Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-08-08
LETTER FROM VIRGINIA CITY
The Methodist Conference.
To the Editor of the Auant Courier:

NJ. +. Annual Conference. coming all tn
of way from the Crow Agency, Bozemar
Helena, Butte, Missoula. Fort Hall an
a Emigrant Gulch. The Meth0dists TAKE
s. usually. great interest in their annual an
greatest conferences. and travel long dis
l., tances to attend them; and not only tn
VI clergy do this, but the laity come to thcs
gatherings with almost equal zeal.
Bishop Andrews, of Des Moines. Iowa
" presided. and his just, gentle, and yet frl
- course in the administration of affairs VOL
the approval of all associated with him
S. The Bishop is man OF great experience
q having travelled round the world in tin
performance of his official duties. He ha
II the highest culture, good practical com
If mon sense. and is most thoroughly devot
ed to his life-work, the preaching OF thu
= gospel and the care Of the Church. Nc
r Bishop Of the NJ. f. Church has made q
S better impression on the minds, not only
of his own Church, but on those of other
f denominations.
i, The session commenced on Friday
F morning with the usual routine OF bust
ress, which would not be interesting to
your readers. Rev. w. A. Hall was adj
mittcd on trial. He passed good exam
: nation. and comes highly recommended
as man of ability and character.
The evening service was led by Kew.
: F. A. Riggin. He preached the usual
sermon on church extension, and gave
many facts that were Of considerable in
tercst TO his hearers.
The reports on education. temperance,
Bible cause, publications, church exten-
sion. missions and others, were presented
on Saturday by the various committees
and adopted by the Conference and ordered
printed.
In the evening Rev. Clark Wright oc-
cupied the pulpit, and preached the annual
missionary sermon. 1t was an able dis
course. The Rev. gentleman gave many
interesting facts and statistics, ard applied
them in his usual forcible and elegant man
ner. We are glad to see that he occupies
the position of Presiding Elder of the
Helena District, a place for which he has
superior qualifications.
We make the following extract from his
sermon. Mr.. Wright had been speaking
of foreign work, but in the portion we
quote lie refers to our own Territory:
1--WE are occupying missionary ground in
Montana, and hence it is not necessary TOR
us to 90 away from home to prove the
worth of missionary labor as civilizer and
one of the strongest bonds to unite and
hold society together, and to lift men up
and give them title to IAN inheritance
that is incorruptible, undefiled and fadcth
not away
'.But few years ago we were taught
in our schools that all west of the Missouri
was barren plain, ending in wild, rug
ged. untruitful chain of Rocky Mountains.
inhabited by Indians, bears, and grasshop-
pers. But as We attended our agricultural
fairs and saw the largest production of
wheat grown from an acre of land of which,
we have knowledge, and vegetables, the
size OF which We are almost afraid to men,
ton lest stranger who might be present
should accuse us OF exaggerating; and
added to these the immense wealth from
mines fabulous in richness--onc mine alone
producing S53, 900 worth of gold inside of
80 days. say, when we saw all these, the
dream of youthful school days departed,
and we found in reality that the Rocky
Mountains, instead of being barren waste
is indeed tho stnrn-hnnsa IF tho nntion-
with a fruitful, prolific sOil-with an at
mosphere purer than Italy or Switzerland,
and with a sky so clear that the stars at
night time appear to be just above the
house tops. But you ask what has this to i
do with missionary work? We answer, 1
almost everything. 1t will be but few {
years and this Territory will be thronged .
with population from the East and West. |
I'm 1903. Lewis and Clarke passed thro' a
but no white man gave them ,
welcome No church or school house rose Z
up to greet their vision. Years passed by
and still the same state of affairs. At {
length few people entered this portion of t
what was once known as the Louisiana t
purchase. The minister came with them; =
aided by the Missionary Society, they were q
enabled tn remain. They organized t
churches and schools, while their congre- t
cations titled the lands, opened the mines, 4
turned the water courses to drive the 4
wheels of the machinery Of their mills and O
now, after the labor Of a few years, we sur
rey what has been accomplished. With a q
population Of about $1,000, we have 1857 |.
children enrolled in our public schools, il
,aught by l04 teachers, with school prop /;
,rty aggregating in value nearly $4,000, O
md Our people engaged earnestly in the s
work of education, and ready to tax them Il
selves at the rate of $4,000 per year for e
heir support. We have church edifices, Ii
all denominations, ministered
o by pastors-and let me say here in pass /,
ng, that there is not church in Montana t,
o-day whose pastor is not receiving aid d
rom the Missionary Society. The Metho- Il
list Chlrch at Helena received during tile Fl
present year $50, being the nearest self il
sustaining church of y we know OF in D
he Territory. Sunday Schools have been al
organized. and the people, instead of pass b
ng the Sabbath in buying and selling and is
ngaging in sports as formerly. are enlist
d in Sunday School work and teaching
he children to keep the Sabbath holy and
eycre Gods name.
''In this brief and partial exhibit we can
t once see the value of the work accom-
lished through the fundamentally Of the
Visionary cause, for without Christianity p
mr. society would be disrIpted-our p
'ourts would be objects Of contempt. and e'
fe and property would be rs mucl, in p
jeopardy as when this portion of Montana l,
'as ruled by Pumnser and his gang OF 10 ~
hieves. But, thanks be te God, we can 81
1orship, with none to modest or make US al
fraid. H,H /
1.-The faithful missionary has gone cut. ;. !.
nd, amid suffering from heat and oead, %
hey have traversed the fertile valley and a.
e1