PREFACE 9 



But the backbone of the town was there yet and 

 the pioneers were not all gone. They would go 

 on determhied not to be stopped by a fire. In 

 fact bluffs seldom got away with much there, 

 and I can cite one instance that was truly Sil- 

 verton in every sense. A "Campbellite" minis- 

 ter by the name of Clark Braden came there 

 to conduct a revival meeting. He was a man 

 of quite some force and reputation, and a big 

 quiet audience greeted him at his first hearing. 

 He got on all right until near the close when he 

 issued a sweeping challenge to any infidels or 

 free thinkers to debate wdth him in Silverton. 

 His utterances had hardly cleared his beard 

 when ten men at least were on their feet asking 

 him if he would debate with Robert G. Inger- 

 soll. The preacher said "yes with him or any 

 of his disciples." The meeting broke up with 

 much excitement and promise, and within a few 

 hours quite a long telegram, the longest ever 

 sent out of Silverton was on its way East to 

 Col. Ingersoll, and before long a brief one 

 returned saying that Mr. B. F. Underwood 

 was on a train for Silverton as a representative 

 of Col. Ingersoll to debate for ten days with 

 Rev. Clark Braden. They were to speak every 



