manent a city as we have in the arid regions of the West, and it behooves us to put forth our best efforts for building up a church here. Thank God for signs of life in our work. Our little congregation is made up mostly of "outsiders," who keep coming, and give the closest attention, and four men (residents) have expressed a desire to become Christians.

We will pray, hope, trust and labor for souls here. It is a pity that our work should have been allowed to fall back here. All other churches have kept up. The Methodists have 175 members, Episcopal 149, and Presbyterians have a large church and congregation. There are thirteen congregations in the city. Pray for us.

L. L. SHEARER.

Michigan-Ishpeming.

The work is encouraging, inasmuch as there are many souls unsaved who may be brought to Christ by diligent labor, and many seem disposed to accept salvation. The population is very much mixed so far as nationality and language are concerned, also in relation to religious belief. Congregations are fairly good, and good attention given to the preaching of the Word. Our Sunday-school is large, having on two occasions reached the number of 243 in the past two months. Two have been baptized, one received on experience, one by letter, all heads of families. We expect a number of others to unite soon. The church is united and harmonious, and a fair proportion earnest and devoted. The basement of our church building is being finished to accommodate our increasing Sunday school wants. S. G. ANDERSON.

Oklahoma-Guthrie.

I hinted in my last report that the report of this quarter would be cheering.

At a rally held in May, a report of the work of the church for six months past was presented. I add here the editorial from our church paper.

We started out to raise $600, and have secured $1,023.38 in spite of hard times and many discouragements. It proves what can be done, when there is co-operation and harmony, even though the church be poor and the times hard. An examination of the reports made will show that a small portion comparatively of the amount raised was paid by the church.

Aside from the money raised by Division 2, which nearly all came from abroad, money has been received in sums of $5, usually, from Kansas, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Arkansas, and other States.

In addition to this "Building Fund," the church has raised itself, for expenses and missions, about $350.

Other work besides financial has occupied our thoughts and engaged our attention. At the beginning of the present pastorate the church was discouraged and somewhat disorganized. The membership numbered 106 by the record, thirty were non-residents, as many were non-attendants. The pastor and wife have made over 600 calls, and not only have all the old members been found, but forty others.

About one-third of these have been persuaded to unite, another third have sent for letters, the other third expect to move on, or have taken a furlough in the Lord's work. The congregations have grown so that if all who were present during May should attend next Sunday, the house would not contain them. The Sunday-school has grown from an enrollment of 75 to 160, from an attendance of 50 to 122. The young people have been organized. The prayer-meetings are well sustained and profitable. Death has removed a faithful member. About a dozen have been granted letters or their names have been erased from the roll, all but three of whom were of the non-resident portion. Distrust and doubt have given place to hopefulness and faith. The church is at work raising funds. A Building Committee has been chosen and the church has voted to go forward in the erection of a meetinghouse to cost not more than $4,000.

An additional lot has been purchased and plans are soon to be adopted.

Three adults have been received by baptism.

While we have been called upon to grant ten letters, they were nearly all to non-residents. But we lose several good workers by removal. A few newcomers have moved in. For weeks a severe drought has discouraged. That is ended and doubtless considerable crops will bless us. The church are united and hopeful. L. H. HOLT.

Indian Territory-Eufaula.

I appreciate very much the HOME MISSION MONTHLY. I wish it could get an entrance into every home.

The church at Eufaula is not flattered with encouragement, yet we are growing some and are hopeful.

I recently spent a week with the Coweta church. The Lord was with us and we had a glorious meeting. Four were baptized and two restored. The church was revived and congregation re-established. This church had been nine years without a pastor.

I have had 16 professions of conversion. Measles hindered the baptism of some. We have raised in pledges nearly $100 for the purpose of building a church house on "The Miller Farm," where we have a good Sunday-school, and where we hope soon to organize a church. So far my experience has been that the Christian and unconverted Creek Indian reverences prayer so much that all bow upon their knees when asked to pray. The Home Mission Society has done and is doing a grand work for the Lord in this part of the Indian Territory.

