Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-31

A MISSIONARY IN CHEYENNE.-This town,
which, when the Pacific railway first came
through, flashed up to a population of $500 and
then subsidized to 1900, is now coming up again.
A fair estimate would add three hundred to the
fifteen which the census reported in 1870 A
large and 6rst-class hotel has been built by the
company. The trains stop here for dinner, CO.
ing both ways A few two-story brick blocks
have been built, presenting more substantial
aspect in the business part of the town. All the
decent houses are again occupied A very fine
court house, with Jail and sherffs house at
tached, is going DIP in stone and brick. | find
here house that manufacture the finest of jew
elry. Fort RUSSELL with its thousand soldiers,
gives business and life to the place, which is
now undergoing a healthy second growth. The
most prominent edifice is d two.Story school
house in brick, crowned with a cupola, built at
a cost of $4,000. Prominent citizens here tell
me that they owe that piece of. public improve
ment TO Rev. (COl.) j d. Davis, who was the first
missionary sent by the American home mission
airy society to Cheyenne. AS they were using a
ricketty building for school-house, he set him
self to get one more worthy of the town. He
gave notice and preached upon the subject. He
secured public meeting and favorable action
This was followed by another meeting to oppose
it. Sefshness sand the taxes would be too
heavy. But the house has been built, and is an
ornament to the town, as it is an attraction to
settlers.
Another thing the home missionary aided.
The town is upon "the great American desert"
which will not produce trees or shrubs, or gar
den vegetables without irrigation. The Grow
creek a small stream from the mountains aows
by. Davis preached upon the subject, pushed
it, aud now Davis ditch" bringing in health
and yerdure and beauty, is Que of the things by
which the missionary in Japan is remembered
here. That same ditch has this season been put
also to the service of utility aud of pleasure
in filling pond back of the town and hun
dred feet above it. 1t was a basin. The gov
eminent coded as much land as the water would
cover, and so a beautiful sheet of twenty acres
of water, fifteen feet deep in the middle, affords
immense pleasure as a place of resort and of
boat rowing, while it is yet to be used for put
ting out fires in the town. Eastern people can
hardly imagine the pleasure these people take
in this body of water. The burial place of the
community was unfit, and so q sermon upon
"Our Machpelah" brought the appropriate
cemetery.
While the church was going up under con-
tract, the preacher, aided by his wife, was
building the parsonage, which in its two stories
hasiurnishcd accommodation for the several mis-.
sonaries, who in their passage across the con IL
nent, have shared its hoptality But all this
was only accessory TO the spiritual building,
which has been well set forward, as appears in
an increasing membership, a good congrega-
ton, an unusually well attended prayer meet
ing, and fine Sabbath school, The church is
paying half the salary, while other churches in
the place pay scarcely anything in that way.
The church is also paying its inStallments of one
hundred dollars upon the five hundred borrow
ed Of the union, besides the five hundred of an
preparation. Rev. Josiah Strong, who entered
upon MIR. Davis labors Immediately upon his
leaving for Japan, is carrying the work along
WIN most encouraging successful Congregations