The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-01-04
Local Affairs S. /.


SABBATH ScHooL.-The chapel on Walnut
street was well filled on Christmas morning
by as happy crowd Of children as were
ever gathered in this city, and the services,
in which they took prominent part, were
very interesting.
Mr.. 81. M. Knox, Assistant Superinten-
dent, presided, and after reading the Scrip
lures and prayer, and singing by the child
rem, he made his annual report.
After the reading of the Annual Report,
MIR. w. l.. Wilson made an address to the
children. 1t ab0unded in anecdotes and
familiar illustrations, and was we'll received
by the little ones.
Then came singing by the smallest ehil.
dren of the school, who are denominated
" The Little Hope-fuls." Led by the
voices of Mr.. and Mrs. HI. M. Knox, the
little voices swelled into volume of music,
" sweeter than the song of birds in the first
morning of spring"
Rev. Edward D. Neill pleasantly re-
marked, that the Historical Society, when
it did not wish to hear man speak, invited
him to read a paper" and on this Occa-
sion he (Mr. NELLY would not speak, but,
taking roll from his pocket,) would read
@paper on h-o i't
EARLY SABBATH SCHOOLS IN ST. PAUL.
Wherever the Indian Missionary went in
Minnesota, he established school not only
for the children Of the aborigines, but for
the offspring of European parents engaged
in the Indian Trade. ,a f;,.. .fl Ie'a
The first school in the State was at Sam
dy Lake, the trading post of Mr.. Akin,
and was taught by Mr.. E. F. Ely, remem-
bered by many present as an efficient mem
Der and chorister of the First Presbyterian
Church of this city.
10 letter written at Sandy Lake, Sep
TENDER 25th, 1888, be says:
81 arrived at this post September 18th. and
am happily disappointed in the appearance Of
kin's house, which is both q school room and
On the 23d, Mr.. Boutwell, left us for Leec
Lake. My school commenced on that day with
six or eight scholars. To-day l have had fit.
| teen." ..
In 1885, before there was Chaplain at
Fort Smelling, both day and Sabbath
school was taught there, under the super
vision of the Missionaries, and among the
Sabbath school teachers, was Ex- Governor
Sibley, then young man, and Agent of
the Fur Company at Mendoza.
A pleasant feature in the planting of
Christianity in this city was its entire free
dom from sectarianism. The Father of the
movement for the moral welfare of the chill
| dren of this place was the Rev. DR.. Will
liamson,the Presbyterian Missionary among
the Dakotas, who then lived at KapOsia
tour miles below. t......+.s
Describing st. Paul as it appeared in
l847, in letter written to the National
Popular Education Society, he says, IL
would suppose the village contained dozen
or twenty families, being near enough to
send to school. Since l came to this neigh.
borhood have had frequent occasion to
visit the village, and have been grieved to
see so many children growing up entirely
ignorant OF God, and unable to read His
Word, with no one to teach them. Unless
| your Society can send them teacher, there
seems to be little prospect of their having
one for several years. A few days since l
went to the place for the purpose of maxi
ing inquiries in reference to the prospect of
school. Visited seven families, in which
there were twenty-three children of proper
age to attend school," '
| The officers of the National Education
Society, society made up of members of
various branches of the church, sent to DR..
Williamson lady we'll known to our early
settlers, Miss Harrie. Bishop, now Mrs. Nc
Conkey. s'< sd t
After spending some time at the Pres
| byterian Mission House below the town,
accompanied by DR.. Williamson, she paid
| her first visit to the scene of her future
labors.' *a ef t.e-- F.:
Her first school house, so often described,
was on or near the site of the First Presby-
| terian Church, and here was commenced the
first Sabbath school, On the 25th of July,
l847. ....
Established through the exertions of a
Presbyterian missionary, it was not, how
ever, IN any sense a Presbyterian school !;
nor though taught by Christian lady of the
Baptist Church, was it in any sense Bap-
fist school both the missionary and the
teacher would have shrunk from the impu-
tation that there were sectarian ends in
view or that it should ever be claimed as
belonging to the Presbyterian or Baptist
church, They both felt that pure and
common, Christianity demanded that the
movement should be on the broadest and
| truly Catholic basis. 'a 9'f-i@ a+''a -
In the fall of 1848 the school was re-
moved to a building, erected by the generos-
ity of citizens of st. Paul and few at
Fort Smelling, which stood near .Primroses
bldckt q few doors above the Fitst. Fxesby-
terrain Asrh: 'paring this yeas, Mr.. Hoyt
of the Methodist, and Mr.. .Cayepden of the
| Baptist branch .ot the church.: became
teachers ip:the. Sunday School, - 60
With the organization Of the territory, in
1849, a large emigration came to st. Paul,
| and for time the school house on st. An.
thony street was used by different denomina-
tions on Sunday. The room, however, hav-
ing become too small. religious services were
held at the temporary capitol, now known
| as the Central House, on Bench street.
xIn the spring Miss Bishop left town, and
was absent until the fall but the day school
100 oork;ruoI voOe% Of <ho %;u,o hn Nj.