If one could really see the need of these people, and see how far a small appropriation reaches, they would be more constrained to give. Only about 4,000 are Christians out of 14,000 to 16,000 Indians.

J. F. HAMPTON,

Missionary to the Creeks.

Indian Territory-Hartshorne. The Lord's work at Hartshorne is advancing all along the line. Our church has a healthy increase of good material, the membership is double what it was this time last year. Our population is 4,000 (as a town).

We are situated on the trunk line of the Choctaw, Gulf & Colorado Railroad. Our new house of worship is building very slow for want of means. Our house is 36x46. I feel that God is turning the hearts of the people to the completion of the new church. We have just established a mission station in West Hartshorne; the work at the station has a healthy appearance in all its departments; the interest in the church's work is unabating, with increasing congregations. Oh, that I could devote all my time to this one town!

Our work at McAlester is advancing slowly, but the general tendency is good. The work is slowly deepening and widening. We need men of God in this Indian country. Men of piety, men who have sacrificing grace, men who can bear all things for the sake of Christ and lost men.

We are working and praying that our churches may become self-sustaining, and then assist your Board in sending the word of life to others as you are now sending it to us.

N. J. PATTERSON.

Kansas-Garden City.

I confess my sin of omission in not writing for publication in the MONTHLY concerning the work in southwest Kansas. The two years' drought was broken the last week of May, since which time abundance of rain has fallen, giving promise of good crops, and the people are encouraged. During the two years of drought many became discouraged, and went seeking after "Eden's land," some of whom are returning, seeing that the good Lord is raining showers of blessings upon this land once more.

Notwithstanding these and many other difficulties, the Baptist cause is making some progress, as will appear from the following:

In '92 there were eight churches, with 282 members, in this Southwest Kansas Association; in '94 there were eighteen churches, with 439 members. Then there were three pastors, now there are six, and one missionary, and yet there are seven associated churches, besides four that are not, without pastoral care, save what the missionary can render once in two or three months. Now that the crop prospects have improved, we hope that more pastors can be

sustained, and more progress made. It has been impossible to get subscriptions for the MONTHLY or any other Baptist paper, because there is no money to pay for them, and there are hundreds of families who have no religious papers to read. I am try. ing to remedy this, first, by gathering up papers and tracts from the A. B. P. Society and other sources and distributing them as I go; second, by sending names to the Literary Mission, Wakefield, Mass., who will supply families with one or more papers weekly. The work of the missionary is very laborious, being scattered over twenty-four counties, and because of lack of means to pay railroad fare, must be with horse and buggy. During last quarter he traveled 1,024 miles, preached ninety sermons, held sixteen prayer-meetings, attended thirteen sessions of Sunday-schools, made 211 religious visits, added twenty-two to the churches, distributed over 6,000 pages of papers and tracts.

P. G. SHANKLIN.

Kansas Kansas City.

Dear Bro.:-I am pleased to report great encouragement on my field. Our work is situated in what is generally conceded to be the finest residence portion of Kansas City, Kansas. I am just entering upon the fourth year of my pastorate here. The work was so discouraging just before the present pastorate was begun, that a committee meeting was held, composed of Dr. Woods, of the H. M. Soc., representatives of our State Board and pastors of the city, to decide whether it were best to proceed with the work or abandon the field. For six months I preached in a grocery store until we had built a neat chapel, costing $2,300, which was dedicated in January, 1893. Since that time the work has grown so that we have been compelled to enlarge our building, which has just been done with an outlay of about $800. During the three years we have raised and expended about $5,500. Our membership has increased from 40 to 136. Our Sunday-school has grown from an average of 66 to an average of 206, during the last quarter. We have a good membership and the confidence of the community.

We have just received a statement from the Society with reference to our interest. We shall hope to attend to it very soon. It

would have been sent some time since had it not been that the Lord appeared to open the way for the enlargement of our building. We thought that in that way we could best serve the interests of the Kingdom, and we believe that you would have concurred in this judgment had you been on the Field. We hope, however, in a very few weeks to send a remittance.

Yours in the Master's service,

JAMES F. WElls.

