Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-05-30
From Harrisburg to Fostoria.

All aboard, said the conductor and
at 1880 q. m. / started for the General
Conference of the U. B. Church, which
met in the College Chapel at Fostoria,
Ohio, May ID. The Cumberland Val
ley along the line of the G. V. r. r..
is just as fine a country as one sees
during the travel of many, many miles.
The wheat is nothing extra but may
give full yield. / took dinner in
Chambersburg, and at $40 p. m. start
ed for my old home at Martinsbug,
where | stayed all night and renewed
my journey the next day over the B.
q o. r.. r., in company with a num-
Der of ministerial brethren. The
views along the B. & 0. are of pic
turesque nature. A trip across the
Allegheny mountains is wild and rO-
mantle. The fiery steed of day kissed
the hill tops good night before we
reached the Ohio River and darkness
shut out from view the sight and
scenes along the railroad. After a
ride of 10 long hours we reached Eos
toria at 2:30 a. m. Fostoria is $40
miles from Baltimore. 1t was laid
out about so years ago by G. w. Fos-
ter, the father of Ex-Governor Foster,
of Ohio. The population is $500 ;
the country about Fostoria is very
beautiful but rather low, it being
necessary to drain the land by using
telling or earthen pipes. The season
here is not as forward as it is at Har-
risburg; people here are at this writ
ing making garden, and the trees are
just beginning to bloom. One strange
feature about this little city is the
height of the houses; a great many
private dwellings all only one story
high however, there are some brick
buildings two and three stories high.
Taking it all in all, / think this is a
very fine country; churches and
schools are mark of enterprise and
christianity, and l think the West
has good share of these monuments
of christianity and civilization. The
object of my visit to this place is to
attend the General Conference of the
United Brethren in Christ, which con-
vened May IA, it being the nineteenth
General Conference in the history of
our church. The conference was call
ed to order by the senior bishop, Bish-
OPP j. j. Glossbrenner. The confer
ence consists of 12l regularly elected
delegates and the board offive Bishops
who are members eX-officio, making
body of 126 members. Forty seven
conferences are represented, stretch
ing over large territory even far
off Oregon and California being repre-
sented. The report of the bishop was
one of learning and ability. The re-
port showed large increase over four
years ago. Our statistics to date show
Il membership of 16S, 573; travelling
preachers 1,3i7 local preachers. 920 !;
meeting houses, 2,454'; our education
al statistics show one theological semi
nary, ten colleges and ten academies,
seminaries and schools of high Or
der. The publishing house at Dayton,
Ohio, is in a prosperous condition and
is worth over two thousand dollars.
Some questions of much interest to
the church. will be discussed and de-
cided at this session; among others
will be mentioned the secrecy ques-
ton which at this time is causing
some trouble in our church, and there
is no doubt but that the law of the
church will be modified. There will
be one or more new bishops elected.
And now, Mr.. Editor, if you see prop
er to publish the above in the columns
of your very valuable paper, you will
oblige the writer and ! hope many of
your readers.
G.. w. HUSTLER.