. From

eral of the rivermen went to the preacher and spoke

mber and it ain't often the ch

in a while, he could give us a lift. Th

and give us a tu

n Kettle River. An appreciative audience was always waiting-an audience that w

his unskilled attempts at logdriving. Taking the long pickpole, the preacher mounted the floating log, while every driver looked out of the tail of his eye for the soon-coming moment when "his

. Even the discomforts of a sudden bath did not cool his zeal. He believed that if these men were to be his hearers he must know how to appreciate their labors, and that appreciation

not preserve the dignity of the cloth, but it adds to the dignity of the man. The lumberjacks and rivermen have no admiration for him who is fearful of hardship, or succumbs before the strenuous labor which they themselves must daily perform. Th

the preacher to the drivers. "My home and church are open t

uilding. They were dressed as the necessities of their vocation require, flannel shirts resplendent in fighting colors, broad belts, and heavy spike-soled boots. It was no small sensa

Mr. Higgins went down to the

the gospel shop as we made you in the bunkhouse," said the spo

others, for they knew they would be hospitably received. This proved to the minister that t

he walked to the camp that service might be held on the bank of the stream. From the memories of the men who heard and of him who preac

In his youth he had logged in the forests of Dufferin County, Ontario, but the lumbering was on a small scale-it was only the logging of farmers. Around B

came to the Sky Pilot's home in Barnum and asked

vers you preached to in the spring," they sa

llage were receiving occasional services from the unordained man who served the Presbyterian Mission Church

ried to Miss Eva L. Lucas of Rockford, Minnesota. Miss Lucas was an active church worker in her own town, and after her marriage the bride often went with her husband to

ead to bury, and a thousand unexpected duties that are ever attendant on a village pastorate. But louder than all the demands was the ever increasing Macedonian cry from the camps for services and assistance. So much to be done and so little one could do in comparison to the demand! Frank Higgins

one of the boys from the camp to his homestea

forest to the log cabin of the homesteader. The doctor had

Duluth there would be a chance for him. He cann

ey bundled the patient snugly into a sleigh, drove to

fore the physician in charge

recovery. You had better break the n

ld the dying man of his condition and asked

L CONG

e gospel. I was raised in a Christian home, and that night all the lessons of childhood came back to me. When the lanterns were put out, and the bunkhouse was silent, I got on my knees and prayed the forgiving God to forgive the past,

mberjacks. They need you worse than the towns do. Tell them of Jesus who can make them live, go back to the lon

elled against the sacrifice; fond wishes refused to be set aside, but with every tempting prospect came the command of the dying man, "Go back to the boys and carry the story of Jesus." It sounded clearly. No man could misunderstand it. That night all his plans were changed. Ambitions, such as come to all young men, were swept away. The large pulpi

tensity of the need was appalling. While there were Christian men in the camps, and many whose lives were mora

e who could minister to all their spiritual needs. But ordination was far

n entering his home to find it filled with a crew

saw is more in my line. You've treated us white, have given us more advice than we've digested, and never asked to see the color of our money. But this is no

as preaching for "what there was in it," but when he asked not for money, they realized that love and

ing and incidental expenses should be met. How to finance the mission work was the question, but now he saw the boys would pay a large part of the at

ork led to an interest in him, and soon the church was on its feet. The same success that was seen at Barnum followed the New Duluth work, and after a short period of labor ther