Nebraska-Holbrook.

"

Perhaps a few words from this part of the work may be of interest to the readers of the MONTHLY. Although this part of the State has seen very trying times since last summer, yet our prospects now are much brighter than they have been for a long time. During the month of May, this spring, people became more discouraged than ever, as it was very dry, and crops already planted and sowed were fast dying from the effects of the dry weather and hot winds." But on the twenty-ninth of May the blessed rain came in great abundance, and since that time we have had such copious showers, that, at this writing, the prospects for an old time corn crop were never better at this season of the year; and in many instances wheat and oats will make from one-half to two-thirds of a crop, and in some cases even better than that. Consequently, everybody is feeling happy. This part of the State is noted for two peculiarities-the ability to stand a protracted spell of dry weather, and the facility with which all nature revives when the rain finally does come. If our present favorable weather continues through this month and next, one of the largest corn crops will be harvested that the western part of Nebraska has ever produced. A great deal of "aid" was sent to this part of the State, last fall and winter, which did a vast amount of good, and for which the people are truly thankful. But money is as yet very scarce, and will be till the wheat and oats are harvested and threshed, and in many instances until the corn crop is ready for the market. The scarcity of money has seriously hindered our church work in Nebraska, especially as regards contributions for home and foreign missions; but the "dark days" have apparently drawn our people nearer to God, and we have learned the force of the words: "God is our refuge and

strength, a very present help in time of trouble." With returning prosperity, our brethren and sisters will be enabled to contribute regularly for the support of the Gospel, both at home and abroad. "Brethren, pray for us."

JOHN TAYLOR, Missionary for Holbrook, Neb.

Nebraska-Chadron.

July 24, 1895.

The writer came to this field as a mission

ary of the Baptist Home Mission Society April 1st. For some time there had not been a pastor in the Association. The churches were many of them discouraged, but the people were hungry for the gospel and anxious to have pastors. There are now two of us for twelve churches. I have vis. ited all the churches but one in the Association, and some of them twice, since I came on the field. Held a meeting at a schoolhouse twenty-five miles south, of Chadron and gathered up some twelve or fifteen Baptists there. Assisted Brother Fries at Alliance a couple of weeks. This is a difficult field and many obstacles to overcome. One of the great hindrances to successful work is the lack of a church building. Brother Fries is doing heroic work here and we are steadily gaining ground. Fifteen were added to the church in the recent meetings. Sister Bassett, who has worked all over the Association trying to encourage the churches and hold them together in the absence of a pastor, went on June 23 to a point on the Niobrara River, twelve miles south of Gor. don, with two sisters from my church at Chadron (Mrs. J. T. and A. E. Weir), and be. gan a meeting in the grove. I went to their assistance June 29 and stayed one week. The spirit of God was working mightily in the meeting. Whole families were con. verted. We celebrated the 4th of July by baptizing twenty-two and ten more the day following-having baptized six the Sunday previous. Eight or ten others are expecting to be baptized next Sunday, July 28. It was a wonderful meeting. I was permitted to baptize eighteen heads of families. The people are hungering for the gospel. Oh, that we had more men! The people are poor. Crops are almost a failure again this year in this section of the State, and if this people are reached and saved it must be

largely through our Home Mission Society's efforts. There are more than half-a-dozen places right now where they are urging the writer to come and hold some meetings, but having been in special meetings most of the time for the past seven months, I must have a little rest before the Fall work begins. "Come over into Macedonia and help us." JAS. H. DAVIS.

New Mexico. A Romish Festival.

