316 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



Pausing between Jumps — Here, There and Everywhere. 



Wondered Why the Church Would 

 Not "Run." 



In the wilds and among the hills of 

 southern Indiana is a remarkable ex- 

 ample of modern conveniences amid 

 primitive surroundings. The West Ba- 

 den Springs Hotel is a wonderful 

 specimen of architecture and of hotel 

 conveniences. The dome is the largest 

 in the world, even larger, it is claimed, 

 than St. Peter's at Rome. But West 

 Baden, where the well-known Spruedle 

 water is bottled and whence it is sent 

 to various parts of the country, has 

 an active competitor in French Lick, 

 about a mile away, where is bottled 

 the well-known Pluto water. Both 

 places are popular resorts, especially in 

 spring and autumn. The competition 

 for guests is keen. At French Lick is a 

 prosperous and well attended Presby- 

 terian Church and also a Congrega- 

 tional Church, but there was no church 

 at West Baden. The Honorable Lee 

 W. Sinclair, who knows all there is to 

 be known about running a hotel, but 

 judging by his emphatic language at 

 times is decidedly deficient in a know- 

 ledge of religious and church matters, 

 decided that he must have a church. 

 Mr. Sinclair is a self-made man and 

 believes that where there is a will 

 there is a way. When one wants a 

 church the only thing to do is to build 

 it and manage it as you would manage 

 a garage, a livery stable or any other 

 business enterprise. He felt, however, 

 that he was doing something rather 

 unusual, and because his immediate 

 associates knew that his strong point 

 was not religion, he took into his confi- 

 dence only his architect and builder 

 and said, "Don't tell the other fellows 

 what we are going to do; we will just 

 go ahead and do it." 



When the men began to dig in the 



bank immediately back of the hotel, 

 everybody's curiosity was naturally 

 aroused, and Mr. Sinclair was pestered 

 with many questions. 



"Hey, Sinclair, what are you going 

 to do now?" 



"Now that is none of your business. 

 If I want to dig. I guess I'll dig just 

 as long as I want to dig. You watch 

 and see." 



The result of the digging was a fine 

 foundation that, to the surprise of all 

 visitors and friends, gradually became 

 a thoroughly modern Roman Catholic 

 Church. If you want to furnish a 

 church, why go where they sell the 

 tilings for a church. Mr. Sinclair 

 bought even the vestments, the Sta- 

 tions of the Cross, the altar, every- 

 thing complete, but in about the same 

 spirit in which he would fit out a bowl- 

 ing alley. 



"If my guests want a church I guess 

 they can have a church, and one bet- 

 ter than they have ewer in French 

 Lick where that Democratic politician, 

 Taggart, holds supreme sway." 



He proceeded with every detail un- 

 til the church was a perfect gem, a 

 work of art, with not the slightest de- 

 tail left undone, for he is a man who 

 looks after details and when he starts 

 to build a church makes a thorough 

 thing of it. 



The next thing to do after building 

 a hotel is to get help in running it. The 

 way to get help is to advertise. So he 

 advertised. "Wanted: A Catholic 

 priest to run a first-class church. Good 

 salary and first-class board at near-by 

 hotel. Apply to L. W. Sinclair, West 

 Baden Springs Hotel." But a surprise 

 awaited Mr. Sinclair. There seemed 

 to be no priest without a parish. 



West Baden was puzzled. Here was 

 a church standing idle, and everybody 



