The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-08-03

Tor the central Presbyterian.
Home Missions.
An Appeal from Western Texas Pres
bytery.
OFFICE OF HOME MISSIONS, !
July 9Th, 1881.
We call special attention to "the
Memorial and Petition of Western Texas
Presbytery" printed below. Its deeply
interesting and eloquent statements de-
serve, as they will doubtless receive, the
prayerful consideration of Gods people.
The General Assembly referred this
paper to the Executive Committee, with
the hope that they might be able to send
laborers into this field at an early day.
and at the same time urged the churches
to make contributions to this special OBJ
lect with as little delay as possible. We
beg brethren who can do so to lay the
matter before their congregations at
once, and will also be glad to receive in
dividual contributions from those who
may feel like helping forward this much
needed and important work. There is
not dollar in the treasury which can be
used for this object, so that it is wholly
dependent upon the contributions now
to be made. Let our Christian people
act promptly and literally, and it will
not be long before ministers of the gospel
will be in the field, and the word of life
be preached in these destitute regions.
In behalf of the Executive Committee
RICHARD MoILwAINE,
j. LEIGHTON WILSON,
Secretaries.
The ,Presbytery Of Western TSras to the Gene
rat assembly Of the Presbyterian Church in
me Onated States assembled at Staunton, Va,
Greeting:
We respectfully submit to your venera-
BILE body the following statements and
petition. We would call attention to the
vast extent and deplorable restitution of
our field in respect to men, and the utter
insuffciency of the means at our com.
mand, to supply the spiritual wants of
the people in our territory.
Our territory is bounded by the Colo
RADIO river on the east, the Rio Grande
on the west, the Gulf of Mexico on the
south, and New Mexico on the north,
and includes an area Of about seventy
five thousand square miles, embracin @
tifty-fve counties, besides parts of conn
ties divided by the Colorado river, and
a large unorganized territory, and is
larger in extent than the State of New
York.
By the census of 1880 it contains a
population of 304 ,658-being an increase
in the last decade Of 1877, 125 souls This
increase in population has accrued when
this region of country was scarcely
reached by any system of railroads, and
had to depend for its communication
with the outer world upon the stage
coach and ox-wagon Since the taking
of the census there have been completed,
within the bounds of the Presbytery,
probably two hundred and fifty miles Of
railroad and many hundreds of miles are
in rapid construction. The Southern
Pacific has reached nearly. to Ell Paso.
The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe is
already there, and the Texas and Pacific
will soon reach the same point. The
railroad from San Antonio is being
rapidly pushed to that place, while the
international Railroad is going rapidly
forward in the direction of Laredo. The
Corpus Christi and Rio Grande road will.
it is said, reach Laredo in sixty DAYS,
while the New York, Texas, and Mexi-
can railway is being constructed along
the coast from near the eastern to the
southwestern border of this Presbytery
at Matamoras, Mexico At each of these
points connection will be made with the
system Of railroads which is be con-
structed in Mexico, and will doubtless
bring large populations to these points.
If a line be drawn north and south
through the city Of San Antonio, divid-
ing the Presbytery into two sections of
nearly equal extent, the division east of
this line will contain all our organized
churches except one (Which is now
vacant, and all Of our ministers. In
this eastern division, comprising ter
ritory larger than many Of our States,
we have thirtyone organized churches
and ten ministers who give all their time
to the work. Of these churches, twelve
are vacant, only three have religious SER
vices every Sabbath, and most Of the
rest have only monthly appointment;
while in all the vast region Of country
contained in the Western division, we