A few days before we left Rinconada, on June 13, occurred the annual feast of San Antonio among the Mexicans in Rinconada and adjoining valleys. San Antonio is their (paal) patron saint, who blesses their fields and growing crops. Days before the feast was celebrated, the people began to wash over the abode walls of their houses, outside and in, with fresh earth, and to prepare tortillas (bread) and cakes with which to entertain their friends. A small image of San Antonio, fastened in a frame, was carried through the valleys, from house to house and field to field, that he might bless the growing crops. Straggling processions of men and boys and some women and girls also, followed the image, beating drums monotonously, and singing weird songs. At night the image rested at some house, and a feast was held in its honor. I am sorry to say that some of our best schoolgirls were among the most prominent ones in the procession. But this is not to be wondered at, as great pressure is brought to bear on them by the priests, and consequently by their parents, to make them appear just as prominently before the public in their old religion as possible. We believe some of our pupils know better, and we hope to get so firm a hold on them in our school that they will finally break their chains, and worship Jesus only, who alone has power to bless the springing of the grass and other crops. At our prayer-meeting that night some of these same girls were present. I read the sixtyfifth Psalm, and tried to show them who alone could bless their fields.

W. H. RISHEL.

Washington -Tekoa.

We come to you again with a quarterly report reporting good tidings. This quarter I can not report as many sermons as usual.

I was just about sick for seven weeks. I am much better again. I kept all of my appointments by myself with two exceptions, when they were supplied.

I baptized fifteen persons this quarter and have a candidate to baptize next Sunday. One of our beloved sisters moved from here to Harrison, Idaho, where there was no church; she felt so bad about it, and she being a young convert and just baptized, I thought I would hold a meeting in that lumber and mining town. So I began, and if God is willing, we will organize a strong church to-morrow night. Business men are coming in, and from now on the business houses will close while I preach. Not all mining camps are tough, but are glad to welcome the Spirit of the Lord. This was the first Baptist preaching they ever had and God seems to bless it so much. How I love to do the work of the Lord in this country.

Virginia.

A. H. HAUSE.

It was my pleasure to visit the missionary field occupied by the student missionaries. I find they are doing as good work as can be expected, all things considered. They have everything against them. One of the worst things is they have no house in which to worship.

They have to contend with a denomination called "The Ironside Baptist." They are in open rebelion against the missionary Baptist in every way. Their leaders tell them that our missionaries are robbers, and if we want any church-houses built, we must build them, for we have plenty of money to do anything that we need.

Our young men are doing good work from house to house with their Bible in hand. I verily believe if they had houses on their different fields they would save many for Christ and the denomination. They greatly need the printed Word to leave with them. I am sure that the sales would be small for a while, on account of their training. Many of their leaders cannot read a line, they declare the Gospel is free. Baptist tracts are necessary in all cases.

Our Annual Missionary, Rev. Wm. Cousins, headquarters at Ridgway, has done a grand work there. He has three other outstations. He is making all kinds of sacrifices. Took his axe and went into the wood and

hewed the lumber, and with his own salary bought the nails and boards, and with his own hands built the house and now has his congregation worshiping in it. At another point he has done likewise, but for the want of money the work has been stopped without a covering. He is now, praying for means to complete this house. If he had four hundred dollars he could complete three houses on his field and much would be accomplished for the Master. I have organized seven societies to raise money for the work of the State Convention and the A. B. H. M. S. I think much can be done by having one in each church and Sunday-school.

I have not accomplished much in the way of raising money, but I have learned that one cannot sow and reap at the same time, but must sow and wait for the harvest. I am doing the best that I can toward organiz ing the forces for future achievement.

H. POWELL,

Gen. Miss. for State of Virginia.

Pennsylvania-Erie.

Dear Bro.:-In addition to my report, I will send a few lines and give some more explanation concerning my work. The result is not very visible yet; just the same do I hope that the fruits will come. Some persons have been asking for prayer at our meetings. And one evening when my text was Hebrews iv. 9: "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him," did a young lady decide to accept Christ. And she confesses now that she is a believer in Jesus, the Saviour of the world. How it has been with the other that I have been praying with and for I can't tell yet. I will know when I return to the place again.

At some places where the Swedish people have shown very much prejudice against us Baptists, it seems as if this evil had been removed. And they not only attend the meetings, but they also have asked me to return very soon again. But as I have to go and see so many places, it is possible that they forget the good impression before I return. I have a great deal to do. We have some very small churches, and they are generally without any leader, and when I come, I have to help them to settle some questions and start them in the work they