men
A for-men-only feature dealing with basic Christianity/ by Lloyd HamUl
Shorty Harris of DEATH VALLEY
S horty Harris was the kind of in dependent old codger that typifies the prospectors of western boom- days. He had a mining camp named after him (Harrisburg) and located the fabulous Bullfrog strike (Rhyo lite). But he lived and died poor. His burro was probably his most valuable possession. But such miserable luck didn’t bother Shorty Harris in the least. Every time he’d make a strike in the sizzling heat of Death Valley or the hills surrounding it he’d head for the nearest saloon and celebrate. And celebrating for Shorty Harris meant bragging and drinking and gambling. When the celebration was over Shorty would be down to his lone burro. A few friends would express their sorrow at his loss. Shorty just squinted up at his com forters, “ It ain’t nothin’ to get all riled up about. I had my fun. I reckon I’ll just go out and locate me another mine.” Shorty was an individualist even in death. In 1899 his close friend Jim Dayton died in the terrific sum mer heat while hy ing to drive a wagon out from Furnace Creek Ranch. Friends found him under a mesquite near the road 20 miles south of the ranch. They buried him on the spot. Shorty’s last wish when he died in 1934 was, “ Bury me beside Jim Dayton in the Valley we love. Above me write: ‘Here lies Shorty Harris, a s in g le -b la n k e t jackass prospector.’ ” A few mourners and a CCC chaplain gathered to carry
out this wish. The grave had been dug by two old friends who worked with Shorty’s size in mind, rather than the standard size of a coffin. When the service was ready the casket did not fit the grave and there was a delay while the diggers picked away at the hard desert floor. Mourners grew chilled as the sun dropped behind the Panamints and one called out, “ Oh, bend the old cuss in the middle and plant him. Let’s get it over with.” The coffin was then tilted into the still-too- small grave and Shorty Harris was buried. M y wife and I visited Shorty’s lonely grave the other day and then drove on south to a rough, isolated road into Butte Valley and to Anvil Spring at the 4,500-foot level of the Panamints. Up in this beautiful desert valley we counted 96 wild burros. They are as shy as deer and fat and sleek. These burros are the descendents of those left hy the old- time prospectors like Shorty Harris. Back in camp that night I sat close to our campfire and wondered about Shorty Harris and his philos ophy of life. I suppose some folks would call his philosophy of life foolish. It may have been short sighted but to Shorty Harris it cer tainly wasn’t foolish. He wanted life to be just the way it was for him. He liked the excitement of trudg ing the hot desert with the prospect of finding gold the very next day. And he found it just often enough to keep the excitement at a high
pitch. He didn’t want the respon sibility of running a mine. He wanted the thrill of making a strike and of bragging about it. He want ed people to admire him. And he was always the center of attention when he drifted into a saloon load ed with money from a new strike. For Shorty Harris this was the good life. Shorty Harris has a lot of com pany for his way of life . . . espe cially in spiritual matters. You and I find it much simpler often to take the short-sighted view in our rela tionship to God. There’s nothing unusual about this. It’s just part of human nature. But I wonder if that’s really the way we want it . . . even if it is the easy way. For most of us I think not. When we take time to think through on our own life and our own relation ship to God we know it’s a long- range proposition. W e can’t afford to put off spiritual matters to a more convenient time. To do so is disasr trous. The Bible says, “ Come now . . . .’” i And again (Jesus Christ speaking), “ Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him . . . .” Is Jesus Christ knocking on your heart’s door? Is there a still small voice deep within speaking to you? When He knocks invite Him into your life. It will be a transaction with deep meaning for today and for all of eternity.
The King's Business/May 1958
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